Ask A Librarian and Familia comes to the East of England!

Co-East has become the new host for EARL services Ask A Librarian (http://www.ask-a-librarian.org.uk) and Familia (http://www. familia.org.uk). Ask A Librarian, the UK public libraries' digital reference service, first launched during National Libraries week 1997, has developed into an internationally recognised information source. Participation in Ask also benefits library training programmes, as it is an excellent introduction to web research. Familia, a local history/genealogical resource of public library holdings in the UK also has an international reputation for excellence and has won many awards. Familia forms the ideal companion to Ask, as libraries receive a fair amount of family history questions.

We are on the lookout for new Ask libraries, especially from the East of England region. Libraries can dictate the frequency of their participation, and are provided guidance in answering questions.

(Autumn 2001 Easterner)