Planning

Setting up a virtual reference service can be as easy as signing up for a free buddy name, so it can be tempting to dive right in and just do it, but a little bit of time spent planning can save you a lot of time, frustration, and mis-steps later on.  Here are just a few questions you may want to consider as you build a cohesive plan to offer virtual reference service:

• Why should you provide virtual reference service?
• Who will your helpers or partners be?
• How will you know if your service is successful or not?
• How will you market the service?
• What technologies/platforms will you use?
• What is your budget?
• What is your timeline to implementation?
• What will your policies look like?