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Virtual Reference Services. Stephen D. Coffman, Vice President Public Library Operations/East Library Systems and Services, LLC. ARL Reference Statistics Reference Meets the Web. DOWN 42.1% 1997-2003. Commercial Reference Services The Other Threat From the Web.
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Virtual Reference Services Stephen D. Coffman, Vice President Public Library Operations/East Library Systems and Services, LLC
ARL Reference Statistics Reference Meets the Web DOWN 42.1% 1997-2003
In the electronic environment, a point-of-need reference service needs to be built into the infrastructure of the Internet--ideally on the browser, or as a constant source on specific sites--and must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. .... When users click on the "live consultation" option, they are asked to enter their question in an Ask Jeeves-type natural-language search engine, which returns some results from among a collection of librarian-chosen web sites. If the searcher is satisfied, the transaction ends there. If not, he clicks on a "Click To Talk to a Librarian" button and there appears a live person (via, say, CuSeeMe or Netmeeting interactive software) or a text box (using, for example, MOO, Chat, or WOO technology) for real-time chat. The librarian, who has before her the client's failed search-engine effort, negotiates the real question and either answers it directly or does some follow-up work and gets back to the client via e-mail, FAX, etc. "
What Made VR So Appealing? • Did offer a possible solution to a decline that was worrying us • We had the example of the commercial reference services like Webhelp that were using the technology … proving so it seemed that people loved it • Automatically made anybody who used it ‘waaaay cool’
1999 Univ. North Texas Cornell Temple SUNY Morrisonville Total = 4 or 5 2004 Questionpoint 1000 Tutor/LSSI 1000 24/7 1000 Docutek 300? LivePerson Groopz 60 Rakim IM Total = 3000+ Growth of Libraries with Chat
Co-Browsing Technology Librarian’s Browser Go to url: Patron’s Browser • URL pushing • Two-way (librarian to patron and patron to librarian) • Send page or escort mode ( can be toggled on and off) • Form sharing (text in search boxes can be shared) • Works with many computers • Talk via chat • Produces transcript of session including chat and pages shared
Unfortunately Our Patrons Were Not As Enthusiastic As We Were
Joe Janes Global Census Nov 03 Median = 6 questions per day “Global Census of Digital Reference” Joseph Janes Proceedings of VRD 2003 http://www.vrd2003.org/proceedings/presentation.cfm?PID=162
UCLA Down 77.6%
Profession Losing Interest • Sales of VR off substantially • Many vendors failed or been absorbed • OCLC currently in the midst of research on the ‘viability’ of VR • Some services have quietly folded their tents • The major conference has been discontinued Discontinued
Legacy of VR • Transcripts allowed us to track and analyze the reference process as never before • Allowed libraries to collaborate on reference in ways that would have been impossible before • Allowed librarians from different institutions, subject specialties and even continents to work together
Also Leaves Us With Some Unresolved Questions? • Death of most commercial reference • Limited ‘success’ of Google Answers • Low use of email reference • Low use of chat
1. Do We Really Need VR? • “Just need to market it better” • “It’s all reference”, VR just another method of contacting the library • Assuming that patrons do want help online, is chat and VR the best way to give it to them?
2. If Not VR - What Is Reference In the Age of Google? • Books • Help for those who choose not to use Google • Help when Google fails • Help when you need more than Google
Traditional Reference Is Expensive $54,525,849 Amount Illinois Public Libraries Spent on Books in 2002 $57,380,232 Amount Illinois Public Libraries Spend on Reference Librarians in 2002 Median Hourly Wage Illinois Reference Librarian with Benefits = $27.95 Median Reference Salary with Benefits = $58,136 987 FTE Reference Librarians @ $58,136 = $57,380,232 Illinois Public Library Statistics – 2002
Even Worse, Nationally • National Statistics (NCES) • 20% or 1 in 5 patrons asks a question • 1.1 reference questions per capita • 6.8 items circulated per capita • Illinois Public Library Statistics • 26.5% or 1 in 4 asks a question • 1.2 reference questions per capita • 7.9 items circulated per capita
Re-Examine Staffing 5600 books at Cornell avg salary plus benefits = $87,859.2 2341 books In the rest of the county avg salary plus benefits = = $36,738 =
Average Hourly Cost of Operations Library vs Bookstore 72 hours per week 96 hours per week