Introduction
Nordic Conference on
Virtual Reference March 23-24th, 2006
The virtual reference
services have developed rapidly during the new millennium. In Finland
the national Ask a librarian service was launched in 1999. The Helsinki
City Library in turn started the iGS (information Gas Station) digital
service in 2001 and an online service using the chat technique in
2002. The other Nordic countries have also developed virtual reference
services. Denmark has been a pioneer in this field with their Biblioteksvagten
service, but corresponding services have been developed in Norway
and Sweden as well.
In Finland and in the
Nordic countries the virtual reference services have been created
within the public libraries. In USA, virtual reference services
began earlier and there the services were first built up in the
academic libraries, but the public libraries have also been active.
USA is still the most developed in virtual reference services and
there the development of virtual reference programmes is also most
diversified. Therefore it is justified to invite one or two speakers
from USA to a conference on virtual reference services.
In Finland, we have benefited
greatly from the experiences in the other Nordic countries. Nordic
conferences on virtual reference services have been an important
way of exchanging experiences. The first conference was held at
Reykjavik 22.-23.5.2000 with the title Referansearbeidet i det elektroniske
miljø - bibliotekar, bruker, betjening.The second one at
Helsingør 26 - 27.2.2002 with the title Træfpunkt bibliotek?
– Bibliotekerne i 24x7 samfundet, arranged by the Danish Research
Libraries Association. The third conference, Digital referensservice,
was arranged by the Malmo Public Library 28 - 29.11.2002. The fourth
one, Virtuell referanse, was held at Tønsberg in Norway 11
- 12.3.2004. This last conference was arranged by the Vestfold Provincial
Library. At these conferences the participants have acquired a varied
overview of the of development of the virtual reference services
and have been given the possibility to thoroughly get acquainted
with the tools and routines of virtual reference services.
Now it is Finland’s
turn to continue and broaden Nordic cooperation in the field by
organizing the following conference.
Arranging the conference
in Finland facilitates participation both from Finland and the Baltic
countries. Our ambition is also to promote cooperation between the
libraries and the museum and archive fields. We estimate the number
of participants to about 100.
