Welcome to Virtual Library Zine #34 http://www.libraries.vic.gov.au
It is aimed at staff in public libraries and anyone interested in Web and electronic resources.
If you think you know someone who would like to receive this publication, forward it, or let
them know they can join by sending a message to majordomo@vicnet.net.au . Leave the
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Ask a librarian update- Yarra Melbourne has taken on the Virtual Reference desk this month,
following on from Glen Eira Library and Information Service. You or someone you know can
Ask a Librarian at http://www.libraries.vic.gov.au/cgi-bin/libsonline/asklibrarian/question.cgi
An while we're Asking the Librarian…Digital Reference Primer
http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/~b-sloan/primer.htm
This list of books and articles offering an introduction to Digital Reference for those new to the
field has been established by Bernie Sloan of the Graduate School of Library and Information
Science University of Illinois, also known as "the guru". A couple of Online articles are
available which are really informative.
Medical Reference For Non-Medical Librarians
http://denison.uchsc.edu/outreach/medbib3.htm
A good annotated collection of links to Web sites for consumer health information from
librarians at the Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. There are links to a range of topics and
search engines, as well as tips for librarians on how to provide information to patrons.
Search-22 Reference Search Engines
http://www.search-22.com/reference.html
Search almanacs, encyclopedias, quotation finders and web directories from this page.
Unfortunately you can search only one of these at a time, but a good collection of online
reference sources from the one page!
Quote heard in Vicnet about the State Library of Victoria "You know, they really do have quite
a lot of information over there!"
Vision Australia on Picture Australia
http://www.pictureaustralia.org/vaf.html
Vision Australia, through the Local History Digitisation Project have digitised a selection of
images from the Tilly Aston Heritage Collection. The collection is historically important as it
relates to the history of blind and vision impaired Australians during the last century and
highlights how such impairment can be reduced. The images can now be viewed through
Picture Australia.
Discovernet
http://amol.org.au/discovernet/
Aimed at students who would rather not spend a day inside a museum or art gallery. Students
can create their own exhibition, find a museum, see online exhibitions with Australian themes
and get great help with student resources.
Freepint article-"Answering Quick Reference Enquiries Using Google"
http://www.freepint.com/issues/080802.htm#feature
An article from an "Information Broker" on how to maximise your search strategy by using a
part-sentence method which does not rely wholly on keywords. May be worth a try, but
remember a librarian is a human search engine!
The Virtual Library Zine is edited by Brendan Fitzgerald and Stephanie McGlinchey