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Poster Abstract

The Development of a Virtual Library Tour: Health Science Center Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Pamela Sherwill-Navarro, College of Nursing Library; Dwight Bennett, Webmaster; Linda Butson, Assistant Director for Outreach Services, Health Science Center Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

Brief Description: Since 1996, the Health Science Center Libraries (HSCL) at the University of Florida has implemented a library Liaison Program. Librarians have been assigned to various colleges and departments of the health center. This program has increased communication and interaction between the HSCL and the colleges in a positive way. However, it has increased the workload of the librarians in the program. Because there has not been an increase in the number of professional staff, we are continually looking for ways to work smarter rather than harder.

The librarians traditionally tour groups of students from the various health science center colleges. In the fall 2001, one of the colleges requested that we tour 160 students in twenty minutes. We knew that there had to be a better way. We determined that the most efficient and cost effective method of solving this problem was to develop a Web-based library tour. The key areas were identified, photos were taken, related links to information on the library Website were chosen, and the product was assembled. The virtual tour debuted in the fall of 2001 with the College of Nursing and the College of Pharmacy incoming students. After piloting the tour, improvements were made, and the Web committee approved the product. It has proved to a more efficient use of the librarians' time, more effective for students because they are able to refer back to it, and less disruptive to other library patrons. Additionally, the Web-based tour is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for other purposes such as general patron information and marketing of the HSCL's many services.

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  Last modified:  Tuesday, 15 October 2002