Burning the Midnight Oil: Librarians,Students, and Late-Night Chat Reference at the University of Notre Dame

Late-night chat reference was a service offered by University of Notre Dame reference librarians from November of 2007 until May of 2010. It was staffed by local Notre Dame librarians and was available to users from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday evenings during the academic year. Data showed that the number of questions asked during late-night chat hours was comparable to the number being asked during regular reference chat hours. Findings showed that the complexity of the chat questions being asked after hours was greater than that of chat questions asked during regular hours and that of reference desk transactions as a whole. Late-night chat reference was a valuable exercise in meeting users at their point of need.     

As I Sit Studying: WWW-Based Reference Services

Abstract

This article reports on the current state of reference services on the World Wide Web (WWW). It explains what a WWW-based reference service is, describes several models of handling requests, and explores the impact of these services on traditional reference services. Based upon anecdotal information the author concludes that, to date, Web-based reference services have had little impact upon traditional reference services.     

Twenty Years of Virtual Reference

ABSTRACT

In observance of the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the first journal article devoted to virtual reference, the author explores early e-mail and chat reference services.     

Developing a Chat Reference Training Program

ABSTRACT

In the last few years, chat reference services have been implemented by public, college and university libraries. One important aspect of the chat reference service is library staff training. Literature shows that this is a vital step in offering a chat reference service. Library staff need to be well-trained in areas of chatting, reference interviewing in a digital environment and using electronic resources, such as the Internet and databases. This article discusses the chat reference training program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The following text provides an outline for establishing a chat training program including planning, organization, implementation and assessment. Areas of discussion include the chat reference interview, chatting and patron management techniques.     

Using the World Wide Web for Art and Humanities Reference Services

Abstract

This paper describes what the World Wide Web is and what is needed in order to access its information. It discusses the future of art and humanities reference resources and presents criteria for evaluating Web sites. A review of the literature related to “Generation X” and their information expectations was done. There is an annotated list of specific World Wide Web resources related to African Diaspora, American Poetry, Comparative Literature, Gay and Lesbian Literature, and Outsider Art. This list provides examples for evaluation and is not meant to be exhaustive.     

A Historical Overview of Internet Reference Services for Distance Learners

SUMMARY

The advent of library services and collections on the Internet revolutionized reference services to students enrolled in distance learning programs. Prior to the Internet, reference librarians who supported distance learning programs had few methods, and many of them costly, to provide the equivalent library services advocated by the ACRL Guidelines. Through the Internet, these librarians were able to approximate the services and resources that had always been available to students who came into the library. This article describes the development of reference services on the Internet in a variety of libraries that support distance learners.     

A History of the Developments in Virtual Reference Services at the College of Charleston Library

This article provides an overview of the evolution of virtual reference services at the College of Charleston. E-mail reference has been in use since the mid-1990s. Chat using QuestionPoint began in 2003, and the college joined the 24/7 Chat Reference Academic Cooperative in 2005. Instant messaging reference started the following year, and text messaging reference commenced in 2007. In 2008, the library decided to end participation in the 24/7 Chat Reference Academic Cooperative and to cease using QuestionPoint's e-mail function. Emerging technologies will impact the ways and means of providing virtual reference in the future. This article will examine the rationale driving each development and the library's experiences providing service with the various platforms in the context of the greater world of virtual reference services.     

Embedding Library Reference Services in Online Courses

SUMMARY

The University of Wyoming has a long tradition of providing library services to distance education students. As technology changed and enhanced the delivery mode of distance education courses, the library altered the ways in which it offered services to distance learners. The institution was an early adopter of Web courses, so offering library support in this new environment was a natural expansion of our services. This expansion supports the goals of the ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services and the goals of the University. This article will describe the integration of library reference services into online courses.     

Case Study of Synchronous Virtual Reference in an Academic Library

Libraries endeavor to provide the same services to distance learners as they do on campus to students but they are challenged by not being able to show students how to maneuver in the virtual environment. Indiana State University used Adobe Connect software for three years to provide synchronous, virtual reference services that included screen-sharing capability to demonstrate search techniques. Assessments included analysis of attendance, types of questions, and student comments. Reminder e-mails sent directly to students positively affected attendance. Feedback was positive but technical problems were sometimes significant.     

Video Clip Reference: The Medium is the Message

Compared with competing information portals, library Web sites lack substantial video clip content. There is a gap between the experience offered by commercial Web sites and the experience offered by library Web sites. The message of any medium or technology, according to Marshall McLuhan, is the change of scale, pace, or pattern that it introduces into our existence. Instructional video on demand offers speedy learning when you need it. Librarians and vendors are beginning to address the need of libraries for video via screencasting technology. Product training and support is moving from exclusively textual materials to a mix of text and video clips. The medium offered to patrons has a message. Libraries are finally hearing it and acting on it.     

Communication,Face Saving,and Anxiety at an Academic Library's Virtual Reference Service

This study investigates the communication between patrons and librarians at a large research university's virtual reference service. Reference transactions were analyzed for type of transaction and evidence of deflection, deference, and rapport building to determine if face-saving communication by librarians appeared to lower patrons’ stress and anxiety levels during the course of the virtual reference transaction. The transactions analyzed showed that despite the fact that few patrons self-disclosed feelings of library anxiety, there was evidence of deferential speech and rapport building, two essential elements of face saving, between patrons and librarians.     

Moving from the Consortium to the Reference Desk: Keeping Chat and Improving Reference at the MSU Libraries

The experience of the Mississippi State University (MSU) Libraries illustrates the challenges presented by moving from consortial to local chat, as well as an evaluation of the advantages of chat reference in an academic setting. Countering the consortial, instant-messaging model prevalent in virtual reference today, the MSU Libraries have found chat offers advantages in an academic community. Moving to a local setting, it was possible for the MSU Libraries to maintain quality control over chat transactions while building relationships with faculty and students across campus.     

Ask Us Anytime: Creating a Searchable FAQ Using Email and Chat Reference Transcripts

Users are increasingly expecting services to be available outside traditional venues and time frames. Clearly, not all library functions and services can be performed all the time, but a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) tool is one function that can be. Librarians at Notre Dame decided to create a searchable FAQ database as a method to efficiently reach users at their time and point of need and as a way to provide instant, virtual feedback to common questions. The content for the FAQ database was derived from the analysis of over 3000 chat and email questions collected over the course of three years’ use of Docutek, an email and chat reference software. The process of coding the questions as well as the technological solutions employed to create a searchable database of frequently asked questions is described. A link to the FAQ appears on the ND Libraries Ask-A-Librarian page and has already seen much use.     

基于Web Services的产生式专家系统设计

结合Web Services的异构平台互通的能力,设计一个跨平台的、具有良好扩展性的基于Web的分布式决策专家系统榘构,系统通过组件封装推理机、知识库管理和维护等业务逻辑处理模块,从而具有良好的扩展性、伸缩性、兼容性和协作性,并且实现多专家系统的分布式协同合作.     

Internet Reference Services for Distance Education

SUMMARY

Published guidelines for distance learning library services provide a framework for distance education librarians to use in planning services for off-campus students. Other literature in the arena of distance education librarianship provides concrete examples of how reference services have been offered in real settings. This paper attempts to synthesize these two types of literature in order to offer models of reference service for distance learners.     

Chat Reference

ABSTRACT

Internet Reference Services Quarterly is introducing a new column that will focus on current developments and practice concerns in chat reference. This first entry gives some background on the column's origins, and details the directions it will take.     

Designing and Developing Internet Reference Services to Support Firefighter Distance Learners in Illinois

SUMMARY

This article discusses issues surrounding the development of a small special library's Internet reference services to support firefighter distance learners for the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute's (IFSI) online Firefighter II Certification Program, the first of its kind in the nation. Planning for the Internet reference services involves consideration of user needs, funding, staff management, and collection development. In addition, this article explores how the IFSI Library has established a collaboration and partnership with the online course and Information Technology teams, and local public and community college libraries.