The purpose of this paper is to provide an examination of how web conferencing software and screencasting software has been used to provide training to librarians participating in the Illinois State Library's AskAway Illinois virtual reference cooperative.
Brief overview of the features of the web conferencing and screencasting software used, Wimba and Jing, respectively, is provided followed by a discussion of the implementation of these products as librarian training tools within the AskAway Illinois. Recommendations for training with these tools are also made based on experience and a review of the literature.
Using an online synchronous environment (Wimba) to provide AskAway Illinois introductory training ensures all librarians joining the cooperative have at least a basic level of knowledge. Follow‐up training is sometimes necessary and is best accomplished using an online asynchronous method (Jing) that is more convenient than a synchronous environment and is more informative than email or a phone call.
An example of how Wimba and Jing are implemented for librarian training is provided. Examples of best practices for using web conferencing and screencasting software to train librarians on new technology are also provided.
