Title: Guest Editorial: Virtual Reference, Today and Tomorrow
Abstract: Since implementing a live online reference service in January, the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries has been inundated with queries from librarians wanting to know how it's going. Clearly, virtual reference is currently a hot topic in libraries, with everyone moving their reference services online and looking to learn from others who have ventured into this new territory. At the same time, although we have just begun to experiment, we have been at it long enough to begin asking ourselves what works well, what we could be doing better, and what we would like to see in new virtual reference technologies. This issue provides readers with reports from pioneers of various online services, takes a look at problems yet to be solved, and attempts to imagine what virtual reference might be in the future. Josh Boyer, Reference Librarian for Distance Learning at the NCSU Libraries, gives an overview of one academic library's solutions to the shared problems of staffing, choosing software, and getting used to online as a new mode of communication. Problems that still need to be resolved include how to best attend to multiple simultaneous live requests (from phone and chat), the need for expanded hours ('9 to 5' won't cut it), and well-thought-out policies for protecting the privacy of patron transcripts. Josh concludes with the claim that we need to reexamine the way our library Web sites and catalogs are designed. The virtual reference desk may help those patrons who are willing to use it, but we should optimize our virtual environment to give those who won't ask reference questions a better chance of helping themselves. Temple University libraries, one of the early adopters of virtual reference technology, began its online service in November 1998. Sam Stormont's article describes the history of this project, including Temple's experiences using homegrown virtual reference software (developed by students in Temple's computer and information sciences department). He discusses their ongoing experiments with different staffing models and shares the results of their research into various software packages. The Temple service currently receives approximately twenty-five to thirty questions per week, about twice the number it received when the service began. At the Florida Distance Learning Reference and Referral Center (RRC), librarians have begun experimenting with real-time online library instruction using a room as a virtual classroom. Rachel Viggiano and Meredith Ault describe their experiences and share tips and strategies for making online teaching and learning sessions successful. The software used by the RRC, ConferenceRoom Professional Edition by WebMaster, allows RRC staff to create new channels or chat rooms and to move users from one room to another, a feature that has proven helpful for managing large classes online. Other successful strategies involve the use of prewritten scripts and additional staff as classroom helpers. Diane Nester Kresh describes a different sort of experiment in taking reference into cyberspace, the Collaborative Digital Reference Service (CDRS) launched by the Library of Congress. …
Publication Year: 2001
Publication Date: 2001-09-01
Language: en
Type: editorial
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Cited By Count: 2
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