Assignment 5: "Know it Now" & "Ask a Librarian"

As an online reference novice, I looked forward to my use of Kent State University’s “Ask a Librarian” and Ohio’s online reference source, “Know it Now”. I also looked forward to comparing my findings to those of a current librarian. At the end of my discussion, would I be encouraged by my own research or frustrated by the results?

I started with the “Know it Now” service and greeted the librarian with the following question:

“My cat recently underwent dental surgery and now needs liquid pain medication and antibiotics. I am looking for resources that give advice how to administer this medication.”

I phrased my question with more detail than my own personal research during the information awareness report to give the librarian more insight. It was not long before “GCPL1” responded to my query. The librarian’s response was quick and caring in nature. GCPL1 said, “Hi Anthony, I’m sorry about your cat. Are both meds liquid?” I was impressed with GCPL1’s ability to connect with a patron from miles away. It felt as if I were talking to the librarian in person. I quickly passed along thanks and answered that they were both liquid medications. GCPL1 went to work and informed me that it might take a few minutes. I did not have to wait long. The service informed me within a minute that the librarian was typing. She first sent me three video links. The three sites were the exact ones, which I had located during my information awareness search.

http://www.ehow.com/video_2259732_get-cat-liquid-medication.html

http://www.ehow.com/video_4945233_give-cats-liquidmedication.html

http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/pet/fhc/liquid_medications

GCPL1 provided me with a link to a print resource located at about.com. This site was new but included much of the same information that I located during my search.

http://vetmedicine.about.com/c/ht/00/07/How_Administer_Liquid_Oral0962935142.htm

My experience with the “Know it Now” service was a positive one. GCPL1 expressed interest in my information need and showed a genuine concern. The barriers of the world wide web were broken down and my needs were immediate. One feature of the system that I was impressed with was the current update feature located directly below our chat. It provided information of when the librarian was typing a response. I felt secure in the fact that GCPL1 was researching my question in an efficient manner.

The result of the research was not much different from my search. I discovered the three video links during my search. She did send me one print resource that differed from my results. Overall, I pleased with the service that GCPL1 provided. The information was similar, but if someone did not want to spend time searching on his or her own, I would recommend using the “Know it Now” service in the future. Depending on my information need, I may use this service in the future.

I was encouraged after leaving the chat with GCPL1. Perhaps the distance and barrier of the world wide web was no obstacle with the help of friendly reference librarians posted at their computers and eager patrons with thought provoking questions sitting in their home offices.

Taking this encouragement with me, I decided to try out Kent State University’s “Ask a Librarian” feature. This was my first time using this service as well. This service was not available during my undergraduate work at Kent State University. I was excited to see everything that I was missing.

I began my search with the same question that I posed to GCPL1 only fifteen minutes earlier. However, instead of receiving sympathy and a follow-up question, I received an initial roadblock. Imaksulibrarian said, “Honestly, I feel like that should be something you would discuss with a vet or a professional”. As an online patron, I felt the barrier of the world wide web. I perceived that I was wasting this librarian’s time. I felt disconnected. I needed to bridge this gap with a quick reply but received another quick message from Imaksulibrarian. The librarian simply typed a “?” and sent it off. What was I to infer from this brief message? I continued typing my message that read, “I have already received a limited amount from the vet when I picked my cat up. I was just curious if there were any additional resources, websites, videos, etc. that provide any further assistance?”

At first, I slightly understood Imaksulibrarian’s stance. Perhaps he or she was directing me to an expert. I had this same thought during my search. However, Imaksulibrarian did not respond to my follow-up response. I waited five minutes and attempted Imaksulibrarian’s strategy, I typed a “?” into the message and sent it. Imaksulibrarian’s response, “I sent you the link.” Despite the barrier, I could sense the tone. As a patron and a Kent State University MLIS student, I was embarrassed and appalled. Imaksulibrarian’s callous response and lack of interest in my query was evident. Imaksulibrarian quickly sent the link to which he or she referred to, http://www.vetinfo.com/catmed.html. The website contains a hodgepodge of questions submitted by internet users about various cat medications, there are roughly thirty medications listed in a long, hard to read document. I could not locate any information in regards to my initial query on this website. My distaste for online reference service peaked after using this service and receiving subpar assistance. As a Kent State University MLIS graduate student, I will not recommend their online reference service to anyone.

I experienced two separate and contradictory results during my “Know it Now” and “Ask a Librarian” assignment. The “Know it Now” service treated me as an inquiring patron with a welcomed question. GCPL1 broke down the barriers of the internet with a warm and genuine concern; I received a virtual hug from GCPL1. GCPL1 handled my query in a professional manner and discovered four insightful resources. My experience with Imaksulibrarian differed greatly. Imaksulibrarian immediately suggested that I consult a veterinarian or a professional. Imaksulibrarian’s response built a wall instead of breaking the wall down. The continuing conversation and the haphazard research performed by Imaksulibrarian did little to save this online research query. The differing results continue to bewilder me. I cannot reconcile the two. I have learned how vitally important it is to provide genuine care in an online reference environment. I will emulate the service that I received from GCPL1 and try my best to avoid the kind of service I received from Imaksulibrarian even though I will be a librarian trained from Kent State University.

Assignments 1-3

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pizzatony/

http://delicious.com/aforfia

http://www.librarything.com/home/aforfia

Information Awareness Report

After a recent veterinarian appointment for my cat, Skittles, I discovered that she needed dental surgery. In addition to worrying about the large bill, I also worried about the aftercare that she would need. Even though I am a pet owner to two wonderful cats, I do not claim to know everything about giving medication to cats. I picked Skittles up at 7pm after her long day of surgery and I awaited the news. I discovered that I needed to give her two liquid medications, twice a day for a week. The veterinarian technician provided me with the prescriptions and the medicine droppers in a large bag and gave me an overview of where to apply the medicine. It all sounded too easy, “just apply the liquid pain killers and antibiotics directly to her gums,” she informed me. I left the clinic unsure and not confident in the least with my ability to provide medical care to my 10 year old cat.

Consulting a veterinarian or a veterinarian technician is the preferred first step to deal with this dilemma. This was not an option because I received my five minutes of training and veterinary advice and now it was my responsibility. “This will be no problem at all,” I said to myself. Skittles will understand that I am there to help her and she will graciously open her mouth and allow me to apply the pain killers and give her the antibiotic. I needed reassurance from trusted resources. Although I am not a trained veterinarian, I will be a trained information specialist and I can handle this! I decided to consult the internet first.

I conducted a Google search using the following queries:

• How to give a cat liquid medicine
• Giving medication to a cat
• After care for cat dental surgery

My search queries resulted in a plethora of informational resources. In addition to step by step print guidelines, the search also displayed video demonstrations of veterinarians giving liquid medications. I was thrilled with the combination of results. In Everything is Miscellaneous (2007), Weinberger states, “If only there were a way to arrange the stuff in stores so that every possible interest could be captured. When we know what we want, we’d find it immediately”. I understood the meaning of this quote much deeper after conducting my online search for this assignment. Since I learn in different modalities, I appreciated the multitude of videos and print resources.

I expected some of the resulting information resources while others were a pleasant surprise. I expected to see about.com, wikihow.com, and ehow.com in my results and I was not mistaken. I used these sites to provide me with basic medical information and resources. There was not enough sufficient information on these sites to satisfy my need to care for my ailing cat. Both Cornell and Washington State University’s veterinary departments offered sites explaining how to provide cats with oral medication. These sites contained the most useful and trusted information and included several videos and pictures of the step by step procedures. I spent the duration of my time with these sites. Veterinarypartner.com and petplace.com offered great resources as well, but I felt more comfortable receiving my information from the educational resources that I consulted. The URLs are listed below:

http://cats.about.com/b/2009/06/27/video-how-to-give-a-cat-liquid-medicine.htm

http://www.wikihow.com/Give-a-Cat-Medicine

http://www.ehow.com/tips_14829.html

http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/pet/fhc/liquid_medications

http://www.petplace.com/cats/how-to-give-liquid-medication-to-your-cat/page1.aspx

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/cliented/cat_meds.aspx

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=120

I did want to continue my research in this subject to include more than internet resources. I trust the reliability of the sites that I consulted but I wanted to pair them with print resources to check accuracy.

Before consulting my local public library, I remembered that I had an excellent cat reference material at home. Therefore, The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Cats, Cat Breeds & Cat Care was my next source of information for my question. I quickly found two pages of information regarding how to administer liquid medication to a cat. Much of the information provided, duplicated and reaffirmed the information from my internet search. The book suggested holding the cat from the back of the neck, and while tilting the head backwards, to slowly squeeze the liquid medication into the side of the cat’s mouth. It cautioned the careful method of applying the medicine so that the medicine does not enter the cat’s lungs. If medicine is inhaled into the lungs, the cat is at risk of developing pneumonia. This resource reassured my preparedness to provide my cat with excellent home care.

I next consulted my local online public library catalog using the search term “cat care”. My search resulted in 109 results. The first several caught my attention and appeared to be trusted sources:

Cat Care Essentials by Francesca Riccomini

101 Essential Tips: Caring for Your Cat by Andrew Edney and David Taylor

The Humane Society of the United States Complete Guide to Cat Care by Wendy Christensen

K.I.S.S. Guide to Cat Care by Steve Duno with a forward by Christopher Walken

Complete Illustrated Guide to Cat Care by Bruce Fogle

The books all included sections on safely administering oral medication to cats. It was easy to access these materials because many of the titles were at multiple branches of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. These print resources were all valid and trustworthy. The Humane Society of the United States is one of the most well respected resources in animal care. The other titles were all written by current or former veterinarians, or included veterinarian consultations in their research.

After my quick initial tutorial from the veterinary technician, my internet research, and my exploration of several print resources from my local library and my bookshelf, I feel confident to administer medications to my recovering pet. She is counting on me to be her personal veterinarian for the next several days and I will not let her down. I have successfully completed my informational need through a variety of well trusted sources and materials. Overall, the combination of the information strengthens my knowledge. I viewed video tutorials that I received through my internet resources and I read detailed descriptions from my print resource examination.