Ask a Librarian Voice

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Ask a Librarian Voice

• Presentation by
• Colin Bain
• QULOC
• 28 August 2006

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Ask a Librarian VoiceOutline

• The Changing Face of Information
• QUT Library Ask a Librarian service
• Voice with Windows Live Messenger

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Ask a Librarian Voice The Changing Face of
Information

• The influence of the world wide web and a world
  of information
• The rapid rise and demise of information
  providers
• The decrease in Library information enquiries and
  the search for a panacea
• Offering clients diverse information
  communication options at point of need

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Ask a Librarian Voice Reality Check

• Ask Jeeves
• In December 2000 11.9 million unique visitors
  with 3.7 million questions per day
• (Janes 2003)
• Webhelp.com
• Commenced Nov 1999 and by noon had 400,000
  questions
• 20 days later 2.1 million unique visitors and
  employing over 900 web wizards
• (Coffman/McGlamery 2000)
• Google
• 6.4 billion searches in US June 2006
• (CommScore
  Networks 2006)

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Ask a Librarian Voice The Changing Face of
Information - Reality Check

• The influence of the world wide web and a world
  of information
• The rapid rise and demise of information
  providers
• The decrease in Library information enquiries and
  the search for a panacea

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Beyond the WallsReality Check

• I am dumbfounded that traditional reference
  seems persistently unable to deliver suitable
  high quality service Only slightly more than
  half the time do reference librarians manage to
  give users the information they seek - by any
  standard a poor performance. Do you know of any
  other business which could survive with such a
  miserable record
  (Campbell 2000)

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Ask a Librarian Voice The Changing Face of
Information - Reality Check

• The influence of the world wide web
• The rapid rise and demise of information
  providers
• The decrease in Library information enquiries and
  the search for a panacea
• Offering clients diverse information
  communication options at point of need

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Ask a Librarian VoiceVirtual Reference
Communications

• Asynchronous
• E-mail
• FAQ

• Synchronous
• Telephone
• Web Chat
• VoIP (Voice Over Internet protocol)
• SMS (Short Message Service)
• Video/Web Cam
• Knowledgebases

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Ask a Librarian Voice Virtual Reference and QUT
Library (Ask a Librarian Service)

• Short Term Web E-mail 2002 (Eudora/
  QuestionPoint)
• Medium Term Interactive networked service
• Web Chat 2003 (QuestionPoint)
• VoIP (Windows Live Voice) 2006
• SMS 2007
• Webcam/ Videoconferencing
• Long term Call Centre/ Knowledge Base 2007

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Ask a Librarian Voice

• Clients
• Install software
• Register as Windows Live user
• Add the Voice Librarian to Contacts
• Contact the Voice Librarian
• Staff
• Funding for Ask a Librarian service
• 40 hours per week
• GP Reference Librarians and additional staff

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Ask a Librarian VoiceFeatures

• Net Meeting-MSN Messenger-Windows Live Messenger
• Chat, Voice, Video, Mobile phone
• Features for Voice (one to one)
• Application Sharing
• Remote Assistance
• File transfer and sharing
• Whiteboard

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Connecting To Window Live Messenger Chat
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Connecting To Window Live Messenger Voice
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Ask a Librarian Voice

• Demonstration

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Ask a Librarian VoiceIssues

• Corporate Firewalls
• HS and Headphones
• Not everyone has what we have
• Used socially not for information
• Voice is only one on one and has no conferencing
  although can use chat at the same time
• Ongoing funding

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Ask a Librarian Voice

• If libraries are to maintain being relevant,
  progress a true client service focus and foster
  user allegiance to the value of reference
  services, then they need to acknowledge the
  changing cultural realities of information needs
  for clients by offering improved convenience of
  access, diversity of service delivery, timeliness
  and by risking new opportunities for growth.
  (Wilson 2000)

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Ask a Librarian Voice