News release Public Information Office  SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061 publicinfo@selu.edu Spring 2004 news releases Public Information home News archive Contact: Rene Abadie Date: 7/15/04   SOUTHEASTERN LIBRARY WINS ‘INNOVATOR’ AWARD      HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University’s Sims Memorial Library has been awarded the 2003-04 Tutor.com Innovator Award for the library’s virtual reference website design.      The international award was one of eight presented at the 2004 American Library Association annual conference in Orlando. Tutor.com is a leading provider of virtual reference software, reference outsourcing and live homework help systems. According to the company, the awards recognize libraries that “are true innovators who think outside the box to provide the best services to their communities.”      Southeastern’s web-base reference service, called “Ask A Librarian Live,” is a real-time service that features online librarians, said Eric Johnson, library director.       “The Ask A Librarian Live software enables our staff to interact with Southeastern faculty, staff and students to find information to support their research 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Johnson said. “Our librarians are able to interact in real-time private chat sessions, send web pages and co-browse the library catalog and research databases.”      The Southeastern library was singled out for its creative use of graphics, links and button placement. The graphics and web pages were created by Southeastern librarians Karen Jung and Xiang “Jackie” Ding and former student worker Branan Steib.