Virtual Reference Resources

 

Planning

Why should you provide virtual reference?

Breitbach, William, Matthew Mallard, and Robert Sage. “Using Meebo's Embedded IM for Academic Reference Services: A Case Study.” Reference Services Review 37, no. 1 (2009): 83-98. doi:10.1108/00907320910935011.

Kipnis, Daniel. G., and Gary E. Kaplan. “Analysis and Lessons Learned Instituting an Instant Messaging Reference Service at an Academic Health Sciences Library: The First Year.”  Medical Reference Services Quarterly 27, no. 1 (2008): 33-51. doi:10.1080/02763860802080119. http://jdc.jefferson.edu/dan_kipnis/10/

McCulley, Lucretia, and Olivia Reinauer. “Connecting with AIM: The Search for a Virtual Reference Niche.”College & Undergraduate Libraries 13, no. 4 (2006): 43-54. doi:10.1300/il 06v I 3n04̱04.

What is your budget?

Collaborative/Statewide VR Programs

Breidenbaugh, Andrew. “Budget Planning and Performance Measures for Virtual Reference Services.” Reference Librarian 46, no. 95/96 (2006): 113-124.

Eakin, Lori, and Jeffrey Pomerantz. “Virtual Reference, Real Money: Modeling Costs in Virtual Reference Services.”portal: Libraries & the Academy 9, no. 1 (2009): 133-164.

Kaske, Neal, and Julie Arnold. “Is Collaborative Virtual Reference Cost Effective and If So, for Whom?” Presented at the Virtual Reference Desk Annual Conference, Cincinnati, OH, November 9, 2004. Slides available at http://resourcesharing.webjunction.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=440721&name=DLFE-11814.pdf

Planning on a Low Budget

Dalston, Teresa, and Michael Pullin, eds. Virtual Reference on a Budget: Case Studies. Columbus, OH: Linworth Publishing Company, 2007.

VR Budget

MARS Digital Reference Guidelines Ad Hoc Committee. “Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services.” Section 4.3 Finances. Last modified June 2004. http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/virtrefguidelines.

Marsteller, Matthew, and Susan Ware. “Models for Measuring & Evaluating Reference Costs: A Comparative Analysis of Traditional and Virtual Reference Services.” Presented at the Virtual Reference Desk Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX, November 17, 2003. Slides available at http://resourcesharing.webjunction.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=441453&name=DLFE-11975.pdf.

What will your policies look like?

Articles

Cleveland, Ana D., and Jodi L. Philbrick. “Virtual Reference Services for the Academic Health Sciences Librarian 2.0.” Medical Reference Services Quarterly 26, no. S1 (2007): 25-49.

Kibbee, Jo. “Librarians Without Borders? Virtual Reference Service to Unaffiliated Users.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 32, no. 5 (2006): 467-473.

  • Section on current policies and practice

Books

Coffman, Steve. Going Live: Starting & Running a Virtual Reference Service. Chicago: American Library Association, 2003.

Kern, Kathleen, and Esther Gillie. “Virtual Reference Policies: An Examination of Current Practices.” In The Virtual Reference Experience: Integrating Theory into Practice, edited by R.D. Lankes, Joseph Janes, Linda C. Smith, and Christina M. Finneran, 165-184. New York: Neal Schuman, 2004.

Lankes, R. David, Charles R. McClure, Melissa Gross, and Jeffrey Pomerantz. Implementing Digital Reference Services: Setting Standards and Making it Real. Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2003.

Lipow, Anne Grodzins. The Virtual Reference Librarian’s Handbook. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2003.  

  • Lists elements that should be considered when writing policies for virtual reference: eligibility, confidentiality, use of licensed databases to answer questions, identifying yourself to the client, delivery of material to the client, average length of transaction, client satisfaction, inappropriate client behavior, questionable questions, limit of transactions per client, and follow-up.

Ronan, Jana, and Carol Turner. SPEC Kit 273: Chat Reference. Washington, D.C.: Association of Research Libraries, 2002.

​Presentations

Samuel, Monecia. “When Kids Enter the Queue: Working with Unexpected Users on University Virtual Reference Sites.” Slides available at http://resourcesharing.webjunction.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=440514&name=DLFE-11768.pdf

  • Includes policy information related to an academic library assisting children on VR

Videos

Weismantel, Arlene and Christine Tobias. "Exploring Service Quality in Cooperative Reference." Video, 6:48. Posted January 31, 2012. http://youtu.be/rrdbOe2du10.

Core Competencies

Training

Weismantel, Arlene and Christine Tobias. "Exploring Service Quality in Cooperative Reference." Video, 6:48. Posted January 31, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrdbOe2du10&context=C4d3d4dcADvjVQa1PpcFO35LBKEqBI_45Fmu5_KF1Ql3M_KYVhits.

Information Literacy

Interview Skills

Technologies

Articles

Coffman, Steve. "We'll Take It From Here: Further Developments We'd Like to See in Virtual Reference Software." Information Technology & Libraries 20, no. 3 (2001): 149-153.

Lihitkar, Shalini R. "Establishing a Virtual Reference Service." DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technolog 31, no. 1 (2011): 31-34.

Books

Burke, John. Neal-Schuman LIbrary Technology Companion: A Basic Guide for Library Staff. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2006.

  • Introduces and explains technological advances, with Part 3 touching on virtual reference.

Kern, M. Kathleen. Virtual Reference Best Practices: Tailoring Service to Your Library. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009.

Lipow, Anne Grodzins. The Virtual Reference Librarian's Handbook. Berkeley: Library Solutions Press, 2003.

  • Provides hints on selecting appropriate software.

Meola, Marc, and Sam Stormont. Starting and Operating Live Virtual Reference Services: A How-to-Do-It Manual for Librarians. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2002.

  • Includes discussion and analysis of several virtual reference software packages.

Thomsett-Scott, Beth C. Implementing Virtual Reference Services: A LITA Guide ALA TechSource, 2013.

  • Discusses how libraries are using vendor services and free tools for their reference needs.

Videos

Weismantel, Arlene and Christine Tobias. "Exploring Service Quality in Cooperative Reference." Video, 6:48. Posted January 31, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrdbOe2du10&context=C4d3d4dcADvjVQa1PpcFO35LBKEqBI_45Fmu5_KF1Ql3M_KYVhits.

Websites

LIS Wiki Chat Reference Libraries: http://liswiki.org/wiki/Chat_reference_libraries

Virtual Reference: A Selected Annotated Bibliography: http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet19

Staffing/Partners

Weismantel, Arlene and Christine Tobias. "Exploring Service Quality in Cooperative Reference." Video, 6:48. Posted January 31, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrdbOe2du10&context=C4d3d4dcADvjVQa1PpcFO35LBKEqBI_45Fmu5_KF1Ql3M_KYVhits.

Marketing

Assessment

Weismantel, Arlene and Christine Tobias. "Exploring Service Quality in Cooperative Reference." Video, 6:48. Posted January 31, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrdbOe2du10&context=C4d3d4dcADvjVQa1PpcFO35LBKEqBI_45Fmu5_KF1Ql3M_KYVhits.

Professional Development