The newly formed Reference and Adult Services Section of CLA will be holding a short meeting after the 'Best Practices in Virtual Reference" webinar to discuss plans for the section’s fall program. The section is still looking for new members so anyone interested would be encouraged to stay. The Reference and Adult Services Section is a committee of Connecticut librarians that meet to plan for CLA fall programs and for programs that can be presented at the annual conference. If you are a librarian or a student studying to be a librarian and are interested in reference and adult services in public, academic or special libraries, the section would love your involvement and your new ideas. If you would like more information please contact Paula Cook Interim Associate Director of the Library at Manchester Community College, 860-512-2877.

OCLC:Best Practices in Virtual Reference: What the @#$? Dealing with Rude Patrons Online
You’re probably already aware, but not all virtual reference exchanges are friendly chats, despite our best efforts. An uncomfortable online exchange can happen in virtual reference with any type of library. Whether you’re talking with elementary schools students, researchers, or the general public, it’s easy to get offended at some of the things people might say online. From using inappropriate language to being impatient to SHOUTING BY USING ALL CAPS, online reference can be a little different to in person requests because it’s hard to know the intended tone.

Hear and share some effective ways to deal with rude users without losing your cool. OCLC’s QuestionPoint Product Manager, Susan McGlamery, and guest speakers will share their experiences along with some helpful tips. Starting with the best way to set the tone and have a positive online interaction through to ways to diffuse a conversation that has become combative or disrespectful, their suggestions should help your virtual reference conversations go more smoothly. And, of course, it’s good to know when to let things slide and how to keep from getting too discouraged by rude commenters, despite your best efforts.

Join other CLA Reference/ Adult Services librarians to talk more about their virtual reference experiences. We’ll start with the OCLC webinar and then discuss what works best for librarians in our area. Share your own experiences and find out what resources are available to CLA librarians to get more training in this area.

Fee: Free - Directions: Middletown Library Service Center