pintiniblog - services_de_reference

[Article] Identifying essential competencies for chat reference service

noreply@ (pintini) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:24:24 +0200

Toward sustaining professional development: Identifying essential competencies for chat reference service
(source: Library & Information Science Research, 16/10/08 / sur abonnement)

"This study identifies the essential chat reference competencies to enhance the professional preparation of reference personnel. A survey was conducted to examine practitioners' perceptions of chat reference competencies reported in the literature. A prioritized competency list was produced based on the survey results. The investigated competencies could be divided into four categories: media-independent core reference competencies, reference competencies highlighted in the context of chat reference, reference competencies specific to chat reference, and reference competencies not as important in chat reference. Competencies in the first three categories received ratings higher than 5.5 (out of 7) and can be defined as the essential competencies requisite for chat reference practice. Findings from this study can be used as the basis to design and implement training and education programs to enhance the professional preparation of chat reference librarians."

Service de référence: principales sources utilisées

noreply@ (pintini) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:31:59 +0200

Bibliometric analysis to identify core reference sources of virtual reference transactions
(source: Library & Information Science Research, 04/10/08 / sur abonnement)

"As the use of electronic reference sources becomes commonplace, virtual reference services are expanding in scope, modes, and popularity. Simultaneously, reference practices are evolving as well. One concept that may be challenged by these trends is the notion of the core reference collection. What are the sources that form this core collection, and what are its characteristics? Are similar sources used to answer users' questions in virtual and traditional reference? How do core collections of public and academic libraries differ? An analysis of 1851 e-mail and chat reference transactions from public and academic libraries reveals that the notion of a core reference collection persists in the world of virtual reference services. In both types of libraries, responses to patrons showed a skewed bibliographic distribution; librarians used a small group of sources to answer most of the questions. Almost all sources used were electronic. Academic libraries tended to make greater use of fee-based sources, but public libraries more often used sources freely-available on the Web."

Wikis et services de référence

noreply@ (pintini) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:21:16 +0200

Russell, John (2008) Wikis and Collaborative Reference Services , in Steiner, Sarah K. and Madden, M. Leslie, Eds. The Desk and Beyond: Next Generation Reference Services, Association of College and Research Libraries, 2008, pp. 99-105.

"Librarians have long been concerned with connecting researchers with information, typically (but by no means exclusively) by means of face-to-face contact at a reference desk. With the advent of the Internet and the proliferation of online resources and services, librarians have used Web-based resources to add an asynchronic dimension to traditional synchronic reference services. One of the new Web-based technologies that has been discussed by librarians in the past few years is the wiki. Librarians have been using wikis for a variety of purposes, including research guides, knowledge-bases, and library Web sites, though they are flexible enough to work in most situations where collaboration or quick Web editing are desired. Wikis are an attractive tool for reference services because they are a relatively simple and inexpensive way to improve information flows among librarians and between librarians and their campus community."

Chapitre déposé sur dLIST

E-JASL (été 2008)

noreply@ (pintini) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:36:03 +0200

Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (vol.9, n° 2, été 2008)

Introducing Learning Commons Functionality into a Traditional Reference Setting

"For the past decade the University Libraries at The University of Akron has been modifying and enhancing its services in response to changing technologies and user needs, as well as evolving campus strategies. Library efforts centered on service excellence and student success have played a leading role in the inclusion of a planned learning commons as one of the key strategic initiatives of the University. At this time the learning commons concept has been fully developed, while the proposed building renovation plan is underway. The Library, however, is utilizing key opportunities in the present to integrate learning commons functionality into its existing reference service. This article is intended as a resource to other reference departments also in the midst of planned learning commons or that are aspiring to incorporate some aspects of commons service models into their existing services."

Tallying the Chad Marks in the Ballot Box: A Survey of Distance Learning Library Services in Florida’s State Universities

"As distance education continues to grow in Florida, libraries are developing the resources and services to meet the needs of faculty and students. This article identifies what distance learning library services the Florida’s State University System (SUS) Libraries are providing. It concludes with recommendations for additional and improved services and identifies areas for future research in the state of Florida."

Library 2.0 and the Problem of Hate Speech

"Library 2.0 applications benefit library users by providing rich, peer-generated content that adds value to online library databases and systems. However, not all of this shared content is beneficial, for it’s possible for library users to abuse library 2.0 applications by uploading words, pictures, or other content that constitutes hate speech. Internet lawyer Christopher Wolf warns of, “ … the sudden and rapidly increasing deployment of Web 2.0 technologies to spread messages, sounds and images of hate across the Internet and around the world”. As academic libraries make available Web 2.0 systems that allow user-generated content, they must incorporate into these systems quick, effective, and consistent means of dealing with user-generated hate speech."

Scénarios pour les services de référence

noreply@ (pintini) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:00:26 +0200

Evolution to Revolution to Chaos? Reference in Transition
(source: Stephen Abram, Information Today, 09/09/08)

" Many years ago, the esteemed Barbara Quint offered an estimate that Google answered as many reference queries in half an hour as all the reference librarians in the world did in 7 years.
I suspect that ratio is quite different now — worse, from this old reference librarian’s perspective! Reference is the place to watch for change and innovation in libraries. Indeed, all this 2.0 talk is all about the real nature of the customer relationship — in person and virtual. The IT and metadata types were dealing well with a fairly predictable future — one driven by the consumer space and reaction-driven, one with standards and rules and not as influenced by messy human behaviors. You can almost see that train heading down the track and just hop on and enjoy the ride.
It cannot be denied that our reference stats are down, though this is not the case with our research requests, training activities, and one-on-one contact with clients. Public library circulation is way up. Website hits — from nearly any measurement data point — are up. Even gate count is up in most libraries. In public libraries, life is proceeding very well. In the academic and college space, change is moving apace with elearning and learning commons initiatives growing and major technologies expanding, such as OpenURL, federated search, portals and portlets, APIs, and more innovation in user experiences aimed at learning and research missions — and not centered on libraries alone. [...]"

Conférence: services de référence

noreply@ (pintini) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:56:38 +0200

Certaines des présentations de la conférence Reference Renaissance (4-5/08/08, E.-U.) sont disponibles.

Les principaux thèmes abordés:
- Virtual Reference
- Innovative Service Models
- Managing Reference Services
- Approaches, Values, & Philosophy of Reference Services,

Via The Distant Librarian

Services de référence: deux articles

noreply@ (pintini) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:50:47 +0200

- Quick and Easy Reference Evaluation: Gathering Users' and Providers' Perspectives
The article focuses on the development of an instrument to evaluate reference services. It discusses reference service evaluations that count and classify transactions. It also examines instruments that evaluate the quality of library service as a whole, such as the LibQUAL survey. The author notes that the goal was to develop a model similar used to the customer satisfaction postcard used at restaurants. An instrument evaluating the perception of users and providers of reference services at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania academic libraries is explored.

- Cyberspace or Face-to-Face: The Teachable Moment and Changing Reference Mediums
This article considers the teaching role of reference librarians by studying the teachable moment in reference transactions, and users' response to that instruction. An empirical study of instruction was conducted in both virtual and traditional reference milieus, examining the following three services: Instant messaging (IM), chat, and face-to-face reference. The authors used the same criteria in separate studies of all three services to determine if librarians provided analogous levels of instruction and what factors influenced the likelihood of instruction. Methodologies employed included transcript analysis, observation, and patron surveys. Findings indicated that patrons wanted instruction in their reference transactions, regardless of medium, and that librarians provided it. But instructional techniques used by librarians in virtual reference differ somewhat from those used at the reference desk. The authors conclude that reference transactions, in any medium, represent the patron's point-of-need, thereby presenting the ideal teachable moment.

(source: Reference & User Services Quarterly, vol. 47, n° 3, 08 / sur abonnement)

De l'usage des services de référence virtuels: facteurs de réussite

noreply@ (pintini) — Sat, 24 May 2008 10:49:26 +0200

Radford & Connaway. "Cordial Connections: Evaluating Virtual Reference from User, Non-User, and Librarian Perspectives using the Critical Incident Technique" to be presented at Libraries in the Digital Age, Croatia, June 2-8, 2008. (pdf)

Live chat virtual reference services (VRS) have become mainstream access points for seekers of online help from librarians over the past 10 years (Sloan, 2006). This paper reports results from the final phases of a multi-year grant project and compares perceptions of VRS users, non-users, and librarians by using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) (Flanagan, 1954). Results indicate that VRS users and non-users find the following to be important to perceptions of successful encounters: accuracy of answers/information, in addition to the librarian demonstrating knowledge of sources and systems, a positive attitude, and good communication skills. All groups indicate that a combination of relational and content factors is critically important to perceptions of what determines successful and unsuccessful reference interactions. Users and non-users were found to highly value the attitude and personal qualities of the VRS librarians, their knowledge, as well as their ability to quickly and accurately provide requested information. Librarians greatly value the positive attitudes of users and were attuned to negative attitudes of users in recounting negative CIs. Librarians were also interested in the provision of information in positive CIs, and reported a high number of CIs in which lack of information caused an encounter to be unsuccessful.

Via liste Dig_Ref

A propos des défis techniques des services de références virtuels

noreply@ (pintini) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 20:25:00 +0200

Looking to Connect: Technical Challenges that Impede the Growth of Virtual Reference
(source: RUSQ (Reference & User Services Quarterly), vol. 47, n° 2, pp. 114-119)

[ pdf ]

Autres articles intéressants dans ce numéro:

- Assessing User Interactions at the Desk Nearest the Front Door
- Determining Use of an Academic Library Reference Collection: Report of a Study
- The Effects of Librarians’ Behavioral Performance on User Satisfaction in Chat Reference Services

Service de référence social?

noreply@ (pintini) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:47:10 +0100

"Who said reference has to be one person, one librarian, one question? Can reference be a social activity? How can we truly put the user at the center of reference? How can we re-imagine reference as a learning activity where the reference librarian facilitates learning? David Lankes will focus on reference as a truly participatory process and how such a process can take advantage in the latest in web technologies."

Présentation | Audio | Vidéo

Via Friends:SocialNetworkingSitesForEngagedLibraryServices