Reaching Out to the College Community through Digital Reference

1
Reaching Out to the College Community through
Digital Reference

• Stephen Francoeur and Lisa Ellis
• Newman Library
• Baruch College

2
Users want multiple lines of communication

• Reference desk
• Roving staff near reference desk
• Telephone reference
• Office consultations
• E-mail
• Chat

3
Practical reasons to offer digital reference

• Gate count down
• Reference transactions at desk down
• Circulation down
• Librarians can advocate for print resources as
  well as library services

4
Addresses language differences on campus

• More than 120 different countries represented
• 70 of freshmen use a language other than English
• Users get a written record of their reference
  interaction
• Lessens anxiety and self-consciousness at the
  desk

5
Users with Internet access

• At Baruch, 80 of freshmen and 73 of seniors
  have Internet access at home
• Point-of-need service (we built a virtual
  library, lets staff it)
• Distance learners (National Urban/Rural Fellows)
  and Blackboard users
• Users in computer labs around campus
• Users off campus (at home, work, etc.)

6
Users uncomfortable with face-to-face reference

• Users for whom English is not a primary language
• Anxious about losing face
• User question is of a sensitive nature
• Digital reference less formal than F2F, thus more
  welcoming
• More anonymous

7
Users cant easily get to library

• Physical challenges or impairments
• Family or work obligations that limit visits to
  the library
• Commute long distances to campus
• Reference desk hours inconvenient

8
Users who might not even think of using library

• Online users have greater sense of self-reliance
• By setting up outposts on the web and by sending
  chat invitations, we can reach these users
• E-mail questions can be submitted 24/7,
  sustaining the research process

9
Where is digital reference headed?

• Better software suited to the needs of libraries
  not just customer service for e-commerce
• More consortial arrangements
• Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
• Service standards (RUSA guidelines, information
  competency standards, etc.)