REFERENCE: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE NEW MILLENIUM

Dee Dee Rogers
RRT Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
Presiding

Linda Draz
Adult Services Supervisor
North Richland Hills Library

Linda Draz discussed interactive online reference service to public library patrons through Answerzone using LSSI software.
PowerPoint presentation (1.05 MB)

Meredith Ault
Digital Librarian
UT-Austin Telecampus

Meredith Ault discussed digital reference with distance education students.

Kathy Pomara
Librarian
Shelton School & Evaluation Center in Dallas

Kathy Pomara talked about recognizing and supporting invisible learning disabilities such as ADD, ADHD, ADD-ADHD, dyslexia (reading problems), disphasia (language problems), and disgraphia (illegible handwriting). She pointed out that disorders can range from mild to severe. Younger people usually have been diagnosed and remediation has been accomplished. IQ's are usually average or above average: performance is not indicative of ability. Persons with the disorders are either highly motivated or give up. Performance may be inconsistent (good one day; a problem, the next). Central nervous system problems affect how information is transferred. Symptoms to watch for with dyslexia: right/left problems, reversals, difficulty following directions, inability to read maps, memory retention problems. Symptoms to watch for with ADD: attention sustainability problems (everything engages attention), task completion is very difficult, motor problems (coordination, clumsy), can't handle subtleties of language (don't think symbolically), listening (vocabulary), impulsive, social skills greatly affected (trouble with relationships). Lavoie's "How Difficult Can This Be?" is a very useful video for understanding disabilities. Levine's "Misunderstood Minds" (PBS program) is also very good.

Margaret Peloquin
Head Librarian
Austin Community College
Riverside Campus

Copyright ©2003, Reference Round Table, TLA
Send comments and suggestons to: Carol S. Byrne, cbyrne@uta.edu
Last Modified: February 2003