1
I Find What I Need Behaviors and
Information-Seeking Preferences of Non-Users of
Virtual Reference

• Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D.
• Senior Research Scientist,
• OCLC

Marie L. Radford, Ph.D. Associate
Professor, Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey
Jocelyn A. DeAngelis Williams Ph.D.
Candidate, Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey
Timothy J. Dickey, Ph.D. Post Doctoral
Researcher, OCLC
2
Seeking Synchronicity Evaluating Virtual
Reference Services from User, Non-User,
Librarian Perspectives

• Funded by IMLS, Rutgers, OCLC
• Project duration
• 10/1/2005-3/30/2008
• Four phases
• Focus group interviews
• Analysis of 850 QuestionPoint transcripts
• 496 online surveys
• 283 telephone interviews
• Interviews Surveys with VRS Users, Non-users,
  Librarians

3
Phase I Focus Groups

• 4 Focus Groups (40 non-users interviewed)
• 3 with Screenagers (rural, suburban,
• urban)
• 1 with college students (graduate)
• 2 with VRS librarians
• 2 with VRS users (college students adults)

4
Phases III IV Surveys Interviews

• 184 Online Surveys
• Majority female Caucasian
• Public library users outnumber school academic
  library users
• More suburban than urban or rural
• Most 12-28 years old

• 107 Telephone Interviews
• Majority female Caucasian
• Public library users outnumber school academic
  library users
• More suburban than urban or rural
• Most 19-28 years old

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Two Theoretical Perspectives

• Goffman (1959, 1967)
• Impression Management
• Ritual nature of human interaction
• Facework Facethreat
• Watzlawick, Beavin, Jackson (1967)
• Every message has dual dimensions
• Content Information (What)
• Relational Interpersonal aspects (How to
  interpret)

6
Libraries Today

• Meet the information needs of differing groups
• Largest groups
• Baby boomers (1945-1964)
• Cohort 1 (Born 1946 1954)
• Cohort 2 (Born 1955 1964)
• Millennials (1979 1994)
• Screenagers (Born 1988 -1994)

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Non-user Behaviors and Information-Seeking
Preferences

• Research Questions
• How do non-users of VRS meet information needs?
• Why do they choose resources other than VRS?
• What features attract them to these other
  resources?
• What might influence them to try VRS?

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Major Findings

• Non-user Behaviors and Information-Seeking
  Preferences

9
How Do Non-users of VRS Meet Information Needs?

• The Internet
• Google
• Wikipedia

10
How Do Non-users of VRS Meet Information Needs?

• People
• (Phone to) Family members
• Friends
• Teachers/Professors
• Experts in field/subject area

11
How Do Non-users of VRS Meet Information Needs?

• Librarians
• Value of FtF interaction
• Librarians expertise

12
Why do Non-users Choose Resources Other than VRS?

• Privacy/Security Concerns
• Prefer a known librarian
• Not some psycho serial killer

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Why do Non-users Choose Resources Other than VRS?

• Trustworthiness Accuracy
• Librarian might...
• be chatting with too many people
• not be a specialist
• withhold information knowingly

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Why do Non-users Choose Resources Other than VRS?

• Independence
• Prefer to do own search
• Use the Internet
• No librarian necessary

15
What Features Attract VRS Non-users to Other
Resources?

• Convenience, convenience, convenience
• Working from home
• At night or on weekends
• Millennials especially value convenience

16
What Features Attract VRS Non-users to Other
Resources?

• Convenience staying home
• To be honest with you, I dont like to walk to
  the library. (NTI-109)

17
What Features Attract VRS Non-users to Other
Resources?

• Convenience impatience
• Work under deadlines
• Cannot wait

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Reasons for Non-use of VRS

• Boomers Millennials
• Do not know
• Service availability (the single greatest
  factor!)
• Librarian can help
• 24/7 availability
• Satisfied with other information sources

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Reasons for Non-use of VRS

• Boomer concerns
• Their own
• Computer literacy
• Typing speed
• Complexity of chat environment

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What is Important for VRS Success?

• Accuracy of answers/information
• Especially value specific information requested
• Librarians
• Knowledge of sources systems
• Positive attitude
• Good communication skills

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Some Concerns with VRS

• Can VRS blend convenience quality?
• Quality of interaction
• Librarians willingness to market help
• Personalized help

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What Might Influence Non-users to try VRS?

• The Library can be Inconvenient
• Limited hours
• Limited collection
• Depth
• Breadth
• Resources hard to use

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What Might Influence Non-users to try VRS?

• Libraries are associated with BOOKS
• Books arent convenient to retrieve from the
  library
• Libraries are QUIET
• For studying

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What Might Influence Non-users to Try VRS?

• Creative marketing
• Promote full range of reference options
• Reassure that chat is safe
• Build positive relationships 1 person at a time
• Regardless of format
• FtF
• Phone
• Online

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Future Directions for Study

• Data collection completed
• Analyses nearly completed
• Studying critical factors by participants age
  other demographics
• Increasing, merging, crossing-over from one
  mode to another (FtF, Phone, Chat, E-mail, etc.)

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References

• Flanagan, J. C. (1954). The critical incident
  technique. Psychological Bulletin, 5, 327-358.
• Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction ritual, essays on
  face-to-face behavior. Garden City, NY
  Doubleday.
• Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in
  everyday life. Garden City, NY Doubleday Anchor.
• Rushkoff, D. (1996). Playing the future What we
  can learn from digital kids. NY Harper Collins.
• Watzlawick, P., Beavin, J., Jackson, D. D.
  (1967). Pragmatics of human communication. NY
  Norton.

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End Notes

• This is one outcome from the project, Seeking
  Synchronicity Evaluating Virtual Reference
  Services from User, Non-User, and Librarian
  Perspectives, Marie L. Radford Lynn Silipigni
  Connaway, Co-Principal Investigators.
• Funded by IMLS, Rutgers University and OCLC.
• Special thanks to Patrick Confer, Heather Lea
  Moulaison, Andrea Simzak, Jannica Heinstrom, Lisa
  Rose-Wiles, and David M. Dragos.
• These slides available at project website
  http//www.oclc.org/research/projects/synchronicit
  y/

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Questions Comments

• Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D.
• Email connawal_at_oclc.org
• www.oclc.org/research/staff/connaway.htm
• Marie L. Radford, Ph.D.
• Email mradford_at_scils.rutgers.edu
• www.scils.rutgers.edu/mradford