Content deleted Content added
added Template:Libraries and library science; removed "in recent years" per WP:RELTIME; no external links in article body per WP:EL |
m Open access bot: url-access updated in citation with #oabot. |
||
| (7 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Library reference method}}
{{
'''Digital reference''' (more commonly called '''virtual reference''') is a service by which a [[library]] reference service is conducted online, and the reference transaction is a [[computer-mediated communication]]. It is the remote, computer-mediated delivery of reference information provided by library professionals to users who cannot access or do not want face-to-face communication. Virtual reference service is most often an extension of a library's existing reference service program. The word "[[reference]]" in this context refers to the task of providing assistance to library users in finding information, answering questions, and otherwise fulfilling users’ information needs. Reference work often but not always involves using [[reference work]]s, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. This form of reference work expands reference services from the physical reference desk to a "virtual" reference desk where the patron could be writing from home, work or a variety of other locations.
Line 8 ⟶ 9:
The earliest digital reference services were launched in the mid-1980s, primarily by academic and medical libraries, and provided by [[e-mail]]. These early-adopter libraries launched digital reference services for two main reasons: to extend the hours that questions could be submitted to the reference desk, and to explore the potential of campus-wide networks, which at that time was a new technology.
With the advent of the graphical [[World Wide Web]], [[Digital library
In the early- to mid-1990s, digital reference services began to appear that were not affiliated with any library. These digital reference services are often referred to as "AskA" services. An example of an AskA services is at the [[Internet Public Library]].
Providing remote-based services for patrons has been a steady practice of libraries over the years. For example, before the widespread use of chat software, reference questions were often answered via phone, fax, email and audio conferencing. Email is the oldest type of virtual reference service used by libraries.<ref name="Kern" /> Library services in America and the UK are just now gaining visibility in their use of virtual reference services using chat software. However, a survey in America revealed that by 2001 over 200 libraries were using chat reference services.<ref name="Chow">{{cite book |last=Chowdhury |first=G.G. |title=Librarianship: an introduction |place=London |publisher=Facet |year=2008|display-authors=etal.}}</ref>
The rapid global proliferation of information technology (IT) often leaves libraries at a disadvantage in terms of keeping their services current. However, libraries are always striving to understand their user demographics in order to provide the best possible services.<ref name="Chow" /><ref name="Bro">{{cite book |last=Brophy |first=P. |title=The library in the twenty-first century |edition=2nd |place=London |publisher=Facet |year=2007}}</ref> Therefore, libraries continue to take notes from current [[
The range of cost-per-transaction of reference interactions has been found to be large, due to the differences in librarian salaries and infrastructural costs required by reference interviews.<ref>Murfin, Marjorie E. "Cost Analysis of Library Reference Services," Advances in Library Administration and Organization, 11, 1993, pp. 1–36.</ref><ref>Eakin, Lorraine, & Pomerantz, Jeffrey. "[https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/pla.0.0035 Virtual Reference, Real Money: Modeling Costs in Virtual Reference Services]," portal: Libraries and the Academy, 9, 2009, pp. 133-164.</ref>
Line 45 ⟶ 46:
*Accept imperfection in conversations without spending time to go back and make corrections. Most words are recognizable through context.
*Become familiar with and use accepted IM abbreviations such as LOL (Laugh Out Loud).
At times, IM becomes challenging because of lack of non-verbal cues such as eye contact, and the perceived time pressure. Moreover, formulating the question online without the give and take of nonverbal cues and face to face conversation presents an added obstacle. In addition, to provide effective reference service through IM, it is important to meet higher level of information literacy standards. These standards include evaluating the information and its source, synthesizing the information to create new ideas or products, and understanding the societal, legal, and economic issues surrounding its use.<ref>Desai, Christina M. & Graves, Stephanie J. "Instruction via Instant Messaging reference: what’s happening?", The Electronic Library 24 (2) ( 2006): 174-189.</ref>
Line 73:
# Virtual reference queries are sometimes followed-up with telephone, fax, in-person and regular mail interactions, even though these modes of communication are not considered virtual."<ref name="MARS">{{cite journal |author=MARS Digital Reference Guidelines Ad Hoc Committee |year=2004 |title=Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services |journal=Reference and User Services Quarterly |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=9–14 |url=http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/resources/guidelines/virtrefguidelines.cfm}}</ref>
In January 2011 [[QuestionPoint]] and the ALA were in talks about offering a National Ask A Librarian service across the whole United States
==Other countries==
In Europe some countries offer services in both their own national language and in English. European countries include: Finland,<ref>Finnish National Libraries online reference service: http://www.libraries.fi/en-GB/ask/</ref> the Netherlands (in Dutch only),<ref>The Netherlands online reference service: http://www2.bibliotheek.nl/home {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111124193856/http://www2.bibliotheek.nl/home |date=2011-11-24 }}</ref> Denmark,<ref>Danish Libraries homepage, with links to a virtual reference form: http://bibliotek.dk/?lingo=eng</ref> and France.<ref>Public library of Lyon, France: http://www.guichetdusavoir.org/</ref>
Other countries which offer virtual reference services include: Australia,<ref>National Library of Australia's Ask a Librarian service: http://www.nla.gov.au/askalibrarian/</ref> New Zealand,<ref>National Library of New Zealand's Ask a Librarian service: http://www.natlib.govt.nz/services/get-advice/ask-a-librarian</ref> Canada,<ref>National Library of Canada's virtual reference services: http://vrl.tpl.toronto.on.ca/</ref> and the state of Colorado in the United States.<ref>Ask Colorado, the service from the state of Colorado in the USA: {{cite web|url=http://www.askcolorado.org/ |title=Wettanbieter Vergleich: 61 Wettanbieter im ausführlichen Test - Februar 2019 |
==Chasing the Sun==
Line 105:
==External links==
* [
▲* [http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Online_Reference Online Reference Section of the Library Success Wiki]
* [http://liswiki.org/wiki/Chat_reference_libraries Chat reference libraries] at the Library and Information Science (LIS) Wiki - list of libraries providing chat reference services
* [
* [
===Software vendors===
Line 118 ⟶ 117:
===Providers===
;United States
* [[Ask a Librarian on duty]], Florida state's virtual reference service, provides live chat with co-browsing and email functions.
* [https://www.librarieshawaii.org/connect/staff/ask-a-librarian/ Ask a Librarian], Hawaii's statewide email reference service.
* [http://www.answerland.org/ Answerland], Oregon's statewide online chat and email reference service.
;United Kingdom
▲* [http://library.open.ac.uk Open University Library] LivePerson
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100925091720/http://nls.uk/info/readingrooms/askalibrarian.html Ask A Librarian (NLS)] provided by the National Library of Scotland
* [
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120118194016/http://www.nls.uk/using-the-library/ask-a-librarian National Library of Scotland's 'Ask a Librarian' service]
* [
;Spain
| |||