Evolving Reference Services

Presented at the NELINET Annual Meeting, May 10, 2002
By Betsy Like, Reference Coordinator, NELINET, Inc.

Why provide online virtual reference services?

• It's good customer service.
• It's what our users (esp. the younger generation) expect and want.
• It provides easy and convenient access to the librarian.
• It improves access to the library and its resources.
• It is real live librarians answering questions in real time, demonstrating and showing the results, not just relaying an answer.

Define remote online reference

• What does it mean to you?
• What do you call it?
• What are your concerns and expectations of a remote reference service?

Models

• Do it on your own
• Consortia (24/7, Donahue Group)
• Buy into a service (QuestionPoint)

Issues

• Software & Hardware
• Staffing
• Training
• Quality Control
• Implementation
• Support
• Administration
• Guidelines & Policies

Marketing and Publicity Techniques

• Advertise (print, digital, signs)
• Make the information/link highly visible on the multiple web pages.
• Get to the users (students, faculty, public).
• Target groups (administration, development office, focus groups, special interest, etc.)
• Examples...
  • live demonstrations ("a picture is worth a thousand words...")
  • homework help
  • research assistance
  • write articles for local, regional and national publication

Resources

Alliance Library System. Ready for Reference: Academic Libraries Offer Live Web-based Reference. http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/ReadyRef/Reports.cfm (2001).

Coffman, Stephen. A Virtual Reference Primer, forthcoming from ALA Editions (Fall 2002), http://alaeditions.virtualreference.net

Dig_Ref Archives, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dig_ref/messages

Duke U Libraries' Live On Line Reference, http://www.lib.duke.edu/reference/liveonlineref.htm

Kimmel, Stacey and Heise, Jenne. "Being there: Tools for online synchronous reference." Online, v.25 n.6 (November/December 2001) p.30, 32-36, 38-39.

LiveRef, http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/LiveRef.htm

Oder, Norman. "Digital reference needs metrics." Library Journal, v.126 n.20 (December 2001) p.16-17.

QuestionPoint: Collaborative Reference Service, http://www.loc.gov/rr/digiref/

Tenopir, Carol. "Virtual reference services in a real world." Library Journal, v.126 n.12 (July 2001) p.38-40.

Virtual Reference Service Information (http://vrs.lssi.com/vrinfo.htm)

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