The AskA Starter Kit: How to Build and Maintain Digital Reference Services

Does your school library have a virtual reference desk? If not, The AskA Starter Kit will help the school district or individual school create an Internet-based question and answer information service for the K-12 community. This kit will guide your school or school system through the preliminary research of the digital reference field to the building of the system, its implementation, and finally, ongoing evaluation techniques that insure continued relevancy. Each module of the starter kit describes one of the six steps of the overall process and includes statements of goals and objectives for the reader to accomplish. Information is presented through explanation and practical examples. Opportunities for interaction are highlighted at every step. Other features include a glossary, case studies, and interactive worksheets. Published by ERIC, a program administered by the National Library of Education