Reference arsenal adds new weapon

‘ ‘ ‘ With finals approaching, some students are frantic to study, cram as much as possible… ‘ ‘ ‘ With finals approaching, some students are frantic to study, cram as much as possible before next week’s exam mayhem. But there is a tool that could make students’ lives easier. ‘ ‘ ‘ Ask Here PA is an online reference site sponsored by the state’s libraries, which features a live chat-room style service where users can interact directly with librarians. ‘ ‘ ‘ At a press conference yesterday in the Carnegie Library, Pennsylvania Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak asked the 125,000th question on the site. ‘ ‘ ‘ Zahorchak said it is the fastest growing service of its kind in the nation. ‘ ‘ ‘ The site is free to state residents and includes a reference section catered specifically to college students. ‘ ‘ ‘ Zahorchak gave a live demonstration of the system at the press conference. The interaction between him and his e-librarian, Scott, showed how the process works. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I think this is one of the best kept secrets in the libraries’ arsenal,’ said Zahorchak. ‘ ‘ ‘ Currently, more than 70 libraries participate in the program, which Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Pa., launched in 2006. ‘ ‘ ‘ When a user signs on to ask a question, they are linked directly to a Pennsylvania librarian. The librarian can then work with the user to filter out the most important information and even open specific Web sites in the user’s browser. ‘ ‘ ‘ Zahorchak emphasized the importance of primary source information versus the variety of Web sites students may find by using basic search engines like Google. ‘ ‘ ‘ He gave an example of a time that he sought information on Martin Luther King Jr., but a Google search presented a hate site within the top of the list. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s a perfect example of why we still need libraries,’ said Barbara Mistick, the president and executive director of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, referring to the complexity of information available and requested these days. ‘ ‘ ‘ During the press conference, Zahorchak’s search for information on Abraham Lincoln quickly brought him official, archived document information, in addition to a site that Scott opened up, featuring interesting facts on the Illinois president and the upcoming bicentennial. ‘ ‘ ‘ The site’s librarians use the Internet and reference databases to answer user questions efficiently. ‘ ‘ ‘ Zahorchak said about 65 percent of the site’s users are students in grades K through 12. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I just played around to get an idea, but it’s a huge resource for our children,’ said state Rep. Paul Costa, D-Wilkins. ‘[My librarian] stuck with me the whole time until I found what I was looking for.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Mary Clare Zales, the deputy secretary of education and commissioner of libraries for the state’s Department of Education, said the Web site is an excellent tool because ‘the goal of every library is to inform, educate and enrich.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Zales joked that she has every expectation for the site to win an award for the most-used site in the state, even though that award doesn’t actually exist. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’ll start [the award], and we’ll be the first to receive it,’ she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ Despite being a late bloomer in the virtual reference category, Zales said, the state has ‘more than made up for it’ since the launch of Ask Here. ‘ ‘ ‘ Pennsylvania currently ranks fourth in the nation for the amount of state funds that go to the library system, Zahorchak said.