NMRLS Regional Reference Center at Memorial Hall Library

Memorial Hall Library in Andover is contracted by the Northeast Regional Library System to provide supplementary reference service to all NMRLS member libraries. This service is available by telephone (978-623-8401 Ext. 31) during the hours that the library is open:

Sunday - 1pm to 5pm    

Monday through Thursday - 9am to 9pm

Friday and Saturday - 9am to 5pm

If you prefer, you can email a question to us at rdesk@mhl.org or fill out the form on the Regional Reference Center page at http://www.mhl.org/region/reference  

As a subregional center for the Eastern Region and now as the Reference Center for NMRLS, Memorial Hall Library has provided back up reference service for 30 years.  Our reference collection has been developed to reflect our dedication to providing supplementary reference service to member libraries.

For more information about the service, contact Eleanor Sathan, Regional Reference Librarian, by email at esathan@mhl.org or by phone at 978-623-8401 Ext. 17.  She can arrange a tour of the library or schedule a visit to your library to meet your staff.  Why not call to arrange a visit for your next staff meeting?

We would like to update our database of NMRLS member libraries.  Please fill out the form at http://www.mhl.org/region/reference/newsletters/index.htm  so that we will have current information on your library. 

 

Patrons can Access a Friendly Librarian from the MVLC Catalog

The last few years have seen a push to offer remote access to library services. Catalogs, databases, and e-books are a library card number away from homes and offices. Memorial Hall Library is a member of the MassAnswers Project which has made chat reference available to all residents in Massachusetts.

Many patrons use MassAnswers to ask circulation and catalog questions. To provide access to a reference librarian at the point of need, MVLC added an “Ask a Librarian” tab to the library catalog in February, 2004. Since then the number of questions has more than doubled. Patrons can click on the “Ask a Librarian Tab” to ask, “What is my pin number” or “How do I place a reserve?”

Librarians from other parts of the country who collaborate with us to provide 24/7 coverage have access to policy pages that identify a patron’s pin as the last four digits of their telephone number for MVLC residents. The policy page also has a link to the library catalog enabling these librarians to guide our patrons through a catalog search. If a librarian is unsure of a policy, the question is sent to a local follow-up file that we check daily.

Patrons do not always understand exactly who is answering their questions. Because the link to live reference is through their local library’s catalog or home page, they regard chat reference as a service of their local library. It makes no difference whether the question is answered immediately or sent to follow-up. They are happy to chat with a live reference librarian.

About 20% of the patrons respond to the survey box at the end of their sessions. Comments are overwhelmingly positive. We love the replies:

"Wow! One of the best uses of my tax dollars."

 

"Great program, I will teach my children about it."

 

"Thank you for doing such a great job communicating with me.  I appreciate it. I have been a Mary Kay consultant for 22 years and I know the importance of good customer service."

Remote access to libraries began with the online catalog. We then made research databases accessible from home and office. Now, through MassAnswers, we offer the expertise of a reference librarian online.

If you would like to offer access to MassAnswers from your library home page, contact Eleanor Sathan by email at esathan@mhl.org or by phone at 978-623-8401 Ext. 17.

 

Reference Service for Hearing Impaired Patrons

Memorial Hall Library has installed NexTalk-VM at the Reference Desk. With this software our librarians can communicate directly with patrons who use TTY (Teletypewriter) or TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf). Before, our hearing impaired patrons had to rely on an intermediary, such as MassRely, to access our library services via telephone. Now, when patrons with TTY or TDD call our dedicated telephone line, 978-623-8405, a text box pops up at the reference desk computer with the patron’s question.

This initiative is part of a two year grant to improve services for people with disabilities from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, as administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

For more information on this service, contact Stephanie Aude by email at saude@mhl.org by phone at 978-623-8401 Ext. 34.

 

New Desks for Memorial Hall Library

The public service areas of Memorial Hall Library are taking on a new look. In our continuing effort to make our services and staff more accessible to patrons, we  built a new Reference Desk and a new Circulation Desk. Each desk has a special section designed to make it easier for patrons in wheelchairs to interact with staff. The librarian will be seated, so that the transaction will be carried out at eye level.

We have even updated the terminology.  Reference Desk will be replaced with Information Services. The Circulation Desk will become Customer Services. We feel these names make the function of our public services desks more apparent.

In the next Reference Center Newsletter we will report our patrons’ reaction. Stay tuned.

The new Circulation and Reference Desks are a capital improvement project of the Town of Andover.

 

To-Go Collections

Memorial Hall Library is always looking for new ways to market our collections. Taking a cue from book store displays, we have added “To-Go” collections, extra copies of popular books, CDs, and DVDs. Situated in our main reading room, these items do not go into reserve queues, so patrons can browse the displays and find a copy of a popular CD, DVD, or book to check out whenever they come into the library. Patrons are so delighted with the concept that we have added three more “To-Go” collections: notable books, classics, and paperbacks. Patrons, looking for “something good to read” are attracted to these displays. When one of our librarians is asked to suggest a title, “To-Go” collections become useful readers' advisory tools.

Next time you are at Memorial Hall Library look for our “To-Go” displays. I’ll bet you will find a title to take home.

 

Northeast Center for Healthy Communities Resource Library

The NCHC, the largest public health library north of Boston, includes books, videos, and curricula. Located in Lawrence, Massachusetts, residents and organizations in Massachusetts may borrow materials at no charge for a period of two weeks. Library hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. You can access their online catalog at http://rchc.andornot.com/catalog_search.aspx

The NCHC also lists public health data and grant writing resources on their website at http://www.nc4hc.org

 

New Home Page for Memorial Hall Library

Memorial Hall Library unveiled its updated web site on Tuesday, November 23. We reorganized the content making it easier for patrons to find the information they need. Mouseovers show links to important information at a glance. New organization and graphics make the kids and teens pages more attractive. Click onto http://www.mhl.org and check us out.

Regional services can be found at the same address as before (http://www.mhl.org/region) or by clicking on the “region” link on the bottom of each page of the web site. Once you are on the region page, click on the reference link for easy access to the supplementary reference services that Memorial Hall Library provides to NMRLS members.

The Regional Reference page also has a link to the Interlibrary Loan Services we provide. Web forms to request a monograph or an article, and citation verification tools are at your fingertips. Also, you can easily check the status of a pending request from this page.

Take a minute to look around. Please send questions or comments about the new web site to our webmaster at webmaster@mhl.org