E-Mail Reference as Substitute for Library Receptionist

SUMMARY

The authors explore the historical development of e-mail reference services in general, and report on the evolution of this service in their own library. Based on evidence from their own service and from reports in the literature, they propose a connection between e-mail reference service and broader library services including circulation, interlibrary loan, and even acquisitions, through which the reference librarian receives questions traditionally directed elsewhere. The e-ref button presents an unexpected avenue of librarian-to-librarian communication, both within and beyond one's home institution. Implications are discussed.     

E-Mail Reference Evaluation

Abstract

E-mail reference has been utilized as a reference tool in academic libraries since the early 1980s. Today it is one of the most common media for providing digital reference service. An important aspect of providing any service is evaluating users' satisfaction levels with that service. Users of the Ask-A-Librarian e-mail reference service at a large academic library over a ten-month period voluntarily completed a seven item web-based questionnaire. The results indicated that the majority of respondents were satisfied with Ask-A-Librarian overall. This paper discusses how the library used the survey results to improve the existing service, and to implement a new one-chat reference. Reference service providers should not only ask users for feedback on existing services, but also should include them in the planning and design phase of new services. In doing so, they demonstrate their commitment to providing adequate and appropriate services to their patron community, and ultimately can save their institutions time and expense.     

Characteristics of E-Mail Reference Services in Selected Public Libraries,Victoria, Australia

SUMMARY

An analysis of 96 question and answer pairs from the Bayside Library Ask a Librarian Service found that 54 percent of the queries were received from Bayside residents. Forty-seven percent of the e-mail reference questions were classed as research queries. Although only 25.1 percent of the queries were submitted for formal education purposes, all of these were research questions, and took longer than any other category to answer. In 2001, only 6 of the 54 questions submitted were tertiary level questions, but it took a median time of 95 minutes to answer each one. The 24 general interest category questions took a median time of 47.5 minutes to answer, which is almost half the time it took to answer a tertiary level query.

Librarians from three other public libraries in Victoria offering e-mail reference were interviewed, and compared and contrasted with the Bayside Library Service.

Issues of disproportionate labour, the appearance of the passive role of the e-mail reference user, and the wisdom of public libraries devoting significant resources to answer questions for formal education were raised.     

E-Mail Reference: Improving Service by Working Cooperatively

SUMMARY

E-mail reference service provides complex challenges, but the service can be planned effectively and improved through cooperative work among reference staff and various library departments. Staff members from the Michigan State University Libraries have engaged in extensive cooperative work to evaluate, improve, and maintain effective e-mail reference services. Two library committees and an e-mail reference team have developed new service procedures, and have worked with other library departments to improve e-mail reference service. This article explores the collaborative work of the MSU committees, and discusses how e-mail reference has improved through cooperative work.     

Reference Librarianship

Abstract

Changes in the practice of Reference Librarianship as well as some practical and philosophical traits for success in this field in the 21st Century are discussed. There are brief summaries of specific elements of technological change that quite likely will have major impacts on library service delivery and some discussion of historical trends that have or have not prepared the field of librarianship to meet the demands of service in the coming decade.     

Reference Desks in Public Libraries: What Happens and What To Know

With staffing and funding shortages and rapidly changing expectations from patrons, what is actually happening at the reference desk in today’s libraries? Understanding the needs today’s reference librarians face can be useful in developing ways to support those needs. Asking them to make some predictions on the future of public library reference work gives Library and Information Science (LIS) students, and libraries preparing for the future, a valuable look at the expertise provided by experience. This understanding will help make some realistic decisions about reference staffing and service needs and provide some guidance for those aspiring to careers in public library reference.     

Virtual Reference: Chat with Us!

Virtual chat services represent an exciting way to provide patrons of medical libraries with instant reference help in an academic environment. The purpose of this article is to examine the implementation, marketing process, use, and development of a virtual reference service initiated at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and its three-campus libraries. In addition, this paper will discuss practical recommendations for the future improvement of the service.     

The Reality of Reference: Responsibilities and Competencies for Current Reference Librarians

Academic reference services face great challenges as they cope with the pace of technological change, competition from other information service providers, and tight budgets. In fact, some critics suggest that reference services are no longer relevant or necessary as more information moves online. This study examines a nationwide survey that reveals that reference librarians are indeed engaged in a wide variety of activities requiring a range of competencies and skills. Results of this study suggest that reference services are not dying but are evolving, with most academic reference librarians engaged in multifunction positions involving both traditional and nontraditional reference activities.     

Reference Assistance to Remote Users

Abstract

This article identifies and discusses the particular information needs of the growing community of remote users of academic libraries. In addressing the practical considerations of providing reference assistance to this group, the authors concentrate on telephone and e-mail reference, the use of video technology and the World Wide Web. The article also discusses the importance of having a dedicated distance education librarian to ensure that the needs of remote library users are given high priority.     

Our Experience with Two Virtual Reference Services at IUPUI University Library

Summary

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) University Library first introduced virtual reference in May 2001 after four months of preparation. In the summer of 2002, University Library decided to reconsider the virtual reference software and provider and implemented a new service during the fall 2002 semester. A Reference Team Working Group was formed to review replacement options for the virtual reference software the library had been using for about a year. The decision to find a new virtual reference service was prompted by the connectivity and electronic resource compatibility problems experienced with the first virtual reference software the library chose. This article compares and contrasts the two virtual reference services used at IUPUI University Library and describes the two virtual reference projects. Following the article is a checklist of “Seven Questions to Ask When Choosing a Virtual Reference Service.”     

高校图书馆参考咨询服务现状与发展的再思考

本文较细致地分析了高校图书馆参考咨询服务的现状和发展趋势,探讨了高校图书馆的参考咨询服务的发展对策。     

Reference Services in Rural Libraries

Abstract

The information age has changed libraries of all types and sizes in ways that no one could have predicted. For a rural library, though, changes have been fast and furious and have made a dramatic impact on the very nature of the library and the services the library offers. Rural libraries went from a gathering place for community activities to fully wired information centers in a matter of a few years. The article addresses what these changes mean for reference services-one of the most basic functions of a public library. While people are consuming more information than ever, will the rural library be able to keep up with this demand even with the Internet? The article explores reference services in rural public libraries, using examples from libraries in central and northern Illinois, giving consideration to the nature of reference services, how they have changed over time, and how this compares to small libraries in a metropolitan setting.     

Analyzing Recorded Transactions to Extrapolate the Required Knowledge,Skills, and Abilities of Reference Desk Providers at an Urban,Academic/Public Library

ABSTRACT

Much has been written about the competencies that reference providers must exhibit to be successful at their positions given today's technology-rich, information environment. Many have proclaimed new mandatory technological and attitudinal qualities for librarians, while others have interviewed future, practicing, and hiring librarians for their perspectives on this topic. This study adds to the existing literature by examining a dataset of 9,683 recorded reference transactions collected during the fall 2012 semester in an urban, academic/public library. This dataset provides a very current look at the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities that reference providers need to be successful at this library.     

Opportunities for Real-Time Digital Reference Service

Summary

This article explores the opportunities that real-time digital reference service can offer to a variety of library settings from the independent public library to the large multi-campus university or the multi-national corporation. There are many occasions when a real-time digital reference service will be the optimal solution for a portion of a library's reference service. The authors' goal is to offer their original ideas, and examples from the literature, that will stimulate thought about real-time digital reference services that could be offered by your libraries. The numerous ideas and examples should provide the reader with workable methods for extending the reach of reference service to under-served populations.     

Adding Value at the Desk: How Technology and User Expectations are Changing Reference Work

The notion of what reference service ought to be continues to change as technology provides new ways to interact with users and alters their expectations of the library and librarians. As new tools for interaction become available, it is critical that librarians continuously evaluate their effectiveness at providing users with a valuable service that meets the needs of the community being served. By assessing tools and techniques in light of user expectations and satisfaction, librarians can come up with unique service programs that also incorporate their own knowledge and interpersonal skills.     

Improving Reference Services Through a Library Website: Strategies for Collaborative Change

SUMMARY

Websites are virtual front doors to the university library for many distance education students and for those simply choosing to access the numerous resources available to them through the library from off-campus. A driving force behind the redesign of the library website was to provide a user-friendly, content-rich website that offers assistance at the point of need, wherever the student is located. The University of Oklahoma Libraries' Web Committee's research and development focus combined with a collaborative environment provided a positive impetus for change to the library website and improved reference services to the University community.     

Distance Education and Virtual Reference

Abstract

Texas A&M University Libraries has been testing virtual reference services since February 2004, but during the fall semester 2005, the Libraries began implementing and actively promoting the services to various target groups. Distance education students were identified as a primary target group for virtual reference services, and as of the fall semester 2005, approximately 1,600 students were enrolled in 190 distance education classes. This paper presents the Libraries plan for promoting virtual reference services to distance education students and faculty and for evaluating the plan.