UTech, Jamaica 2015-16 Annual Report

Computer Library Centre (OCLC) and National Library of Jamaica. The other article requests were satisfied using the online databases. E-Reference Services The Library’s Question Point Virtual Reference Service called Ask a Librarian continued to be a popular option for accessing library services. Users were able to CHAT with a librarian in real time from a computer or hand held device, or email reference and research queries to a librarian and get feedback. The virtual reference service was previously hosted on the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) platform. However, in order to manage the online reference service independently the Library obtained its own Service Unit Profile (SUP) in Question Point from the PIOJ in February 2016. The Librarians now manage email queries, chat transcripts, reports, and statistics independently and provide feedback to users’ online reference queries. Archives The Archives is the university’s memory bank and is consequently an invaluable resource for teachers, students and researchers. As part of its function as the repository of the university’s history, the Archives is the keeper of all past examination papers. The uploading of past examination papers to “Hyperion” which began in February 2015 was intended to make these past papers accessible to users remotely. Some technical problems prevented the availability of some papers online. In some instances requests were serviced by e-mail. COLINET The Calvin McKain Library continued to serve as the focal point for the College Libraries Information Network. A major achievement for the network during the year was the completion of work on the revision of the Standards for College Libraries. The 9th Biennial Symposium of COLINET was held on March 14 and 15, 2016 at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa in Runaway Bay, St. Ann. The theme for the symposium was: “Smart Libraries: Fast Tracking Transformation from P to E”, which focused on the critical shift taking place in libraries. More and more, libraries have been moving from the acquisition of print material to the acquisition of e-books, electronic databases and similar resources. Keynote Speaker was Dr Sean Thorpe, Director of Graduate Studies, School of Computing and Information Technology, UTech, Jamaica. Page 17 University of Technology, Jamaica ANNUAL REPORT 2015-2016