Virtual Reference Desk VRD: sk a Health Sciences Librarian in the region

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Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) _at_sk a Health
Sciences Librarian in the region

• Hakim Bishawi
• Medical Librarian
• Tawam Hospital
• UAE
• Email hakim_at_tawam-hosp.gov.ae

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VRD

• a project dedicated to the advancement of digital
  reference and the successful creation and
  operation of human-mediated, Internet-based
  information services.
• is sponsored by the United States Department of
  Education

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Digital Reference or AskA

• are Internet-based question-and-answer services
  that connect users with experts and subject
  expertise.
• Digital reference services use the Internet to
  connect people with people who can answer
  questions and support the development of skills.

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Why VRD?

• No time to access the collections or space
  constraints.
• Users continue to need assistance.
• To have 24/7 access to high-quality digital
  reference service from anywhere.
• This service must be a key component of the
  digital Library.
• Use of high-tech and high-touch

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To be considered

• Before initiating this service, librarians need
  to consider how digital reference service fits
  into the library mission statement and
  institutional culture, whether there is
  acceptance from administration and staff, and
  whether the appropriate technology infrastructure
  exists.

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Survey at MEDLIB-L

• Of the 37 responses
• 32 libraries offer this service. 14 Hospital
  Libraries.
• 40 (questions/day).
• It should contain the phone numbers and other
  contact info for people who may want to talk to a
  live person.

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Requirements

• Increasing levels of computer skills.
• Technical expertise.
• Training.
• Software.
• Budget.
• Staff or volunteers.

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Staffing

• Is it collaboration?
• How many hours?
• How many computers will have the software?
• Budget.
• Level and experience.
• The ability to be trained.

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Training

• Software training i.e. LSSI, 24/7, QuestionPoint,
  Groopz.
• Basics of the software clearing the cache,
  logging on, receiving a patron, sending text
  messages, pushing web pages, co-browsing and
  exiting the session.

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Training

• Depends on Types of libraries, staff level
  experience.
• face-to-face and virtual meetings, synchronous
  and asynchronous learning, individual and
  collaborative experiences.
• a trust-building experience for those who will
  later collaborate in virtual reference services.
  

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http//medlib.med.utah.edu/or/asklibrarian.php
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How does it work?

• We use software provided by a company called 24/7
  Reference http//www.247ref.org/.
• The software allows us to chat with anyone who
  accesses the appropriate URL from our homepage
  http//uchsc.247ref.org/wcscgi/CDM.exe?SS_COMMAND
  CUST_SUPCategoryUUHSC.

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Software

• The software also gives us the capability to send
  web pages to the patron as well as document
  files and presentations. The only requirement for
  the patron is the usage of Internet Explorer or
  Netscape 4.79. The software records the
  conversation and all of the web sites visited
  which is then sent as a transcript to the
  patron.

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Consortium

• we are part of a consortium that includes four
  other health sciences libraries University of
  Colorado, University of Missouri, University of
  North Dakota and Hawaii Medical Library. We
  share the cost of our three seats as well as the
  monitoring times which are 8 am - 8pm MDT.

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Cost??

• Cost of installing this software?
• We pay for 4500 for one seat for one year.

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Is the service limited to US?

• 24/7 Reference currently has libraries in
  Australia and Canada who use the software.

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VRD

• It's a great resource that is very helpful to all
  involved in health sciences students,
  researchers, clinicians, professors and the
  general public. We get a lot of consumer health
  questions in addition to our student questions.
  We feel that it's a great way to extend our
  service to the entire state as well as the
  surrounding region.

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http//vrd.askvrd.org/index.asp?
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Collaboration

• To provide professional reference service to
  users anywhere, anytime, through an
  international, digital network of libraries.
• An end-user may ask a question and receive an
  answer from a librarian working through a
  participating member organization.
• Agreements to describe the scope of services
  software for tracking and managing the routing of
  Q A.

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Chasing the Sun

• a co-operative free virtual reference project
  between SAHSLC (South Australian Human Services
  Libraries Consortium) SWICE (South West
  Information for Clinical Effectiveness) in the
  UK.
• Sue Rockliff Mary Peterson.

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Chasing the Sun

• a consortium of 20 libraries in the United
  Kingdom and Australia, will use QuestionPoint to
  further support the urgent, after-hours
  information needs of health care professionals.
  The new virtual reference service will launch end
  of 2004 and provide assistance with database
  searching and information retrieval related to
  critical patient care that cannot wait until the
  library is open.

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Aim of CTS

• To put health/medical practitioners in contact
  with a professional Librarian when urgent help is
  required and it is after hours.
• CTS will make use of the time zone differences
  between Australia and the UK.

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Software

• 3 types of Virtual Reference Software
• 1. Remote Control software
• 2. Web contact Centre Software
• 3. Chat / Instant Messenger

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Cost

• An assessment of commercial VR Chat software
  indicated many potential problems for our 2
  groups
• Price - mostly very expensive LISSI - US8,000
  6,000 annual service fee NetAgent - US20,000
  2,000 per month service fee)24x7 (around
  10,000 US per seat)

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Reports

• Reports can be generated and exported by
  Institution, group and librarian at daily,
  monthly and hourly increments
• Types of reports include
• questions received via patron/chat form
• answers sent
• average length of chat sessions
• average chat response time
• number of patron logons

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Learn how the Washington State Library
established a regional reference consortium

• Serves as a model to other state-wide groups
  springing up across the country.
• Each Library has distinctive resources that can
  answer specific questions the others cannot.

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Current QPWA Participating Libraries

• City University, Bellevue
• www.cityu.edu/library/home.asp
• Ellensburg Public Library
• http//epl.eburg.com
• Jefferson County Library, Port Hadlock
• www.jcl.lib.wa.us
• King County Law Library, Seattle and Kent
• www.kcll.org

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• Seattle Public Library
• www.spl.org
• Timberland Regional Library, southwest Washington
• www.timberland.lib.wa.us
• University of Washington, Seattle
• www.lib.washington.edu
• Washington State Library, Tumwater
• www.statelib.wa.gov

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Evaluation

• to know how effective this service is.
• to measure success.
• Is it good or excellent?
• challenges

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Evaluation

• Through Email.
• Questions related to satisfaction use again,
  find answer, time, satisfied, difficulties,
  suggestions.
• Marketing How did you hear about us?
• Results sent to Email.
• Other questions.

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http//vrd.org/StarterKit/
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Why Librarians dont like VRD?

• The human element will be lost.
• Automation of answers.
• Level of knowledge required by the requester.
• Public relations and Psychology.

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Keep Yourself Current

• Subscribe to Listservs.
• Read articles.
• Chat with a Reference Librarian.
• VRD annual conference.
• Purchase VRD books.

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DIG_REF listserv

• To subscribe to DIG_REF, just do this1. Send
  an e-mail messageto LISTSERV_at_LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
  2. In the first line of the message,
  typeSUBSCRIBE DIG_REF Firstname Lastname

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http//www.dlib.org/
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http//www.loc.gov/rr/program/lectures/
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A Virtual Future

• Health Libraries to be part of the way of the
  virtual future.
• Virtual reference goes with virtual diagnosis,
  virtual surgery, virtual teaching, telemedicine,
  Robotics
• Virtual world imposes no distance or size
  restrictions.

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Question?

• Who will support us to establish a VRD in the
  region?
• In terms of
• Fund.
• Staff.
• Training.

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The End

• Thank You for your time.