4th e- ICOLC Conference, Thessanoliki, Greece3 -5 October 2002

Digital Reference Service: Some considerations

Paola Gargiulo

gargiulo@caspur.it

Outline

Definition of digital/virtual reference service

Collaborative digital /virtual reference service in Europe : a brief overview

Digital reference service and consortia

Critical issues

Conclusions

Digital/Virtual Reference Service: What is it?

It is a response to exponential growth of electronic information resources

available to users• the user on the web is confused by the overload of information• if the user is on the web, the librarian follows him/her on the web • is it the same old job performed with new tools? How is the job

influenced/changed by the new tools

“ask an expert” or other services commercially offered through the Web (AskJeeves, WebHelp, JonesKnowledge)

integrated solutions “discovery and locate” offered by commercial publishers /providers

Digital/Virtual Reference Service: what is it?

It is an alternative to the dominant role of commercial products where

information is not necessarily selected, filtered and scientifically validated

It is a way to promote and improve library’s visibility lbrary’s presence at the point of need librarian’s competence, expertise, knowledge

More opportunities for libraries More and better services for patrons

(1)

service exstensible beyond the library opening hours

interactive on line assistance to users personalized services to users

better service for impaired patrons (hearing/speaking problems)

More opportunities for libraries more or better services to patrons

(2)

enhanced information literarcy programs

service to remote users (distant learning)

increased communication with remote users and colleagues

better tools to reach out new users

better services through cooperation with other colleagues from all over the world

Virtual/digital reference services

Interactive /real time reference

E-mail e webformVRD, FAQs, Knowledge Base

Personalised Portals

Information Gateway

Videoconferencing

Collaborative Digital ReferenceDigital Assets Management System

Human Machine Human interactionDirect service

Human Machine InteractionIndirect service

Digital reference: intermediation services

Through e-mail basic e-mail address – question posed to the

library that provides answer by e-mail, fax, letter, phone

Web form

Through interactive on line service simple chat technologies

• instant messaging software• virtual reference room solution(Webmaster),• chat software purchased by the library

Web contact centre Software Through collaborative service

Basic e-mail

Drawbacks

lack of immediacy and interactivity Is it always a problem?

use of reference interview is limited clarification of question by 3/4

messages exchange over several days

Interactive Online Service

Advantages

immediacy and interactivity

live reference interview (it can go on until

patrons are not clarified)

the user can return to the search later as the text of chat session is saved and sent to him/her

Online interactive/live reference services based on simple chat technology

Drawbacks

Chatline is cumbersome and primitive real assistance is difficult time - consuming (a lot of typing,

spelling/typing errors) users have to wait when they expect an

instant and efficient service queuing and routing questions is not easy it does not allow scripted messages to

handle routine functions and requests the user may log off suddenly

Online interactive reference services based on

Web contact centre software

The librarian can : push Web pages to patrons escort patrons through catalogues or

databases or other web resources Co-browse collaboratively with the patron

(librarian is able to display specific Web pages on the patron’s computer screen)

share online content with the patron transfer queries between institutions record answers and reuse them by built- in

knowledge bases create patron profiles and system reports conduct studies on who is using the system

and how

Issues to be considered (1)

• Could you manage to add new and more complex services?

• Who are your users, how sophisticated?

• What kind of questions are they asking now?

• Service guidelines and policy

• Time length to answer questions, how many questions will be handled with a self- help system in order to reduce “access questions” and other ripetitive questions ?Back up service• can your library afford outsourcing the service at night? Or Library schools can give some kind of support?

• Can your network infrastracture offer these services?

Issues to be considered (2)

• What about reference service in your country ?

• How is your traditional reference service structured?

• What is the availability of print and e- reference sources in your country and in your language?

• How much is your reference service used?

• Who is performing the service ? (professional librarians, paraprofessionals, ecc.)

• Do your librarians have subject expertise and technical skills?

Which type of library is offering digital reference services in the US?

According to ARL 99% of 70 academic universities in the US offer e-mail/web form services and 29% are offering real time reference services (Tenopir, 2001)

13% public libraries offer digital reference services throuhg e-mail and the Web in the US (Janes, 2001)

In Europe the growth is slower and there are not statistics yet

Which type of library is offering digital reference services in Europe ?

various university libraries and some public libraries offer an e-mail service or a virtual reference help desk of some kind

the service is often not well organized (lack of guidelines, web forms, FARQs, knowledge base ecc.)

few university libraries offer realtime

services, some public libraries do, mainly in the Nordic countries, Netherlands and UK

Collaborative Digital Reference Service

Libraries cooperate to provide e-mail and on line interactive reference service to their patrons

Question Point- Collaborative Reference Service (the largest service, over 100 partipating libraries from all over the world, the only international one)

Collaborative reference services are offered in USA, Canada, Europe, Australia

Bernie Sloan’s listing of collaborative live reference services counts almost 40 services in USA, Canada and Europe; most of the services listed are from the USA

http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/~b-sloan/collab.htm

Collaborative Digital Reference Service

Critical issues :

• Are they able to offer both services e- mail only and chat?• Are patrons from library X given same quality service by staff from library Y?• Are training and professional development handled together by library X and library Y• Who is providing the service at library X and library Y (paraprofessional, professional librarians, a mix)• How will costs be shared? etc. etc.

Collaborative Digital Reference Service: Critical issues

copyright issues• licensed databases and e-journals use in digital reference service• a remote user can be considered equal to a “walk in user”?

authentication problems in navigating with the remote users in proprietary databases and e-

resources

back up service

language barriers

Collaborative Digital Reference Service in the US

are offered by

• library consortia (e.g OhioLink, CLEVNET Library Consortium, New England Law Library Consortia, etc.)

• university library systems or university and college libraries at state level

• public libraries systems at regional or state level

• mix of university, public, state libraries at a state level

Collaborative Digital Reference Service in Europe

are offered by• library consortia (HeBis, EARL) • public libraries

BiblioteksVagten, Denmark (22 public libraries)

libraries Bibliotekarie Direct, Sweden (4 public

libraries (Malmo, Sotckholm, Gothenberg and Nacka)

Bibliotekvakten i Vestfold (7 public libraries in Norway)

also in Finland• some university libraries, public and national

libraries are members of Question Point

Collaborative Digital Reference Service in Italy

Italian Library consortia do not offer any digital collaborative reference service yet

There are two pilot projects carried out by public libraries

Segnaweb, a project sponsored by the Italian Library Association- Public Library Committee

personalized portals to access free reference sources selected by public librarians using Mylibrary sw

VRD Group, a project sponsored by Regione Toscana

a group of 15 Tuscan public libraries working on project to offer digital reference (e-mail and live reference) to their local constituency as primary clientele and to the rest of the world

Library consortia objectives: evolution

in the 1990’s:sharing e-resources,negotiating consortial price and terms, access, archiving issues

in the late 1990’s and early 2000: new licence models, reference linking integrated access to resources, alternative publishing, user instruction/training

in 2002 and on :sharing e-reference services, e-reference sw, standards, guidelines

Why is convenient to activate collaborative e-reference through consortia?

Library consortia offer an existing collaborative relationship and can offer more

• sharing costs• start –up cost

• negotiating consortial prices for e- reference sw• negotiating license agreement for outsourced e-reference services (night reference service)• sharing staff

• sharing staff competence and subject expertise,

• library collection (print and on-line)•taking advantage of collection different strenghts

Library Consortia and digital reference service

Library consortia as a critical mass can influence the e-reference sw market and improve its services, licence models ecc.

The flexibility and scalability of reference digital service can allow consortia to set up services

tiered level subject cluster (e.g consortiale business library

cooperate)

nested cluster (at local library, campus library, university library, consortial level, interconsortial level, global

level)

To conclude

Digital reference is not future is a today’s reality

Its technology is still primitive, it will improveVoice over IP, Videostandards (NISO, AZ)

If librarians are not there when patrons need them, patrons turn to alternative services

Which services? What quality?

A final consideration

Do we want just to be information custodians, information access engineers or do we also want to share our knowledge, competence as information intermediators and information creators ?

Information Sources

Bernie Sloan’s Digital Reference Pageshttp://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~b-sloan/bernie.htm

Paola Gargiulo- Risorse di Reference Digitalehttp://www.aidaweb.it/reference/bibrefdig.html