Virtual Reference Service: Our RealTime Experience

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Virtual Reference Service Our Real-Time
Experience

• Leela Balraj and Tom Klingler
• Kent State University

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Abstract
Today's college students are conducting much of
their academic research outside the physical
confines of the traditional library building,
using networked connections in labs, residence
halls, apartments, and homes. This convenience
has its drawbacks, particularly in terms of
obtaining traditional reference assistance.
Students anywhere can still benefit from the
guidance that reference librarians are able to
provide in retrieving relevant, accurate, and
authoritative information. One new initiative at
Kent State University is to provide virtual
reference service to students at remote locations
using real-time videoconferencing. This session
will discuss the practical as well as the
technical aspects of our experiences.
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Our setting Desktop H 323
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Shared windows
5
More shared windows
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Underway
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Background

• Student Retention Initiative grant proposal
• 1. Director, Information Services
• Coordinator, Reference Services
• Dean, Honors College
• 2. Promote reference service

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Background

• Reaching out to off-site users
•       "Reference work includes the direct,
  personal aid within a library to persons in
  search of information for whatever purpose, and
  also various library activities especially aimed
  at making information as easily available as
  possible."
• -Margaret Hutchins, Introduction to Reference
  Work (1944)
•     1.  Traditional off-site reference service
  Telephone Email
• 2. Recent off-site reference service Chat
  Video/Audio
• real-time conferencing 24/7

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Background

• Pilot target group Honors College students
• 1. Good working relationships
• 2. Attractive environment - library resource
  room computer lab dorms
• 3. Appropriate networking
• 4. Meet information needs - individual honors
  work senior honors thesis/project

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Our serviceRefLINK

• Spring 2001 Introduction of service staff
  training
• 1. Introduce service Open House
• 2. 'Name The Service' survey - RefLINK
• 3. Training - team teaching observation group
  instruction

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Our serviceRefLINK

• Summer 2001 Pilot project with McNair Scholars
  students
• 1. Propose support for new service
• 2. Establish working relationship with
  students
• 3. Demonstrate service
• 4. Get feedback formal informal
• 5. Keep lines of communication open

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Our serviceRefLINK

• Fall 2001 Honors College students
• 1. 'Food For Thought' lecture series
• 2. Advertise service - Daily Kent Stater
  flyers
• 3. Promote service - Student reporter

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An incoming call
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Would you answer this one?!
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Shared whiteboard
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E-boredom
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Two-way whiteboard
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Danger! Video zoom.
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Service issues

• Training
• 1. Team teaching
• 2. Group instruction
• 3. Observation

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Service issues

• Staffing
• 1. Librarians
• 2. Graduate Reference Assistants (library
  science students)
• 3. Library Associates (future)

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Service issues

• Real-time experiences
• 1. Types of interactions - in-depth research
  topics ready reference citation verification
• 2. Problems encountered - technical glitches
• 3. Lessons learned - learning curve user
  acceptance
•  

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Service issues

• Promotion
• 1. Daily Kent Stater campus newspaper
  articles
• 2. Flyers in Honors College bulletin board and
  computer lab

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Future

• 1. Expand to other locations on campus -
  computer labs dorms branch libraries campus
  help desk regional campuses distance education
  
• 2. Expand hours of service - meet needs of
  students
• 3. Technology advancements

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The technology

• Supports high-quality video and audio
• Can be used with collaboration tools
• a. shared whiteboard
• b. shared browser
• 3. Point-to-point or multipoint
• 4. H 323 is the protocol standard for video
  conferencing-over-IP

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Advantages of H 323

• 1. No ISDN line charges
• 2. Informal use by anyone anytime on a
  desktop PC
• 3. Less need for expensive special rooms and
  advance reservations
• 4. Cheap a typical PC can be upgraded to a
  good quality videoconferencing station for
  900.00

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H 323 v. H 32x

• 1. H 320 for ISDN
• 2. H 321 for ATM
• 3. H 322 for lans with QoS
• 4. H 323 for IP

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Whats needed

• 1. TCP/IP network
• 2. Switched port is nice
• 3. High-end PC
• 4. An H 323 kit
• 5. MCU gateway for multipoint conferences (and
  multi-protocol)

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Whats in a kit?

• 1. Software
• 2. Specialized video card
• 3. Camera
• 4. Microphone

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Some products

• VCON http//www.vcon.com/

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Products

• Teleportec
  http//www.teleportec.com/

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Products

• another VCON product

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Products

• a VCON model for small groups

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Products

• Metropark Supernova
• http//www.metropark.com/

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Our VCON model

• Start up

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Some settings
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More settings
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Tricky technical issues

• 1. Shared resolution
• 2. Feedback
• 3. Application sharing

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More Products

• 1. Zydacron comCenter Conferencing Room System
• http//picturephone.com/products/comcenterroomsy
  stem.htm
• 2. PictureTel 960 970 Videoconferencing Systems
  
• http//picturephone.com/products/picturetel_9
  60_970.htm
• 3. Polycom ViewStation H.323
• http//picturephone.com/products/polycom_vie
  wstation_h323.htm

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Gateways and gatekeepers

• 1. Multi-protocol
• Between H323 (IP,) H320(ISDN,)
• H321 (ATM)
• 2. Multi-point
• More than two participants
• 3. MCU Multipoint Control/Conferencing Unit

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Gateway products

• 1. First Virtual
• http//www.fvc.com/products/vgate.htm
• 2. Cisco
• http//www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/pcat/vc350
  0.htm
• 3. Radvision
• http//www.radvision.com/f_products/f1_overview.ph
  p3?prodProducts2BOverview

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Basics of H 323

• 1. University of Illinois at Chicago
• http//www.uic.edu/depts/accc/newsletter/adn30/tec
  htip.html
• 2. Synetrix
• http//www.synetrix.co.uk/technologies/video/video
  _conferencing.htm
• 3. IMTC (International Multimedia
  Telecommunications Consortium )
• http//www.imtc.org/h323.htm

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Bibliography
Broughton, K. M. (2001). Our experiment in
online, real-time reference. Computers in
Libraries, 21 (4), 26-31. Janes, J., et.al.
(1999). Digital reference services in academic
libraries.   Reference User Services Quarterly,
39 (2), 145-150. Kasowitz, A., et.al. (2000).
Quality standards for digital reference
consortia. Reference User Services Quarterly,
39 (4), 355-363. Kenney, B. J. (2001).
Academic libraries test Web-based reference.
Library Journal, 126 (12), 25.   Lankes, R. D.
et. al. (Eds.). (2000). Digital reference
service in the new millennium Planning,
management, and evaluation. New York
Neal-Schuman.  
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Bibliographycontinued

• Lipow, A. G. (1998). Reference service in a
  digital age. Reference User
• Services Quarterly, 38 (1), 47-48.
• Meola, M. Stormont, S. (2000). Real-time
  reference service for the
• remote user From the telephone and electronic
  mail to Internet chat,
• instant messaging, and collaborative software.
  The Reference Librarian,
• no. 67-68, 29-40.
•  
• Oder, N. (2001). The shape of e-reference.
  Library Journal, 126 (2), 46-49.
• Schneider, K. G. (2000). The distributed
  librarian Live, online, real-time
• reference. American Libraries, 31 (10), 64.

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Bibliographycontinued

•  
• Sloan, B. (2001). Ready for reference Academic
  libraries offer live web-based
• reference Preliminary report. Retrieved October
  15, 2001 on the World
• Wide Web http//www.lis.uiuc.edu/b-sloan/ready4
  ref.htm
•  
• Tenopir, C. (2001). Virtual reference services
  in a real world. Library
• Journal, 126 (12), 38-40.
•  
• Weissman, S. (2001). Considering a launch?
  Library Journal, 126 (2), 49.
•  
• Wolf, L. C. (1999). Multimedia applications in
  heterogeneous
• Internet/ATM environments. Internet Research
  Electronic Networking
• Applications and Policy, 9 (1), 49-57.

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Contact info

• Virtual Reference Service Our Real-time
  Experience at Kent
• State University
• Leela Balraj Tom Klingler
• Information Services Librarian Assistant Dean for
  Systems
• Reference Dept. Kent State University
• Kent State University P.O. Box 5190
• P.O. Box 5190 Kent, OH 44242
• Kent, OH 44242 Voice 330-672-1646
• Voice 330-672-1657 Fax [phone]
• Fax [phone] Email tk_at_kent.edu
• Email lbalraj_at_lms.kent.edu

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Thanks

• http//www.library.kent.edu/tk/h323.ppt