This was the timeline as it appeared for the 2005 Anniversary celebration,
except nothing appeared above these lines or below the Valid XHTML link below.
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1995 |
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The BeginningJan. 5
The Grand OpeningMar. 17th
Welcome Kids!
QRC & Early Reference QuestionsAug. 3thThe IPL’s Ask-A-Question Online reference service had been handled through a system called HyperNews up to this point, but on this day, QRC became the database management system helping the IPL’s reference administrators process and categorize reference questions and the IPL’s volunteer librarians answer accepted questions. See examples of some of our early questions Interview with Michael McClennen NOTE: To watch the interview, you must have QuickTime installed. Interview with Josie Parker NOTE: To watch the interview, you must have QuickTime installed.
Total Reference Questions Answered 1116
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1996 |
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Just for TeensDec. 18thThe Teen Division Originals featured a multitude of resources guides and collections. From how to write ‘A+ Research’ papers to career pathways, teens were sure to find very valuable information and indispensable tips to get through their teenage years! This section was later renamed TeenSpace A New SchoolThe School of Information and Library Studies gave way to a new school: the School of Information. Total Reference Questions Answered 3772
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1997 |
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First Major RedesignJan. 12th
POTUSOct. 12thCreated by Presidential trivia buff Bob Summers, POTUS: Presidents of the United States contains links to biographical and historical information about all 43 presidents. Summers asked the IPL to host his site to give it more publicity. It quickly became one of the most highly used sections of the IPL! Stately KnowledgeThe Stately Knowledge collection was added. This popular KidSpace collection provides facts about the U.S. States as well as links to other sites students can use to learn about each state. The collection received another major update in 2004. Total Reference Questions Answered 8068
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1998 |
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Literary CriticismThe Literary Criticism collection was added. The collection contains links to online literary criticism as well as biographical information on authors and other relevant materials. Originally focusing on major American and British authors, the collection was later expanded to include authors from around the world. Total Reference Questions Answered 13,464
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1999 |
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Interview with David S. Carter
NOTE: To watch the interview, you must have QuickTime installed. IPL World WideOct. 5thThe IPL goes World Wide. With mirror servers across the globe, such as in North America, South America and Europe, the IPL can now serve a greater audience world wide. Total Reference Questions Answered 20,518
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2000 |
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Total Reference Questions Answered 27,930
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2001 |
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Total Reference Questions Answered 35,168
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2002 |
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Second Major RedesignJun. 12th
Computerworld Honors Program
AIHEC Virtual LibraryThe IPL provided interface design and technical assistance to this project of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). The Virtual Library collected resources related to the curriculum of tribal colleges and their communities. Total Reference Questions Answered 40,597
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2003 |
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Intel GrantIntel provides laboratory workstations and laptops for the IPL, greatly improving speed. The IPL Goes Open SourceThe IPL makes its software available through SourceForge at http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.py/hypatia/. Total Reference Questions Answered 44,036
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2004 |
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Sun Microsystems GrantSun Microsystems provides 9 new servers for the IPL; the IPL begins moving from Solaris to Linux. Research on the Economics of Funding Public GoodsProfs. Yan Chen and Jeff MacKie-Mason undertake research evaluating several incentive-compatible public goods mechanisms for IPL fundraising. Interactive Middle East Newspaper MapIn partnership with the Universal Map Company, the IPL developed an interactive map of the Middle East for use in our Newspapers collection. Users can navigate through the geography of the region to find online newspapers specific to each area. Biblioteca Publica por InternetThe IPL has assisted Mexico’s Tecnological Institute of Monterrey in creating a Spanish-language virtual library that will provide services to students in Community Learning Centers, as well as the public at large. Total Reference Questions Answered 49,774
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2005 |
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Current Projects:Book RecommenderThis work was inspired by a visit from SI Alumna Nancy Pearl. Nancy, a well-known librarian, a frequent commentator on National Public Radio and author of books about books, is also the model for the popular librarian action figure. AccessibilityThe IPL is working with Mike Elledge, a Usability Consultant at the University of Michigan, to make all parts of our site accessible to users with disabilities. Blogs CollectionThe new IPL blogs collection helps users navigate the blogosphere, offering general information about blogs, links to blogs on a variety of subjects, and even includes our own blog about blogs! Science Reference and ResourcesIn response to the popularity of science resources on our site and the large number of science-related questions asked by IPL users, a group of students and staff are investigating how we can improve our resources and reference service in this area. The group is examining best practices for science education in libraries and other fields, science questions sent to our reference service, and the availability of science information on the Internet. TeenSpace Redesign and ExpansionA project is underway to update the TeenSpace section of our site. The changes, developed in consultation with Ann Arbor teens, will include a redesigned interface, additional content, and new ways for teens to engage with the IPL. Congressional Research Service Report CollectionReports created at the request of Congress members are being collected from various sources so that they can be preserved and made available to the general public. Ask-A-Question ServiceWhen the IPL began, online reference was a new concept. Over 50,000 questions later, we’ve learned a lot! We continue to attract new participants and develop new policies to help us serve our users. Read more about the Ask-A-Question Service Interview with Maurita Holland, Executive Director of the IPL If you have trouble with the video, try this link NOTE: To watch the interview, you must have QuickTime installed. IPL Celebrates 10 Years of Innovation
Total Reference Questions Answered 50,926
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Internet Public Library
University of Michigan – School of Information