Abstract
There has been longstanding debate about whether the level of complexity of questions received at reference desks and via online chat services requires a librarian’s expertise. Continued decreases in the number and complexity of reference questions have all but ended the debate; many academic libraries no longer staff service points with professional librarians. However, convenient, proactive online chat services could reverse the trends. This paper provides results of a study of reference question complexity following implementation of a proactive chat service. The study reveals changes in the complexity of chat questions that may have implications for staffing online reference services.
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