Chat References in “Big 12” and ARL Libraries: An Analysis of Training, Policy, and Guidelines

Abstract

Public and internal library chat policies serve to set expectations for library patrons, as well as the library professionals who provide chat reference. These policies, or their absence, shape how academic libraries train for and assess their chat services, as well as how they provide chat instruction. In a post-pandemic environment, academic librarians can expect increasing use of distance services including chat reference. This case study reviews the public chat policies of “Big 12” and Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries across 12 categories. It also reviews the chat transcripts of two subject librarians from August 2017 through May 2018 and again from March 2020 through December 2021, the latter coinciding with the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides a look at the purposes and efficacy of internal and public chat reference policies.