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"Ask Stupid Questions": A Collaborative and Solution-Driven Reference Service
Ask Stupid Questions (ASQTM) is a radically new reference enquiry methodology developed by the National Library Board (NLB) of Singapore. In the traditional one-to-one reference enquiry transaction, the Librarian conducts the reference interview and provides the required information over the counter or remotely (via email, fax or telephone). ASQ has transformed the reference enquiry transaction into a collaborative and solution-driven service where the librarian assumes the role of the host in a game show format which encourages with fun, spontaneity and creative expressions. The ASQ methodology builds on the conventional reference enquiry model through an expanded process.
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"Hurry! Hurry! r u dum? *#%@!"
This presentation discusses a study of inappropriate use of AskColorado, a statewide, multi-type library virtual reference service. Topics include how inappropriate use is defined and accessed, and tips for reducing misuse at your service are also provided.
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"Hurry! Hurry! r u dum? *#%@!": Handout
This handout provides background information on the AskColorado virtual reference service, and assesses inappropriate use of the service.
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A Model for Teaching Virtual Reference in a Virtual Classroom
This presentation offers a model for teaching virtual reference to library and information science students in an ALA-accredited master's program using a virtual classroom.
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A Model for Teaching Virtual Reference in a Virtual Classroom: Handout
Handout depicting a model for teaching virtual reference to library and information science students in an ALA-accredited master's program using a virtual classroom.
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A Tale of Two Screen Names: How IM is Changing Virtual Reference at UNC-Chapel Hill
This presentation compares and contrasts two separately administered "IM a Librarian" services offered by the UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries, one at the House Undergraduate Library, and one at Davis Library.
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A Triage Taxonomy for Medical Questions
This session presents a taxonomy for health-related questions posed by consumers on the Web. The taxonomy is potentially useful for virtual reference services having legal/ethical restrictions affecting the handling of these types of questions.
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Adoption of Instant Messaging for Chat at a Research Library in Conjunction with the Formal Chat Software Used
Michigan State University Libraries is currently using both Docutek and instant messaging software on a trial basis. After collecting statistics, a decision will be made on keeping one, or perhaps both, pieces of software. This presentation looks at training issues, product selection, and publicity.
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An In-House Developed Virtual Reference Application
Most virtual reference service sites have implemented commercial software which are expensive and inflexible. In particular, mid- or small-size libraries don't have financial capability to offer the service individually. The presentation will include a live demo of in-house developed virtual reference application including both chat and co-browsing functions. Other functions include group discussion and browsing and joint services. Currently, we are working to migrate to open-source based application that could be shared and free-access by virtual community users.
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Are Virtual Reference Services Color Blind?
This presentation examines whether librarians provide equivalent virtual service to different ethnic groups. In an effort to answer this question, librarians were presented with queries that were sent by users from different ethnic backgrounds.
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Choose Your Chat Adventure: Anytime, Anywhere Answers as Self-Paced Tutorial: Info Sheet
This information sheet provides a brief overview of the Virtual Reference Adventure project.
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Choose Your Chat Adventure: Anytime, Anywhere Answers as Self-Paced Tutorial: Resources Handout
This handout lists resources used by Washington State Library in their virtual reference training. Topics include project information, evaluation and marketing tools, and more.
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Chucking Chat: Going to Where Our Students REALLY Are
This session reports on Direct-to-You, a "Librarian on Location" pilot project at UTSA. Topics will include getting staff buy-in, campus cooperation, and strategies for low-cost marketing-on-the-fly.
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Chucking Chat: Going to Where Our Students REALLY Are: Handout
This presentation provides an overview on Direct-to-You, a "Librarian on Location" pilot project at UTSA.
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Cyberspace Casualties: An Inquiry into Cases of Discontinued Virtual Reference Services
Using multiple-case method, this presentation investigates the reasons for discontinuation of chat reference services. Findings indicate problems with funding, low volume, staffing, technology and institutional culture as contributing factors.
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Cyberspace Casualties: An Inquiry into Cases of Discontinued Virtual Reference Services: Handout
Handout that accompanies the presentation, which investigates the reasons for discontinuation of chat reference services.
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Developing Reference Services Communities by Means of Blogs
This session presents a case study approach using blog services to resolve library-related issues for campus communities with varied information needs. Copyright, reference department, and LGBT services are also discussed.
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Digital Answers: Connecting Resources & Responses
This presentation examines digital reference resource selection within the context of library policies and licensing restrictions, the impact of selection on answer quality, and possible implications for collection development.
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Digital Answers: Connecting Resources & Responses
This presentation examines digital reference resource selection within the context of library policies and licensing restrictions, the impact of selection on answer quality, and possible implications for collection development.
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Digital Answers: Connecting Resources & Responses: Handout
This handout provides an overview of digital reference resource selection within the context of library policies and licensing restrictions.
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Does Co-Browsing Enhance Instruction in Virtual Reference?
Is co-browsing used effectively, and does it enhance learning? Survey results, chat transcript analysis, and evaluation of RUSA Guidelines inform discussion of co-browsing as an instructional tool.
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e-CRAM: Electronic Children's Reference Answer Models
The Internet Public Library (IPL) has developed models to aid volunteers in answering children's questions. This presentation offers research, and experiences leading to the models' development, and examples of the models in use.
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Evaluation of a Statewide Chat Reference Service: Perspectives, Approaches, and Results
This presentation reports results from the evaluation of NCknows, a statewide collaborative chat reference service in North Carolina, from the perspective of patrons, the participating libraries, and the entire collaborative.
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From Blueprints to Closing: Federal Librarians Together
This presentation relates how 70 librarians from 23 different federal libraries built from the ground up a virtual reference service in support of the federal government's new Department of Homeland Security.
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From Blueprints to Closing: Federal Librarians Together: Handout
This handout provides a brief overview of how 70 librarians from 23 different federal libraries built from the ground up a virtual reference service in support of the federal government's new Department of Homeland Security.
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Heavyweights Beware: Alternatives to Traditional Virtual Reference Products
There are alternatives to virtual reference heavyweights! This presentation examines the benefits and pitfalls of traditional virtual reference software, and what to look forward to in the new frontiers of IM, text messaging, and more.
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Holistic Care of the Virtual Reference Librarian
With over 100,000 questions answered during its first year, Ohio's KnowItNow Online Reference Service is one of the busiest 24x7 online reference services in the world. A survey of over 250 virtual reference librarians who handled these questions reveals how participating in the service has affected or changed them, their libraries, and their perceptions of VR service. This presentation charts their sometimes surprising responses, as well as ways that KnowItNow has modified management, evaluation, and training in order to provide the best support for staff.
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IM Working with Trillian
This presentation describes how Musselman Library at Gettysburg College dramatically increased the number of chat reference questions by switching from a commercial chat software provider to a free IM software called Trillian.
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Implementing VR on the Fly: Staff Motivation and Buy-In
Librarians are a crucial variable in providing virtual reference service. What are effective strategies to motivate hesitant staff? This presentation offers strategies used by the Texas State University Library, and which could be a model for your library.
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Information Needs and Behaviors of Students: What Individual and Focus Group Interviews Tell Us About Undergraduate and Graduate Students
This presentation reveals the findings of focus groups and individual interviews regarding contemporary university level students’ information-seeking behaviors, and their perceptions and assumptions. The expectations of libraries and librarians is also discussed.
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Information Needs and Behaviors of Students: What Individual and Focus Group Interviews Tell Us About Undergraduate and Graduate Students: Interview Coding Sheet
This interview coding sheet provides an example of the types of codes used analyze student information seeking behaviors.
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Information Portals: Integrating Resources, Instruction, and Reference
Many retail industries, including supermarkets and banks, are adapting products and services to meet customers' expectations of 24x7 access, customization, easy to use products, and self-help capabilities. Libraries need to continue to explore ways to provide access to information resources and information services beyond the physical reference desk, and remote intermediated-reference services. This presentation describes the evolution of a business information portal developed in an academic setting, the Virtual Business Information Center (VBIC) at the University of Maryland College Park, which assists users in selecting useful and authoritative resources for their information needs.
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Integration of Virtual Reference Service (VRS) Education for Health Sciences Librarianship
Health sciences information settings are fast-paced environments, where professionals are required to use the best possible medical evidence in their clinical practice. What knowledge and skills are required for those staffing health-related information services, and what is the state of current health sciences librarianship curriculum in LIS programs? This presentation examines these questions, as well as the challenges that LIS educators face in producing graduates qualified to deliver virtual reference services in health-related settings.
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Kids' Science Questions at the Internet Public Library
Science and mathematics can pose difficulties for virtual reference users as well as staff. Students often struggle with formulating questions that describe their information needs, and reference staff are often less familiar with scientific topics and resources. This presentation shows the results of a 2-year study of kids' science-related reference questions received by the Internet Public Library. Topics include geographical distribution of questioners, topic areas in which questions were asked, intended purposes of the answers to the questions, resources consulted by questioners prior to engaging with the virtual reference service, and more.
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Legal Landscape: Interpersonal Communication in Virtual Reference Encounters in a Regional Law Reference Consortium
This presentation offers an investigation of interpersonal communication in 200 transcripts from a regional law chat reference consortium. Results will be compared to those from a general statewide chat service to compare commonalities and differences.
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Legal Landscape: Interpersonal Communication in Virtual Reference Encounters in a Regional Law Reference Consortium: Handout
Handout for the presentation, which presents an investigation of interpersonal communication in 200 transcripts from a regional law chat reference consortium.
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Listen to Their Pleas(e)! Customer Service Online
Do patrons praise your library, or are they discouraged by harried chat operators? This presentation offers strategies and techniques for matching interpersonal and communication skills to demands for speedy, easy, personal service.
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Listen to Their Pleas(e)! Customer Service Online: Customer Service Selected Resources
This handout provides selected online and print resources related to customer service.
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Listen to Their Pleas(e)! Customer Service Online: Quotes Handout
This handout provides quotations relating to customer service from both sides of the coin -- from both customer/patron and service provider points of view.
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Netspeak and the Future of Online Reference Sessions
This presentation examines the need to learn the language of Netspeak by discussing its basics, studying the controversies surrounding it, exploring ways to use Netspeak to convey emotions, and identifying useful Netspeak resources.
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New Services, New Numbers: Revamping Reference Statistics for the Digital Age
As traditional numbers for reference service have stagnated or declined, the inclusion of email, live chat, and Web pages in statistical reporting both counters the questioning of the need for reference librarians and provides a more accurate picture of reference-related activities. This presentation discusses going beyond the traditional measures of reference service to include additional measures that expand the reporting of reference activity and provide a more complete picture of the many activities that now constitute reference service.
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Planning, Writing & Implementing a Reference Assessment Plan
This presentation focuses on reference assessment for the practitioner. Learn what leads to effective assessment, and how to work around obstacles that arise when devising a long-term assessment plan.
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Planning, Writing & Implementing a Reference Assessment Plan: Bibliography
A bibliography of various works dealing with reference assessment.
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Planning, Writing & Implementing a Reference Assessment Plan: Guidelines & Tenets
This handout, a working draft of RUSA's guidelines for measuring and assessing reference services, poses basic questions to ask when assessing reference services.
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Planning, Writing & Implementing a Reference Assessment Plan: Performance Guidelines
These performance guidelines by various organizations offer standards for comparison for assessment purposes.
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Planning, Writing & Implementing a Reference Assessment Plan: Writing and Implementing an Assessment Plan
This handout provides steps for writing and implementing an assessment plan for virtual reference services.
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Preparing LIS Students to Provide Reference Service in a Hybrid Environment
This presentation examines two alternative approaches to training LIS students to provide reference services in an increasing VR environment, providing them with both a theoretical framework and knowledge tools.
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r u there?: Adding Instant Messaging to an Established Virtual Reference Service
Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill have added instant messaging as a parallel service to their commercial virtual reference software. This presentation relates their decision to add IM to their existing reference services, and its impact.
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r u there?: Adding Instant Messaging to an Established Virtual Reference Service: Handout
This handout describes the sign-in and shift change procedure for instant messaging client GAIM.
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Recent Research Findings on Virtual Reference Services: What Have We Learned Lately?
This presentation reports the recent research findings from the last two years that relate to virtual reference, and places these findings in the context of the Digital Reference Research Agenda by noting four key areas (policy, systems, evaluation, or behavior) in which this research falls. The practical applications for each of these research findings is also noted. Participants: Neal Kaske, moderator. Panelists: Marie Radford, David Lankes, and Eileen Abels.
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Reference Authoring
This presentation explores ongoing research in building reference-based search engines, and provides concrete examples and details on how digital reference services can turn their own reference transcripts into useful Web search engines. The discussion also explores Web crawlers and issues of credibility in Web search engines.
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Serving Students Through QandANJ.org
QandA NJ (qandanj.org) has implemented an academic queue and a separate access point to serve New Jersey college students. This presentation provides an overview of statistics, staffing issues, and next steps for this statewide reference service.
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Systems Related VR Research
This presentation examines where we've been, and where we're going, in digital reference. Topics include the value of human expertise in question-answering; the relationship between question-answering and knowledgebase construction; technical standards, and more.
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Text A Librarian: Integrating Reference by SMS into Digital Reference
This presentation reports on the integration of Altarama's "Reference by SMS" into Southeastern Louisiana University's 24/7 digital reference service and discusses opportunities and challenges in providing reference by text messaging.
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The Wireless Librarian: Using Tablet PCs for Ultimate Reference and Customer Service
This presentation provides a demonstration of tablet PCs and how they benefit roaming reference services. Other topics of discussion include planning, implementation, associated risk, wireless best practices, cost, and installation.
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Virtual Reference Service: Starting Your Own Consortium in Less Than Six Months
In September 2004 the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities launched its own virtual reference service with 19 participating libraries across the country. This presentation highlights the work of the implementation committee, which was charged with selecting the software (Tutor.com), organizing online training for all the staff involved, writing policies and procedures, and developing a 24 hour schedule across time zones, all of this in a little less than 6 months.
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VRD 2005 Closing Session
Slides from the closing session of the VRD 2005 Conference in Burlingame, CA.
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VRD 2005 Opening Session
Slides from the opening session of the 2005 VRD Conference in Burlingame, CA.
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When There is No Time to Plan: Responding to the Information Needs of Hurri
Textbook studies tell us about the value of thoughtful data collection and advance planning before launching new references services. But what happens when there is no time to plan? Even for organizations that had so-called "disaster plans" in place, the enormity of the human catastrophe that followed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina took providers of information services in New Orleans and Baton Rouge by surprise. What does one do when suddenly there are thousands of homeless and desperate people just down the street from the library? Does one bar the doors? How does one deal with the barrage of questions about food, health services, social security checks, and other necessities of life? Drawing on first-hand accounts of these experiences, this presentation discusses approaches to disaster planning that could identify potential information needs and develop plans for providing services in the event of a similar disaster.
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