chat service is a channel of communication explored and implemented in many libraries (especially university) for several years. But it's still a new service and raising questions to librarians.
The article I outline today is to provide answers, tips make the library service is closest and, above all, more effective and useful to users.
Pascal Lupien, with Lorna Rourke, is the author of the work here referred to and librarian and researcher at the University of Guelph (Canada), which launched in 2001 as an online reference service. Therefore, the authors of this study broadly know what they say.
Prior to this article, there have been many others who have researched the online reference service. Based on an analysis of the transcripts of the dialogues librarian-user, have noted many issues such as the high percentage of questions that required detailed information about a topic or search for materials on a particular topic, the low level of student success to find articles in electronic journals or databases of articles from the website of the library, the need of using a "less librarian" on the website of the library, and also the need for a more informal language (including emoticons) when interacting with students, with order to empathize more and communicate more closeness.
is very indicative academic queries that do not experience any growth, while less serious consultations on issues if they grow over time.
This study is designed to assist university libraries to decide whether to have the Virtual Reference Service, the Quick Check (for general questions) or both. Specifically, the University of Guelph has the two services.
The methodology has been to collect all the transcriptions in both services for one year. And were classified into five general categories:
- directional Questions (directs the user to a physical location or a web page)
- Questions policy and procedure (for example, questions about periods loan or fines)
- Questions "rapid response" (requiring factual information, it would respond by using reference sources)
- Questions specific searches ( eg how to find journal articles on a particular topic)
- research questions (which usually take place teachers or graduate students)
In turn, the five categories were subdivided into 39 subcategories based on the most recurrent questions.
In addition, we analyzed the language used, formal or informal classifying it based on aspects such as spelling, emoticons, greetings, farewells, punctuation, etc..
Data collection was performed by a single person to achieve as much consistency as possible.
Finally, put on a satisfaction survey in both the Virtual Reference Service and in the Quick Reference. The results are transferred to a simple Excel spreadsheet so that data collection was very simple.
The language used by users in "Quick Reference" is usually informal, such as used when talking to friends on Messenger, characterized by abbreviations, misspellings and slang. These characteristics are less in the "Virtual Reference."
Library staff are like behavior of users. Sometimes, librarians invited customers to physically go to the library to explain the use of some databases or reference sources, unable to do virtually due to software limitations.
regard to user preferences, it is noteworthy that the majority preferring a consulting service that uses software such as Messenger to the physical personal consultation.
is interesting to note that the Virtual Reference Service at the University of Guelph does not use an interface similar to that of Twitter, MSN, Google, etc., But an appropriate setting for the library. To this we must add that phrases are used to salute, dismiss or request a moment to answer the query. Also asked (albeit optional) the name and last name, email and the course to which they belong, with the loss of anonymity. This gives the Virtual Reference formal character that does not please most users.
However, it appears that this formality is that it allows more complex queries can be answered properly.
A key aspect is the use of informal language by librarians. The study states that they must learn and use the informal language of the users. This makes the customers feel the service as their own, as a comfortable and enjoyable. Nor do we have to make "cool", I do not question that. Just trying to understand better through language and show that we are accessible. I know many people (my case) does not express incorrectly, but we must understand as an informal chat, a real meeting place. And if we want people to have libraries as an interesting place to visit (physical or virtual), we must put aside our prejudices about how we must communicate, prejudices that young people are today.
Following the issue of closer customer Messenger software provides us with aspects such as familiarity with the type of programs that users use, put pictures on our profile, to be added friends for our users and (very important that we often forget in the institutional chats) that displayed the name of the librarian. It may seem a trivial matter, but to ourselves, especially young people, we like to have someone to lead us, not an institution or something impersonal, but a person. Perhaps the smile icon is very useful to us.
The conclusion reached by the article is that the University of Guelph should keep the two services, both the "Quick Reference" as the "virtual reference", and catering to different needs of users.
But he points out that the library of each university or institution may have different needs, so you must decide what suits them best. In any case, it is inexcusable to have a chat service that allows users to stay connected virtually to the library. Of course, a virtual reference service or chat will not solve the problems of libraries, and their incorporation will be revolutionary. This is something much simpler: we must be there where the people are increasingly customers are online. So having a good chat service oriented (not just as "modern") is required. The chat is just one more way communication with users, but the world is increasingly face and it is essential that the library is available to the community through the Internet.
Note: Rourke, Lorna; Loupian, Pascal "Learning from chatting: Our virtual reference questions how Are Giving us answers" , by Lorna Rourke and Pascal Loupian, appeared in the Canadian Journal. Library and information Evidence based practice, 2010, Vol.5, No.2.
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