Digital reference service: trends in academic health science libraries

Two years after the initial 2002 study, a greater number of academic health science libraries are offering digital reference chat services, and this number appears poised to grow in the coming years. This 2004 follow-up study found that 36 (27%) of the academic health science libraries examined provide digital chat reference services; this was an approximately 6% increase over the 25 libraries (21%) located in 2002. Trends in digital reference services in academic health science libraries were derived from the exploration of academic health science library Web sites and from digital correspondence with academic health science library personnel using e-mail and chat. This article presents an overview of the current state of digital reference service in academic health science libraries.     

Accuracy of telephone reference service in health sciences libraries

Six factual queries were unobtrusively telephoned to fifty-one U.S. academic health sciences and hospital libraries. The majority of the queries (63.4%) were answered accurately. Referrals to another library or information source were made for 25.2% of the queries. Eleven answers (3.6%) were inaccurate, and no answer was provided for 7.8% of the queries. There was a correlation between the number of accurate answers provided and the presence of at least one staff member with a master's degree in library and information science. The correlation between employing a librarian certified by the Medical Library Association (MLA) and providing accurate answers was significant. The majority of referrals were to specific sources. If these "helpful referrals" are counted with accurate answers as correct responses, they total 76.8% of the answers. In a follow-up survey, five libraries stated that they did not provide accurate answers because they did not own an appropriate source. Staff-related problems were given as reasons for other than accurate answers by two of the libraries, while eight indicated that library policy prevented them from providing answers to the public.     

网络聊天室在参考咨询服务中的应用研究

本文阐述了网络聊天室参考咨询服务及其工作模式,考察了国内外该项服务的发展状况及实际运行了网络聊天参考咨询的几个图书馆或相关机构,总结出网络聊天参考咨询的特点和运用应注意的问题.     

International trends in health science librarianship part 17: a comparison of health science libraries with academic and research libraries

Over the last 4 years this Regular Feature has looked at trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. Although there are still a few more regions to be covered in this series, this issue explores general trends in academic and research libraries with a view to discovering whether the trends identified for health science libraries are similar. Are health science libraries unique? Or do their experiences mirror those found in the wider world of academic and research libraries? JM     

Digital reference service

As agencies increasingly provide services via the Internet and government documents migrate to online agency Web sites, government service providers face a growing problem of how manage high volumes of public questions sent to government Web sites by e-mail. This article focuses on the increasing public demand for digital reference services.     

AskNow!——澳大利亚国家级合作实时咨询服务项目的启动与发展

AskNow!是澳大利亚州立图书馆委员会于2002年8月启动的一个国家级合作实时咨询服务试验项目,目的是检测多个图书馆利用网络技术开展合作实时咨询的可能性,历经20个月的试验评估,AskNow!于2004年3月被确立为长期性服务项目.本文介绍了AskNow!试验计划的启动情况,并对AskNow!系统为寻求发展而采取的努力进行了概述.     

Public libraries embrace citizen science: Strengths and challenges

Can public libraries become hubs for citizen science? In line with the principles of citizen science, this question was answered collaboratively with librarians from the Barcelona Network of Public Libraries who performed two hands-on activities. One activity was a training course taken by 30 librarians from 24 different libraries which enabled them to envisage citizen science implementation at each library. The other activity consisted of co-creating a citizen social science project and involved 40 library users, seven librarians from three different cities, and professional scientists. The analysis considers the perspectives of both librarians and users, through participant observation, surveys, and a focus group to identify strengths and challenges. The overall results suggest that public libraries can offer leadership in the promotion of citizen science and contribute to the mission of public libraries to act as local community hubs. The main challenges identified were related to the complexity of collaboration, uncertainty regarding research co-creation, and participant retention strategies.     

Chat reference service in medical libraries: part 2--Trends in medical school libraries

An increasing number of medical school libraries offer chat service to provide immediate, high quality information at the time and point of need to students, faculty, staff, and health care professionals. Part 2 of Chat Reference Service in Medical Libraries presents a snapshot of the current trends in chat reference service in medical school libraries. In late 2002, 25 (21%) medical school libraries provided chat reference. Trends in chat reference services in medical school libraries were compiled from an exploration of medical school library Web sites and informal correspondence from medical school library personnel. Many medical libraries are actively investigating and planning new chat reference services, while others have decided not to pursue chat reference at this time. Anecdotal comments from medical school library staff provide insights into chat reference service.     

Circulation policies in health science libraries

There is general agreement that library policies have considerable influence on the use of libraries. Medical school (health science) libraries of this country were surveyed as to their policies in respect to whether faculty and student use were regulated by a single policy, circulation regulations, hours library was accessible to users, accessibility of reserve material, interlibrary loan, policy on overdue material, and exit control.THE LIBRARIES WERE THEN DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS, HIGH, MIDDLE, AND LOW ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS: size of student body, size of faculty, size of holdings, size of library staff, annual budget, and annual circulation.Our findings would indicate that schools falling in a high category based upon these criteria tend to be more restrictive in their policies and to have different regulations for faculty and students than do schools in the low category.These findings warrant further study.     

Toward sustaining professional development: Identifying essential competencies for chat reference service

This study identifies the essential chat reference competencies to enhance the professional preparation of reference personnel. A survey was conducted to examine practitioners' perceptions of chat reference competencies reported in the literature. A prioritized competency list was produced based on the survey results. The investigated competencies could be divided into four categories: media-independent core reference competencies, reference competencies highlighted in the context of chat reference, reference competencies specific to chat reference, and reference competencies not as important in chat reference. Competencies in the first three categories received ratings higher than 5.5 (out of 7) and can be defined as the essential competencies requisite for chat reference practice. Findings from this study can be used as the basis to design and implement training and education programs to enhance the professional preparation of chat reference librarians.     

美国高校图书馆实时参考服务试验项目研究

文章从人员配置、宣传推广、软件选择、咨询问题类型、服务评估等方面对8个美国高校图书馆的实时参考咨询试验项目进行了研究分析与经验总结。     

Chat reference service in medical libraries: part 1--An introduction

Chat reference services offer the opportunity to provide immediate access to quality information to meet the medical information needs of students, faculty, staff, physicians, nurses, and allied health care professionals. Part 1 of this two-part article on chat reference service in medical libraries is an introduction to the management of chat reference services and to features available for chat reference. The management of chat reference services raises issues of planning, staffing, selecting, and marketing. Planning issues focus on the identification of the users, the users' medical information needs, and the users' information-seeking behavior. Staffing issues relate to the selection of chat hours, the location of the chat service, and participation in collaborative agreements. Selecting chat software weighs the sophistication of the chat features against the related cost. Marketing uses techniques similar to traditional reference services and often begins slowly as chat expertise develops. Part 2 of the article discusses trends in chat reference services in medical libraries.     

高校图书馆开展数字参考咨询服务研究

介绍了数字参考咨询服务及国内外发展现状，分析了高校图书馆开展参考咨询服务的可行性，提出了针对高校图书馆开展此项服务的一些建议和措施。     

Digital teaching reference book service

Abstract

This paper describes the digital resources construction in China, such as e-books and e-journals, and the importance of e-learning for Chinese education. Knowledge objects are regarded as base elements in the microstructure of digital resources. The knowledge deconstruction and reconstruction process is proposed for creation and reorganization of knowledge objects that serve as the knowledge elements in teaching reference materials. Based on knowledge objects and the knowledge deconstruction and reconstruction process, the Digital Teaching Reference Book System (DTRBS) of Tsinghua University is designed and developed to provide the teaching reference book services in the platform of Web services.     

数字图书馆参考咨询服务探析

分析数字环境下图书馆参考咨询工作特点,探讨网上参考咨询及服务问题.     

国内高校图书馆数字化参考咨询服务调查

论文通过对国内120所高校图书馆数字化参考咨询服务的调查，揭示了我国高校图书馆数字化参考咨询服务的开展情况，并提出了一些建议。