The Recent Impact of the Internet on Reference Services

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The Recent Impact of the Internet on Reference
Services

• Michael SauersPresentation to the Missouri
  Library Network Corporation16 July 2001

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Four Recent Developments

• AskA Services
• E-mail-based Reference
• Chat-based Reference
• The Collaborative Digital Reference Service (CDRS)

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AskA Services

• Non-library based
• Usually staffed by volunteer subject experts
• Most accept questions, decide which to answer,
  and then post those answers. Not everyone gets a
  response.

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AskA Services Examples

• Ask Shamuwww.seaworld.org/ask_shamu/asintro.html
• Ask Dr. Universewww.wsu.edu/DrUniverse/Contents.h
  tml
• AllExpertswww.allexperts.com
• VRD AskA Locatorwww.vrd.org/locator/subject.sht
  ml

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AllExperts.com

• Expert registers and picks categories
• User picks an expert and posts a question
• Expert receives an e-mail with the question and a
  link to the page with the answer options.

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AllExperts.com
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AllExperts.com

• Expert decides whether or not they can answer the
  question.
• Expert responds with the answer.
• User receives an e-mail telling them their answer
  (or other response) is available.
• User may leave feedback for the expert.

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AllExperts.com
login
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AskA Services

• Benefits
• Questions answered by subject experts
• Anonymous from the user perspective
• Disadvantages
• No clear definition of who is an expert
• Time lag up to several days
• Little ability for reference interview

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E-mail-based Reference

• Patron sends an e-mail with a question to the
  reference department of the library.
• Dedicated staff member or team monitors the
  accounts inbox for new questions.
• Librarian finds the answer and sends an e-mail
  back to the patron.

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E-mail-based Reference Examples

• Humboldt State University (CA)library.humboldt.ed
  u/infoservices/emailref.htm
• Fairfax County Public Library (VA)www.co.fairfax.
  va.us/library/asklib.htm
• New York State Librarywww.nysl.nysed.gov/refserv.
  htm
• Directory of E-Mail Reference Sitesalexia.lis.uiu
  c.edu/b-sloan/e-mail.html

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E-mail-based Reference

• Benefits
• Patron does not need to come into the library.
• Librarians can take more time to answer a
  question since the user is not on hold.
• Disadvantages
• Turn around time is usually around 24-hours
  unless there is a dedicated librarian.
• Asynchronous communication not conducive to the
  reference Interview.

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Chat-based Reference

• Live
• Patron accesses the librarys chat service with
  their Web browser
• Librarian greets the patron and patron asks their
  question
• Reference interview performed as needed

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Chat-based Reference

• Patron is put on virtual hold
• Librarian finds the answer and types it back to
  the patron
• Patron disconnects from the chat system

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Chat-based Reference Examples

• KnowItNow (Cleveland Public Library)www.cpl.org/v
  rd/vrd.asp
• 24/7 Referencewww.247ref.org
• Live Librarianwww.suffolk.lib.ny.us/snl
• University of PA Biomedical Referencerefchat.libr
  ary.upenn.edu/refchat-biomed.html

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Chat-based Reference

• Benefits
• Just-in-time online reference
• Disadvantages
• Patron may need additional technology to access
  (plug-in)
• Connection speed an issue
• Current software lacks archiving and searching
  functions

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The Collaborative Digital Reference Service (CDRS)

• Sponsored by OCLC and LOC
• Library to library reference service
• www.loc.gov/cdrs

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CDRS

• Library registers for the service and fills out a
  profile
• Contact information
• Subject areas
• Times available
• Asking library posts a question to the system

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CDRS
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CDRS

• Benefits
• International
• Public libraries share their knowledge (local)
  with academic libraries (research)
• Every question sent through the system to date
  has been successfully answered

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CDRS

• Disadvantages
• Usually a minimum of a 24-hour turn around time
• Archive (KnowledgeBase) not yet available
• Not yet open to the general public

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Effects of these Services

• AskA services are popular with the public but are
  not viewed as serious competition to the library
  world.
• So far, most libraries have reported that the
  library-to-patron services have had a minimal
  impact.
• CDRS is still in the early stages but
  participants have had significant success.

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Questions?