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In early 2014, the National Library Board Singapore (NLB) started a Linked Data project with the aim of increasing the utilisation of NLB and its partners' resources through connecting related data, locally and with other datasets on the Internet. The project deliverables include the implementation of a Linked Data Management System (LDMS), developing a core Data Model and extended service vocabulary, transforming approximately 260,000 records (authorities, vocabularies and bibliographic data) from NLB, National Archives of Singapore (NAS) and National Heritage Board (NHB) into RDF, and developing a Linked Data service consisting of a web feature and a widget for the delivery of the transformed datasets, which has since been launched internally to staff and is currently under review. This paper will provide an overview of the main project deliverables, with a detailed focus on the Linked Data service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to meet ever-changing users’ needs, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Libraries implemented virtual reference services such as e-mail, chat, and, most recently, instant messaging, in increments and via various services and vendors. Each option consistently met with a lukewarm response and less-than-desirable reference transaction numbers. After investigating the virtual reference experiences of other academic institutions, and after the advent of a more flexible Webpage design, the UNL Libraries decided to pilot strategic placement of the QuestionPoint Instant Message Qwidget on multiple pages of the library Website. Data collected in the Fall 2008 and 2009 semesters test the hypothesis that 2009 sessions utilizing the strategically placed Qwidget resulted in significantly higher sessions than 2008. The strategic placement of the Qwidget resulted in a drastic increase in reference interactions in the 2009 academic year when compared to the 2008 academic year. The overall increase in reference transactions, along with a consistent increase throughout the academic year, indicate that instant messaging reference service is of interest to our users, as long as placement of the service is prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]