Digital Reference: Whats Happeningand Whats Not

About This Presentation

Title:

Digital Reference: Whats Happeningand Whats Not

Description:

people don't know how to search. improve people, make them ... larger libraries more likely to. linked from front page, mostly email/simple web form ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:58

Avg rating:3.0/5.0

Slides: 19

Provided by: inst51

Category:

more less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Digital Reference: Whats Happeningand Whats Not

1
Digital Reference Whats Happeningand Whats
Not

Joseph Janes
Coordinator, MLIS Program
The Information School
of the University of Washington

2
What is reference?

readers in popular libraries need a great deal
of assistancethis is particularly needed by
persons unused to handling books or conducting
investigations.
Samuel Green Library Journal 1 (1876)
emphasis added

3
How did reference evolve?

Green 1876
people dont know how to search
improve people, make them independent
Ryan 1996
technological innovations as opportunity
policy, limitations, structure (what not to do)
communication with others

4
features and aspects the Web

The Web as a Reference Tool Comparisons with
Traditional Sources (w/Charles R. McClure),
Public Libraries 38(1), 30-39, January/February
1999
accuracy and speed of answers roughly comparable
Web more sources used (3.56 v. 2.77)
attitudes non-Web sources judged slightly more
authoritative, of higher quality

5
features and aspects academic libraries

Digital Reference Services in Academic
Libraries (w/David Carter and Patricia Memmott),
in Reference and User Services Quarterly 39 (2),
145-150, Winter 1999
45 of ALs offering digital ref service
larger libraries more likely to
½ linked from front page, mostly email/simple web
form
policies turnaround time, users, questions
(each .50)
public schools more likely to have a service,
policy on questions private schools more likely
to have tech barrier

6
features and aspects public libraries

replication of academic library study in PLs
n 352, stratified by population served,
10,000, ? 1 librarian
Web sites investigated March/April 2000
81 of PLs had Web sites (293)
of those, 64 had a service (12.8 weighted
overall)
56 directly linked from home page (44 not)
email/simple form most common, detailed form 25
technology more sophisticated as size of
community increases

7
features and aspects public libraries

lower incidence of policies
highest incidence in largest libraries (39)
lower in smaller (10)
very few FAQ/FARQ pages (9), mostly policy
detailed form questions where live, phone
number, grade/age/level, need-by date, sources
tried
also where did you see this, company/institution
, 1st time user?, library card , branch

8
features and aspects public libraries

other things
if you need quicker help, call genealogy is
special (call, come in, regular mail only, go to
historical society confidentiality how to get
an email account
2 forms exactly the same
policy on users
community residents only, or questions about
community/area/collections

9
features and aspects public libraries

names diversity, jargon, inconsistency
28 different titles at top of pages (most
frequent Ask a/the Librarian)
25 required 2 clicks to get to page, 18 different
names on home pages (incl. Feedback, Adult
Services, Using the Library)
17 name in link is different than title of page
sent to
12 3 different names

10
experiences, opinions and attitudes

national survey of reference librarians
n 1548 (cluster sample)
5-page survey
648 responses recd (RR 42)
preliminary results ONLY

11
experiences, opinions and attitudes

¾ have used email for reference, ½ Web forms,
very few other technologies (chat, MOO, video)
most likely to agree that digital technologies
make reference
more accessible, more interesting, more
challenging, more fun
least likely to agree that digital technologies
make reference
cheaper, more difficult, more time consuming
very similar pattern of responses with use of
digital resources

12
experiences, opinions and attitudes

digital reference will best serve
ready reference Qs
Qs from regular library users
Qs in popular culture
digital reference will most poorly serve
research Qs
Qs from children
Qs of a personal/private nature

13
experiences, opinions and attitudes

of reference questions received is slightly
decreasing (1/3 decreasing, ¼ staying same, ¼
increasing)
questions are getting harder (1/3 harder, 1/10
easier, ½ staying about the same)
Internet training in current position (4/5), in
degree program (3/10), in previous position (1/4)
attitudes change with experience

14
thoughts questions

45 of ALs, 13 of PLs doing digital
referenceshould that be higher?
½ not linked (hiding)why? should they be?
bigger libraries have more services, more
techresources are more important but not
overwhelmingly
no FAQswhy not?
minimal interviews (25 of PLs detailed
forms)why not?
stop weaseling (time policies), confusing (name
changes)

15
themes

reaction of more stuff and greater use of stuff
reflection of setting, clientele, expectations,
context
facilitation, empowerment, education of users
adoption of technology
librarians are ready (training,
interesting/challenging/fun)
but dont see panacea (no cheaper or quicker)
limitations, boundaries, policies sticking in
our toes
hiding, confusing, weaseling (yet accessibility
1st on survey)
fewer harder questions

16
implications

maybe fewer harder questions is the answer
easier to ask questions, different kinds of
questions (harder, research questions ok (?)
to have slower response times)
use technology as medium and tool
rethink the reference transaction as an ongoing
process
partnerships with experts
break the boundaries of library as place yet
maintain the values, heritage, knowledge there

17
questions to ask things to think about

Why was this service developed? What were the
motivations for developing it?
Who answers the questions? How? What kinds of
resources are or arent used?
How many staff are involved, and in what ways?
Is there a separate budget for this service? Do
you know how much it costs?
Have you developed policies, limitations or
restrictions on the service, the kinds of
questions youll take, time to answer, etc.?
Have you developed guidelines for how to answer
questions (how to phrase answers, formats for
answering, etc.?)
How many questions did you expect to get when you
started? How many are you really getting?
What kinds of questions do you get? (subject
areas, in any way different from what you get at
the desk or over the phone)
What kinds of users ask questions this way? (in
any way different?)
What kinds of technologies do you use? Do you
use any specialized software?
Are you answering questions any differently than
you would on the desk or over the phone? Do you
give a different level of service?
Do you evaluate the service or patrons
satisfaction with it?

18
Green again (1876)

there are few pleasures comparable to that of
associating continually with curious and vigorous
young minds, and of aiding them in realizing
their ideals
perhaps...the new model for reference is an old
one, liberated by technology and grounded in
tradition

Write a Comment

User Comments (0)