"Preemptive Reference" from Library/Newspaper Alliance

-- Library Journal, 03/14/2007

Kansas City, MO, residents are getting more business information in one place thanks to a unique partnership between the Johnson County Library (JCL) in Shawnee Mission, KS, and The Kansas City Star newspaper. Although the agreement was recently formalized, since last summer JCL had been supplying the newspaper each week with "web-based information packages" consisting of selected web sites, databases, and books. The resources complement the Star's Sunday lead business feature, appearing in the online version of the Star and in the print version of the newspaper. Now JCL staff will perform the same service for the Tuesday Business section, which is small business/entrepreneur-oriented.

JCL mounts the same information packages on its web site devoted to business resources, and links to the Star's site; the newspaper in turn links back to the library site. The JCL business reference team prepares the weekly packages five to seven days in advance, JCL spokesperson Pat Hassan said. The library practices "preemptive reference" by providing information before it is needed and even before users think of the question, said David Hanson, manager of the specialty reference services department that researches and produces the content.