This was my first experience using “Know It Now 24x7” and “Ask a Librarian.” Before I began this exercise, I imagined receiving excellent reference service from both sites. I started my query with “Know It Now” and the experience disappointed me from beginning to end.
I submitted my information request to Librarian294: “I am a 35 year old woman and would like information on training for a marathon.” I thought I phrased my request in a logical way, however the librarian asked for clarification. I explained that I needed websites, journal articles, or any other resources that would assist me with training for a marathon. The librarian stated that she located a good resource for magazine articles entitled Health Source: Consumer Edition. The librarian told me I could access the journal through Kent State’s databases. The librarian did not attempt to locate any journal articles from the magazine. I asked if the librarian could recommend any additional materials that might help me. The librarian then stated I should attempt a Google search and use the search term “marathon training.” The librarian also suggested that Cuyahoga County Public Library would have some resources regarding marathon training.
At this point, I was feeling frustrated with the whole experience. I expected the librarian to provide me with detailed information about marathon training. I restated my request one more time and asked for sources on how to physically prepare for a marathon, how to train for a marathon, nutritional advice, and advice on staying motivated. The librarian then listed three websites for me to view and asked if this information satisfied my query. Two of the three websites the librarian suggested were sites I discovered during my search for Assignment 4. The other website recommended did not specifically deal with marathon training, it dealt with physical fitness. Listed below are the librarian’s recommended websites.
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Sports-And-Fitness/M/Marathon-Training-Tips.aspx
http://www.marathonrookie.com/
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Issues/Body-and-Mind/T/The-Balancing-Act-A-Womans-Guide-to-Sports--Fitness.aspx
My “Know it Now” experience fell short of my expectations. I envisioned more helpful and knowledgeable librarians. I gathered more information researching on my own and the online librarian supplied only generic information. Online librarians should not conduct all of my research, but providing the titles of some journal articles would have been helpful. The information given by this online librarian did not adequately prepare me for a marathon.
After my less than successful experience with “Know it Now,” I turned to “Ask the Librarian.” Unfortunately, I did not fare much better with this reference service. After waiting for over an hour, I finally connected with the librarian. I stated my information request: “I am a 35 year old woman who needs information on how to prepare to run a marathon. I need advice on devising a training schedule, nutrition, and staying motivated. Can you help me find any resources?” The librarian responded with the website Cool Running and gave me the links to pages dealing with marathon and training plans. The Cool Running website (http://www.coolrunning.com) is a great resource for marathon runners and I discovered it during my initial research.
Since I was already familiar with this site, I inquired if the librarian could suggest any more websites or journal articles. She then suggested the website Marathon Rookie (http://www.marathonrookie.com), which was also a website I found during my research for Assignment 4. At no point during our conversation did the librarian ask if the information provided was meeting my informational needs. After supplying the second website, the librarian ended our conversation.
My experience with “Ask a Librarian” also fell short of my expectations. The librarian did recommend informative websites but did not try to engage me in any type of conversation. The librarian did not delve any deeper than my initial request and ended our chat before asking me if the resources supplied met my informational needs. The websites suggested were ones I was already familiar with and I gained no further knowledge of marathon training during this interaction.
After my experiences with “Know It Now” and “Ask the Librarian,” I will not be recommending these sites to information seekers. I understand that different factors can affect the online reference experience. The librarian may be new to the job, may be trying to assist a multitude of people, or may be unfamiliar with my information request.
My main complaint with both services was that neither librarian seemed to care about helping me. Both librarians rushed through the reference transaction and neither tried to engage me in a dialogue. Neither librarian located any journal articles for me, even though I specifically asked for them. The “Know it Now” librarian did find a magazine for me but gave me no assistance with finding the specific issue that would contain relevant material. The websites supplied by the librarians did contain resources I could use, but I already discovered the websites during my own research.
I work in a library and excellent customer service skills are essential. Both librarians were brusque and did not spend a significant amount of time assisting me. I felt as if I were an interruption to their workday. I believe I found the best information on marathon training while conducting my own research. I cared about finding appropriate and ample information because the information need was important to me. My reference skills provided me with the best resources for preparing for a marathon. I do not believe I will use either reference service in the future.
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