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Articles 1 - 12 of 12
Full-Text Articles in Library and Information Science
Conceptual And Procedural Knowledge: A Framework For Analyzing Point-Of-Need Information Literacy Instruction, Amy Vanscoy
Conceptual And Procedural Knowledge: A Framework For Analyzing Point-Of-Need Information Literacy Instruction, Amy Vanscoy
Communications in Information Literacy
The information literacy instruction (ILI) that occurs during a spontaneous information interaction, such as at the reference desk, is not clearly defined and not extensively researched. It differs, however, from classroom ILI, with its lesson plans, carefully considered learning outcomes, and planned learning activities. This paper uses the framework of conceptual and procedural knowledge, drawn from education research, to analyze point-of-need ILI. Digital reference transcripts were analyzed using this framework, and examples of ILI from the transcripts were categorized to make sense of how conceptual and procedural knowledge manifest in point-of-need ILI. This conceptual/procedural focus acknowledges the unique context of …
Should Chat Reference Be Staffed By Librarians? An Assessment Of Chat Reference At An Academic Library Using Libstats, Patricia Bravender, Colleen Lyon, Anthony Molaro
Should Chat Reference Be Staffed By Librarians? An Assessment Of Chat Reference At An Academic Library Using Libstats, Patricia Bravender, Colleen Lyon, Anthony Molaro
Patricia Bravender
This study analyzes 1,557 chat reference questions received at Grand Valley State University Libraries over four semesters to determine the quantity and nature of the questions. Results indicated that use of chat reference was low and that less than a quarter of chat questions required a librarian to answer. The cost of a librarian answering a chat question ranged from $37 to $439 per question. The findings suggest that assigning chat reference to trained reference assistants will not affect patron service and that it is not cost effective to use reference librarians to answer chat questions.
The Im Cometh: The Future Of Chat Reference, Stephen Francoeur
The Im Cometh: The Future Of Chat Reference, Stephen Francoeur
Publications and Research
No abstract provided.
The Evolution Of The Reference Interview, Courtney L. Selby
The Evolution Of The Reference Interview, Courtney L. Selby
Faculty Publications
While the reference interview remains the vehicle whereby librarians are able to understand the information needs of users in order to assist them, the ways in which the reference interview is conducted have changed with time and technology. This chapter provides a brief history of the evolution of the reference interview, from the face-to-face transaction to the current trends of e-mail and chat software mediated reference interviews, and examines application of these current trends in virtual reference services. While the methods of conducting the reference interview have certainly changed, the ultimate goal of meeting the information needs of the user …
Social Life Of Digital Reference: What The Technology Affords, Mita Williams
Social Life Of Digital Reference: What The Technology Affords, Mita Williams
Leddy Library Publications
Digital reference service (also known as virtual reference) has become a contentious topic in the library literature, as some critics feel that it threatens reference service more than it enhances it. Through this paper it is hoped that the debate can be refocused after a careful assessment of what exactly digital reference technology can afford and what social impact such affordances could bring. The suggestion will be made that digital reference should be employed as a means to provide reference service as long as the service is designed to play to the strengths of the technology. As such, it is …
The Digital Reference Research Agenda, R. David Lankes
The Digital Reference Research Agenda, R. David Lankes
School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship
This article presents a research agenda for the study of digital reference. The agenda stems from a research symposium held at Harvard in August 2002. The agenda defines digital reference as "the use of human intermediation to answer questions in a digital environment." The agenda also proposes the central research question in digital reference - "How can human expertise be effectively and efficiently incorporated into information systems to answer user questions?" The definition and question are used to outline a research agenda centered on how the exploration of digital reference relates to other fields of inquiry.
A Historical Overview Of Internet Reference Services For Distance Learners, Anne Marie Casey
A Historical Overview Of Internet Reference Services For Distance Learners, Anne Marie Casey
Publications
The advent of library services and collections on the Internet revolutionized reference services to students enrolled in distance learning programs. Prior to the Internet, reference librarians who supported distance learning programs had few methods, and many of them costly, to provide the equivalent library services advocated by the ACRL Guidelines. Through the Internet, these librarians were able to approximate the services and resources that had always been available to students who came into the library. This article describes the development of reference services on the Internet in a variety of libraries that support distance learners.
Question Negotiation And The Technological Environment, Joseph Janes, Joanne Silverstein
Question Negotiation And The Technological Environment, Joseph Janes, Joanne Silverstein
School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship
The information world is a very different place in 2003 than it was a few years ago. It is possible, for example, to find information more quickly and easily than ever before, using new tools, and drawing on sources of information unavailable or even nonexistent not so very long ago. People seeking answers or providing them now have many more options for "question negotiation", in the broadest Tayloresque sense [1]. Consulting an information professional continues to be one of those options. In fact, such professionals can now be much more accessible via these new tools and technologies.
Bad Moon Rising: A Candid Examination Of Digital Reference And What It Means To The Profession, Jonathan D. Lauer, Steve Mckinzie
Bad Moon Rising: A Candid Examination Of Digital Reference And What It Means To The Profession, Jonathan D. Lauer, Steve Mckinzie
Library Staff Presentations & Publications
The profound impact of digital reference claimed by its proponents is overstated. Librarians tend to overvalue technology, assume its intrinsic value in improving library operations and services, and undervalue the human factor of librarian expertise and professional competence. Overstating the impact of trends within librarianship is a cyclically recurring phenomenon and the hype surrounding digital reference is a current example. In most libraries, the adoption of digital reference is not likely to be cost effective nor its utility an improvement on structures already in place and functioning well. Librarians have difficult decisions to make regarding the allocation of resources. The …
The Impact Of Digital Reference On Librarians And Library Users, Carol Tenopir, Lisa Ennis
The Impact Of Digital Reference On Librarians And Library Users, Carol Tenopir, Lisa Ennis
School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works
University reference librarians report a variety of effects, both positive and negative, from the rapid and widespread adoption of electronic media during the last decades. Heightened expectations from students and, to a lesser degree, from faculty are noticed by many librarians. Partly because of media hype about the wonders of the Internet and the ubiquity of the World Wide Web, students expect to be able to answer every question and do every research project online. One major impact of electronic services is the growing need for user instruction. Part of the problem is that there are still many students with …
The Digital Reference World Of Academic Librarians., Carol Tenopir, Lisa Ennis
The Digital Reference World Of Academic Librarians., Carol Tenopir, Lisa Ennis
School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works
Throughout the 1990s, the reference departments of academic libraries have seen a rapid evolution from a print-centered world to a digital-intensive one. Online, CD-ROM, and World Wide Web resources are often the first choice of both library users and reference librarians. For the latest measure of how academic libraries incorporate electronic information sources into their reference activities and the effect on library services, a questionnaire was sent to all academic members of the Association of Research Libraries in the 4th quarter of 1997. Over 73% of ARL libraries report more than 100 workstations or terminals. Not surprisingly, the big growth …
Building And Maintaining Internet Information Services, R. David Lankes
Building And Maintaining Internet Information Services, R. David Lankes
School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship
This study addressed the problem of Internet information services having to meet the increasing information demands of users in the dynamic Internet environment. The purpose of this research was to use K-12 digital reference services as a starting point to better understand the process of building and maintaining Internet information services. This study had three specific objectives: (1) to build and apply a conceptual framework based on complexity research, literature and the researcher's experience; (2) to use this conceptual framework to empirically describe how organizations, specifically K-12 digital reference services, build and maintain services in the dynamic Internet environment; and …