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Ask Ontario

Milestones

askON/ONdemande service partners

View askON Libraries in a larger map

 

July 2011

  • 21 public libraries and 12 colleges trained and ready to start the Fall 2011 service

June 2011

  • Jan Dawson steps into role as Project Manager

January 2011

  • 70,000th question answered! (60,000 for askON and ONdemande, 10,000 for 4ReSrch)
  • 867 askON info pros on staff

January 2011

  • 7 new public libraries added to askON and ONdemande
  • 6 new askON interns trained

November 2010

  • Inappropriate Behaviour Task Force struck

October 2010

September 2010
  • 24 new askON interns trained
April 2010
January 2010
  • 14 new askON interns trained; bringing our pool to over 30.
December 2009
  • Over 25,000 sessions held in 2009
  • Over 13,000 sessions held between Sept. 09 and Dec. 09; up from 8,000 for the
    same period in 2008.
November 2009
  • askON CALL pilot to add voice to chat reference is launched
  • Six Nations Public Library becomes an askON partner
  • askON launches virtual training curriculum for staff, interns and partners
October 2009
  • askON partners with OLSN’s Virtual Online Community Library to provide virtual reference services to remote Ontario communities
  • Dryden Public Library’s participation allows askON to extend public service hours to 9:30pmEST (Tues/Thurs)
  • askON partnership with Pathways to Education (Ottawa) launched

September 2009

  • askON returns to full service with increased hours and more than 20 new library partners, including the University of Toronto Libraries
  • Dedicated college and university service begins
July 2009
  • Training workshops for partner site coordinators launch the training program for 150+ new askON staff
June 2009
  • First iSchool interns begin their askON training program 
May 2009
  • New askON partners identified for Fall launch
  • Participation of several northern francophone communities (Hearst, Val Rity-Hardy, Moonbeam) allows ONdemande service hours to increase

April 2009

  • Volunteer opportunity: iSchool reference students and recent graduates
  • Ask Ontario Assembles Northern Advisory Group

December 2008

  • KO’s inaugural Annual Report 2007/2008 released!
  • Ottawa Public Library joins askON

June 2008

  • Look who’s chatting now…
  • Real-time information and research services branch out across Ontario’s public and post-secondary libraries!

April 2008

  • askON adding new libraries for September!

February, 2008

  • askON official website is up and running, log on and take a look around!
  • askON Live Chat service is running now, try it!

January 2008

  • Minister of Culture to launch askON library chat-based research service
  • Service launched

November 2007

  • Training starts

October 2007

  • Service name selected– askON, ONdemande
  • Technology selected – LivePerson
  • Portal development and information templates
  • Training framework developed; training plans
  • Service Guidelines, Policies, Procedures drafted
  • Initial site visits

September 2007

  • 4ReSrch pilot launched
  • RFP for technology issued
  • Pilot sites selected
  • Tentative schedule drafted
  • Statement of shared understanding

August 2007

  • Task force meetings continue
  • Summit to determine vision and direction

June 2007

  • Project coordinator hired Task Forces struck

May 2007

  • Approval / Begin planning pilot project

January - April 2007

  • Sector assessment
  • Survey and sponsored research projects
  • Focus groups/presentations (OLA, GTA, Hamilton, Waterloo, Sudbury, Ottawa, Barrie, Kingston, Mississauga, Association of Medium Sized Public Libraries (AMPLO))

September 2006

  • Project manager hired
  • Environmental scan
  • Other collaboratives (BC, Colorado, New Jersey, Ohio, etc)
  • Current research, writings, resources
  • Explored technology options and challenges and identified other projects / potential partners

June 2006

  • Steering committee struck

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