E-mail Reference Research Articles

Comparative Analysis of Digital Reference Services from Academic Library Websites

Digital reference service is one of the interactive methods of communication between librarians and users. It is an internetbased library reference or question-answer service that connects users with skilled subject experts or reference librarians. This research is an attempt to study the present scenario of digital reference services provided by different academic libraries and to check the status of Indian academic libraries. The objectives of the study are to test the availability of digital reference services on different academic library websites and make a comparative study. In this research 50 Indian and 50 international academic libraries are selected and a comparative analysis is made using six digital reference service forms including Chat Reference, E-mail Reference, Web Form, Text Reference, Phone Reference and Frequently Asked Questions. The study reveals that the top global academic libraries evaluate digital reference services with a strong positive attitude, better to say, define it as indispensable at the same time, the Indian top academic libraries stand the opposite.

Gender and racial bias in email reference services

PurposeThis article examines if there is evidence of racial or gender bias in email reference services in American public and academic libraries.Design/methodology/approachUsing a two-by-two study design and an unobtrusive data collection, the authors conducted two studies in which the authors sent 1,960 email requests to 505 academic and public libraries. Requests in both studies differed in the perceived identity of the user as indicated by their name, and the counterbalanced method was utilized to control for intervening variables. Based on content analysis of the responses, the authors examined the statistical significance of the differences by race, gender and race by gender.FindingsOverall, the authors found equitable service to users regardless of their race and gender; at times, however, there was evidence of favorable service to the White female in academic and public libraries and to the Black male in academic libraries.Originality/valueThere is little research into potential bias in email reference services in both academic and public libraries in the United States of America. Yet, following the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement in 2020, there has been an increased focus on racial equality in library services and the American Library Association (ALA) Code of Ethics was modified accordingly. The authors' study makes significant contributions to the increasing body of research on racial and gender equality in online library services.

Examining virtual reference services in academic libraries

Virtual reference services, once considered an alternative to traditional in-person reference services, are now the norm. Most academic libraries offer chat and email reference services, and many offer options for texting as well. The following articles examine many facets of virtual reference services. The results of these studies reveal the effectiveness of virtual services, how to improve them, and why users prefer one method of virtual reference services to another.

Language style matching as a measure of librarian/patron engagement in email reference transactions

In both virtual and in-person reference transactions, creating a supportive environment for patrons is the crucial first step. Evaluating librarians success in creating a supportive environment, however, is challenging. Language style matching (LSM) is a text analysis technique that measures the level of engagement between people. A high level of LSM has been shown to contribute to a sense of perceived support and other positive social outcomes. In this exploratory study, LSM is used to evaluate >1200 email threads from two virtual reference services to determine the level of engagement between patrons and librarians. Results show that email reference provided through the LibAnswers general reference service demonstrated a moderate to high level of LSM 67% of the time and email reference provided by a liaison librarian demonstrated a moderate to high level of LSM 84% of the time. By measuring how well librarians are meeting patrons' affective needs, LSM has the potential to provide a more holistic assessment of virtual reference services.

Analysis of E-mail Transactions in Virtual Reference Services

Today, the use of traditional reference desk in the academic libraries has been rarely used, thus expanding or even move to a virtual reference service. A minimum level of virtual reference services are provided in the academic library is currently in general is the electronic mail (e-mail). One of the academic library specifically provide virtual reference services via e-mail is a Petra Christian University (PCU) Library (refdesk@petra.ac.id.). In such services librarians provide assistance to users in finding information and answer questions. This study aimed to analyze the transaction reference services virtually through e-mail at the PCU Library, with a view of the types of questions based on user background, the writing style of language communication interaction used based on user background, and cultural values are revealed behind the user in virtual reference services (e-mail). This study uses content analysis (content analysis) of the transcript e-mail received librarians of reference services began March 10 until June 16, 2015. The results showed that the types of questions asked in reference service virtual (e-mail) in the Library UK Petra include: specific search, access online resources, operation of online resources, policies and procedures for services, and library holdings with background the student (PCU and non-PCU), faculty, and librarians. Based on the background of users found that overall more types of questions asked in virtual reference services (e-mail) is a problem of access to online resources, and generally submitted by the students. Then, the writing style of the user's language in interaction reference service virtual (e-mail) tends to be formal, which includes the word greeting, the message will be delivered, and regards cover, either by the student (PCU and non-PCU), lecturer, or librarians. While cultural values that revealed the background behind the user in virtual reference services (e-mail) is obedience, courtesy and politeness users. Keywords: virtual reference services, e-mail reference service, e-mail transactions, content analysis, academic libraries

Examining Our Past, Considering Our Future: A Study of Email Reference, 2000–2015

ABSTRACTThis study into the continued use and relevance of email reference examines 15 years of questions (N = 3026), contextualized by an extensive review of literature, looking at volume and associations between patron affiliation and status, question type, question length, and time received. A subset of data (n = 1066) was used to examine changes over time for the same variables. The study also considered the effect of the presence or absence of other virtual services. Results show that volume and patterns remained remarkably stable throughout the study period, with significant associations noted between several variables.

The Application of RUSA Standards to the Virtual Reference Interview

The proliferation of online databases used to search for articles in scholarly journals and magazines began shortly after Internet use became common in the late 1990s. Although there was a shift to digital resources, reference librarians still could use the same approach, asking similar questions during a reference interview, for queries involving online databases as they had during a print source search. In both cases, the patron engages the librarian in person at the reference desk. Further technological advances have created opportunities in reference service broadly defined as Here, the patron only engages the librarian via e-mail or in a virtual chat over the Internet. These virtual reference encounters lack traditional visual and nonverbal cues. Thus, a new set of standards needs to be created for the reference interview in addition to defining a different form of library-patron interaction. (1) THE VIRTUAL REFERENCE INTERVIEW The original Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) guidelines for an effective reference interview had no need to include cues for the virtual environment. Now, however, a reference interview tailored to the virtual reference mode of communication is necessary as the world of reference increasingly moves beyond the traditional reference desk. Digital reference services should provide opportunities for an effective reference interview so that users can convey necessary information to librarians who would then assist the patron. (2) The RUSA guidelines for implementing and maintaining virtual reference services define virtual reference as services initiated electronically, where patrons employ computers or other internet technology to communicate with reference staff without being physically present. Chat, e-mail, videoconferencing, voice over IP, cobrowsing, and instant messaging are examples of the communication channels used in virtual reference. (3) This paper will focus on the interview process associated with both e-mail and chat reference, the most common methods for providing virtual reference services. The reference interview is at the heart of the reference transaction and is crucial to the success of the process. (4) Virtual reference requires that the library staff use many of the same communication and interpersonal skills that are also employed during a regular face-to-face reference transaction. For example, in the library, a well-trained librarian will sometimes initiate communication if a hesitant user appears to need assistance. This prompting can also occur in the virtual reference environment when a chat patron seems to pause or not respond for a period of time. Stephanie Willen Brown defines the reference interview as the interpersonal communication that occurs between a reference librarian and a library user to determine the person's specific information needs. (5) These interpersonal communication skills are perhaps even more important in virtual reference. Without the visual cues of a face-to-face interview, there is an increased need to be able to communicate clearly and effectively with patrons during a chat or e-mail encounter. These needs may turn out to be different than the initial reference question. It is more of an art than a science, an ever changing practice that requires responsiveness to context rather than to the application of a predetermined set of skills. (6) Attention should be given to ensuring that a proper reference interview is provided to the patron once a library has decided upon the format that virtual reference should take. While elements of approachability, interest, listening, inquiring, searching, and follow-up are the same in both the face-to-face interview and the virtual, and principles of each apply to both formats, additional standards should be incorporated into the virtual reference interview. E-MAIL AND CHAT VIRTUAL REFERENCE It is important for the reader to have a clear understanding of how e-mail and chat reference function and to define both terms. …

Email Reference Transactions Reveal Unique Patterns about End-User Information Seeking Behaviour and Librarians’ Responses in Academic and Public Libraries Outside the U.S. and Canada

Email Reference Transactions Reveal Unique Patterns about End-User Information Seeking Behaviour and Librarians’ Responses in Academic and Public Libraries Outside the U.S. and Canada

A Typology of Collaborative Communication in a Digital Reference Environment

Although collaboration in reference has been speculated to have numerous benefits, studies of collaboration in libraries have primarily focused on collaboration at the institutional level. This article describes the development of a typology of collaborative communication between volunteer reference librarians in an e-mail-based digital reference service, ipl2's Ask an ipl2 Librarian. Researchers examined the transcripts of 574 e-mail reference transactions that contained at least one instance of collaborative communication. The resulting analysis uncovered four types of collaborative communication: content, service, technology, and community. These findings have implications for the practice of digital reference and the design of digital reference systems.

Less Words, More Action: Using On-the-Fly Videos and Screenshots in Your Library's IM/Chat and Email Reference Transactions

Email and chat/IM reference services have become a convenient and easily accessible option for the online community and libraries, particularly with increasing amounts of library resources now available electronically. This article gives an overview of Jing, which can be used to produce videos and screenshots on-the-fly, and demonstrates how to use it in a virtual reference transaction. The appendix contains transcript examples of comments made by patrons about the service.

Ask Us Anytime: Creating a Searchable FAQ Using Email and Chat Reference Transcripts

Users are increasingly expecting services to be available outside traditional venues and time frames. Clearly, not all library functions and services can be performed all the time, but a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) tool is one function that can be. Librarians at Notre Dame decided to create a searchable FAQ database as a method to efficiently reach users at their time and point of need and as a way to provide instant, virtual feedback to common questions. The content for the FAQ database was derived from the analysis of over 3000 chat and email questions collected over the course of three years’ use of Docutek, an email and chat reference software. The process of coding the questions as well as the technological solutions employed to create a searchable database of frequently asked questions is described. A link to the FAQ appears on the ND Libraries Ask-A-Librarian page and has already seen much use.

Leveraging Measurement System Analysis (MSA) to Improve Library Assessment: The Attribute Gage R&R

Measurement System Analysis (MSA) provides decision makers with a useful suite of tools for understanding whether variation should be attributed to an assessment system itself or the actual item or program being assessed. This paper introduces the Attribute Gage R&R, using a study of The Ohio State University Libraries’ mechanism for measuring quality in e-mail reference transactions as an example. An ideal tool for examining assessment programs that require subjective interpretation, the Attribute Gage R&R can assist library organizations in understanding their processes and validating the utility of data collected through their measurement systems.

Leveraging Measurement System Analysis (MSA) to Improve Library Assessment: The Attribute Gage R&R

Measurement System Analysis (MSA) provides decision makers with a useful suite of tools for understanding whether variation should be attributed to an assessment system itself or the actual item or program being assessed. This paper introduces the Attribute Gage R&R, using a study of The Ohio State University Libraries’ mechanism for measuring quality in e-mail reference transactions as an example. An ideal tool for examining assessment programs that require subjective interpretation, the Attribute Gage R&R can assist library organizations in understanding their processes and validating the utility of data collected through their measurement systems.

A History of the Developments in Virtual Reference Services at the College of Charleston Library

This article provides an overview of the evolution of virtual reference services at the College of Charleston. E-mail reference has been in use since the mid-1990s. Chat using QuestionPoint began in 2003, and the college joined the 24/7 Chat Reference Academic Cooperative in 2005. Instant messaging reference started the following year, and text messaging reference commenced in 2007. In 2008, the library decided to end participation in the 24/7 Chat Reference Academic Cooperative and to cease using QuestionPoint's e-mail function. Emerging technologies will impact the ways and means of providing virtual reference in the future. This article will examine the rationale driving each development and the library's experiences providing service with the various platforms in the context of the greater world of virtual reference services.

A Guide to Excellent Creative Business Libraries and Business Centers

I had the opportunity to view the work produced by the American Library Association's (ALA) Emerging Leaders at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. While I was impressed overall with the quality of work produced by these rising stars, I was drawn to the research that one group presented as a poster session. This project related to identifying best practices of innovative business libraries and business centers. Since I believed that these findings would be of interest to a broader audience, I invited the group to submit an article on their project for this occasional column.--Editor Leslie Burger, 2006-07 American Library Association (ALA) president, initiated the Emerging Leaders program. This program provides an opportunity for new librarians to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. Emerging Leaders participate in problem-solving workgroups, network with peers, and gain an inside look at the organizational structure of ALA. Beginning in December 2007, our workgroup from the 2008 Emerging Leaders program took on a project sponsored by the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS) of RUSA. The goal of the project was to create a guide to excellent creative business libraries and business centers to provide examples of innovative and best To better understand the current practices of business libraries and business centers, we conducted a Web-based survey to identify innovation and best practice. The findings from the survey are discussed in this article. Note that we have used the term library to designate both business libraries and business centers. LITERATURE REVIEW Given that none of the authors are business librarians and lacked in-depth knowledge about business librarianship, we began with a broad literature review. Our review of the literature on business librarianship expanded to include current practices, innovative practices, marketing, and collaboration. We found a paucity of literature on current practices and nothing concrete on best Abels and Magi reported on current practices and trends in twenty top business school libraries. (1) While their research focused on academic libraries, their findings apply to other types of business libraries as well. They found that, despite the organizational structure of these academic business libraries, the needs of patrons drive the delivery of services and resources. Listening to patrons' needs and implementing changes to meet those needs are important for continued success. However, budgetary restrictions or constraints may play an important role in the delivery of services and resources. Abels and Magi identified the following trends: * Library websites offer access to a variety of services and resources * Library websites provide access to a variety of commercial online databases * E-mail reference service is increasing in popularity and use * User education sessions focus on topics instead of specific resources * Interactive online tutorials may become more prevalent but will remain as supplements (rather than replacements) to classroom instruction * Reference desk hours will most likely remain stable in the short term, but will likely decrease over the next five years * Materials budgets will reflect more spending on serials than on monographs Abels and Magi also found that a demand exists for in-person reference service. But they acknowledged that the emergence of new technology will require business school libraries to adjust their practices. (2) A follow-up or duplication of this study would be interesting, since Abels and Magi published their findings in 2001. The goal for this project was to create a best practices guide applicable to various types of business libraries and centers (academic, public, and corporate). More specifically, the task was to identify innovative The question therein lies, what is innovation and how is it defined? …

Overcoming Transactional Distance

Theory is increasingly important as libraries transition traditional reference practices to online learning environments. This paper suggests and explores the boundaries of a new theory of reference interaction in the online environment that is grounded in online learning theories and the educational theory of transactional distance. The paper examines an operational definition of the librarian’s instructional intent in e-mail reference service, considering it the level of customized content in canned, instructional messages at institutions that provide e-mail reference service. This definition is tested statistically, suggesting that when a canned response is edited for content by the responder more instruction is likely to occur and transactional distance is overcome.

"AIM" for Success with IM

Instant messaging (IM) is a hot topic among libraries today. The past few years have seen a burst of articles in the professional literature describing the technology and the ways in which libraries can incorporate it into their range of services. Conferences at the state and national level often contain at least a few sessions dedicated to overviews and cases studies of IM. Much like e-mail reference a few years prior, the rise of IM can be attributed to its exponential growth in popularity among patrons in both their professional and personal online activities. A recent report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 53 million adults trade IMs and 24% of them swap IMs more frequently than e-mail.1 This article examines some of the basic issues regarding IM and presents a case study of East Carolina University Joyner Library's experience implementing and maintaining the service during the 2005/2006 academic year.

Children's questions about science fair: Preliminary results of an analysis of digital library reference questions

AbstractIn this study, the researcher used a data set that contained science‐related questions from the Internet Public Library's Kidspace Ask A Question email reference form. The data showed that the majority of the questions were asked by middle school students in the United States who were preparing for science fair. A closer inspection of the question text showed that students are concerned about the process of assembling a project as well as the project's content. This finding suggests that digital libraries can support young science learners by developing a metadata vocabulary for process.

Looking to Connect

Sam Stormont's well-considered column made me think about current virtual reference issues in a different way. He brings together and unifies several threads: instant messaging, the goal of convenience, technological barriers, and collaboration. These themes were hot topics at the Collaborative Virtual Reference Symposium in July 2007. I am pleased to present Sam Stormont's column and to bring these issues to a much larger audience.--Editor Virtual Reference (VR) has been around for at least twenty years and has grown in popularity, with more and more libraries offering some version. As librarians evaluate their chat services, a consistent question is, Why aren't more people using this service? There is abundant evidence that millions of teenagers and young adults are using commercial chat and instant messenging (IM) services regularly, but that isn't translating to the library realm. (1) A lot of discussion focuses on increased marketing and promotion efforts as the way to increase use of VR services. Little has been written, however, about the influence technical barriers have had on VR and how those issues have impeded VR'S acceptance and growth. With any emerging technology, it's reasonable to expect an initial period of problems while the bugs are being worked out. However, VR electronic list discussions still include too much about problems and too little about features, services, and the innovative ways this technology can be used to help our users. Too much time and energy is spent writing and reading e-mails describing problems with co-browsing and working with vendors and local systems departments trying to troubleshoot the problems. At this point in VR services development, more of the glitches should have been worked out. I believe that it's time for librarians to focus on a VR solution that emphasizes simplicity and convenience. The process of asking for help needs to be uncomplicated and easy for the user. VR: THE EARLY YEARS The earliest documented e-mail reference projects date to the mid-1980s. (2) Commercial use of chat also dates to the same period. (3) In the late 1990s, there was increased interest, and some experiments began with live, or real-time, reference. Those early initiatives have evolved into what is now commonly referred to as chat reference and IM reference. A lot of different names have been used to describe VR. I will follow the guidelines established by the RUSA Guide lines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services: Virtual reference is reference service initiated electronically, often in real-time, where patrons employ computers or other Internet technology to communicate with reference staff, without being physically present. Communication channels used frequently in virtual reference include chat, videoconferencing, Voice over IP, co-browsing, e-mail, and instant messaging. (4) Some early VR services used chat programs that allowed users and librarians to send text back and forth and librarians to push pages to the user. However, one of the most exciting developments was the introduction of co-browsing, which allowed a librarian to share the user's screen and lead the person through a search while the user watched and learned. How cool was that! It was now possible to not just describe how to do a search, but to actually do the search while the patron watched. This created a tremendous buzz in the library community, as people realized the immense potential for teaching and learning. Co-browsing was great ... when it worked. Unfortunately, there were a number of instances when it didn't. CONTRARIAN VIEWS One of the best-known figures in the early virtual reference movement was Steve Coffman, a librarian who moved from the Los Angeles Public Library to LSSI, a library services company that offered one of the first VR software and service packages. …

Little Things Matter

The author focuses on free programs librarians can use in creative ways to revitalize reference services. By pairing creativity with a student-centered approach, commonplace utilities can improve the effectiveness of in-person and e-mail reference sessions. TinyURL.com shortens URLs for both in-person and e-mail reference transactions allowing students to access previously viewed searches. SnagIt is useful in e-mail reference interactions when visual aides are necessary. The author also discusses the pedagogical issues involved in instructing students in the use of citation managers such as NoodleBib Express.