About

Research help for your students ...
askON is a free one-on-one chat information service that connects Ontario students with a public librarian who can help them with school research assignments, papers and projects. Students connect to the secure service from participating public library websites and receive live, personalized help refining their research topics, identifying keywords and exploring authoritative resources.

Not an answer service

Using text-based chat (instant messaging), a medium well used by students, askON librarians offer research guidance and reinforce the research and digital literacy skills that are part of the Ontario curriculum and important tools for student success and lifelong learning.

Chat interactions between students and askON librarians are secure and private and may take 15-20 minutes. Each student’s request is responded to individually based on their grade, research experience and the topic at hand. askON librarians use a variety of resources and tools to guide students.

Often students are introduced to some resources to review/study and encouraged to come back to the service or consult their public or school library for additional assistance as they work their way through their assignment.

How it started

askON is developed and staffed by Ontario’s libraries in partnership with Ask Ontario (an initiative of Knowledge Ontario). askON launched in January 2008 with 10 participating public libraries and has already doubled in size. In 2008 askON public librarians handled more than 2000 questions, 40% of those were from students.

askON is not limited to student use, nor it is limited to library users from the current participating libraries. Anyone in Ontario, needing information or research assistance, on any topic, can use askON. That includes teachers and parents.

askON is developed by Ask Ontario, another initiative of Knowledge Ontario.

How it operates

Students need to use the Internet to access askON at their local public library website. They do not have to have high-speed. They do not have to download software or special tools. They can access askON from school, home or anywhere they have internet access.

After clicking on the “Click to Chat button” students complete a short questionnaire that asks for a first name (it does not have to be a real name) their status (k-8 or 9-12), their local library and an idea of what information they are looking for.

Their question is then “picked up” by the first available askON librarian. All questions are picked up within 90 seconds, most under a minute. The librarian conducts a virtual “reference interview” using guidelines and techniques developed by the American Library Association’s Reference & User Services Association (RUSA) to help the student articulate their information needs.

Each participating public library contributes staff time to the rotating askON schedule. The service is open 40 hours per week (29 in French) and there are always at least 3 librarians (one bilingual) on shift and available to respond to questions. A student may not be working with a librarian from his/her local library and students may not request to work with a particular librarian. However, askON staff are all experienced reference librarians who are accustomed to working with students.

When the service is closed students have the opportunity to send their question via email to their local public library. The library will respond directly to the student. This is the only time we ask students for personal or contact information (email). This is voluntary and the information is encrypted and secured.

About

Not an answer service

How it started

askON Hours

askON is available for live help:

How it operates