Touch and Tech: Communication Essentials at the Weather Center Library, Norman, OK

When the National Weather Center opened four years ago, it brought together under one roof over thirteen federal, state and University of Oklahoma weather and climate programs with varying emphases on teaching, research, service and outreach. The new library, funded by all NWC programs, has worked with a combination of touch and tech to help serve the needs of all of these entities. This presentation highlights some of the ways in which this very small library supports the goals of increasing communication among researchers, students and staff within the NWC and sharing weather and climate information and resources with people outside of the NWC. Partnerships with other libraries and groups will be discussed as well as the findings of a recent study by OCLC that emphasizes the importance of both technology and human contact in working with researchers.