Skill 5. Ability to evaluate online reference transactions, and to identify improvement strategies.

Transcripts from virtual reference sessions offer the opportunity to not only train new virtual reference service providers but to also assess service effectiveness and perhaps to enhance quality, for librarians and patrons. There are a variety of tools and approaches that can be used to measure patron satisfaction, training needs, web site usability, technical issues, and more.

This skill area likely reflects many of the following strategies:

• Self-assessment: Read captured transcripts or email exchanges to reflect on your techniques and to learn from your colleagues’ successful strategies.
• Peer-review:  In small groups, review transcripts for best practices and/or achievement of specific goals. Discuss strategies for enhancing or improving the patron interaction.  Recognize good habits.
• Read professional literature on virtual reference assessment and evaluation.
• Secret shop another institution’s virtual reference service.
• Participate in informal discussions, staff meetings, online conversations, etc. to better understand the evolving nature of online communication, technology and your library users.

Potentially useful resources for this skill are:

Oregon Libraries Network. Secret Patron Exercise.

OCLC Research. Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User, and Librarian Perspectives.