Ask Us Here!

1. Locations and hours
2. Description
3. History
4. Suggestions, comments, feedback

1. Locations and hours

Vancouver:

• Spring 2012 semester: February 17, March 2, and March 16, 12:30 - 2:30 pm.  Segal Graduate School of Business Lobby.

Burnaby's Ask Us Here! service will be on hiatus for Spring 2012.

• The Library can come to you! You can find your liaison librarian here. Contact Janis McKenzie if you have questions or suggestions about Ask Us Here or other reference services. 

2. Description

SFU Library's Ask Us Here! service is designed to take our in-person reference services out of the library and into the departments and faculties of the university. It involves librarians using wireless-equipped laptops to answer reference questions at tables in various parts of campus.

Our main goals are:

• to provide in-person reference service using electronic sources in specific locations on campus;
• to promote the library as a centre of learning and research on campus; and
• to market the library's services and resources (including the AskAway service).

Some key features of this service have been:

• Librarian expertise: Liaison librarians with general and subject-specific knowledge staff the service. We can guide students through the research process and answer questions about using the library's resources and services.
• Utilisation of existing technology: We use laptops equipped with wireless cards to connect to the wireless network that is now available in most parts of campus. We have access to almost all of the library's growing suite of electronic resources (online article indexes, e-journals, e-books, datasets, and more).
• Regular service: We will visit locations throughout the campus from the Weeks 1-12 of classes, in the Spring and Fall terms.
• Advertising/PR: We have sent emails to students and faculty in the departments that we visit, some of which have subsequently been included in departmental publications. We've also featured this service in the Library's News & Events announcements, and we carry a large, colourful sign to place next to our table in each location.

3. History

The idea for the SFU's Ask Us Here Service was first presented by Perce Groves, Reference Division, and it was based on a initiative by Harvard University.  In summer 2003, a report was preapred by two Co-op students from UBC's School of Library, Archival, and Information Studies: Katherine Miller and Anne O'Shea. It covered everything from technological considerations (e.g., wireless signal strength in various parts of campus) to marketing suggestions (e.g., sample press releases). Their report is the foundation of the service now being delivered.

In August of 2003, shortly after the completion of the report above, we formed a team; checked out the proposed locations; acquired and configured a new laptop; worked out scheduling issues; got a sign made; created feedback forms; found a cart that could double as a table; and planned our initial marketing. Within a matter of weeks, we were ready to go with our pilot service in two locations.

In June of 2004, the Ask Us Here! team received the British Columbia Library Association's Academic Librarian's in Public Service Award for Outstanding Service.

We've since expanded our service from the original locations at the Burnaby campus to include service at the Segal Graduate School of Business at SFU Vancouver. We are currently experimenting with a varied schedule and a set of varied locations.

4. Suggestions, comments, feedback

We're always interested in getting feedback on our services so we'd love to hear from you. If you have any recommendations on how we can expand or improve our Ask Us Here! service, please pass along your suggestions. You can e-mail us at ask-us-here@sfu.ca.