“Can you come tell people to be quiet?”: Analyzing chat questions from on-campus and off-campus patrons

Skaggs, Danielle

doi:10.1080/1533290x.2021.1873892

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…There is very little research into discrimination in online library reference services. Instead research about online library reference service has focused on question type (Bowers Sharpe and Norton, 2017;Greenberg and Bar-Ilan, 2015;Olszewski and Rumbaugh, 2010;Skaggs, 2020), user and librarian preferences (Chow and Croxton, 2012;Mawhinney, 2020), quality and satisfaction (G omez-Cruz, 2019;McKewan and Richmond, 2017) and reference services staffing and models (Alexander and Wakimoto, 2019;Carey and Pathak, 2017;Coleman et al, 2016;Goss and Decker, 2022). Despite the continued and growing popularity of online library reference service, there has been very little research into equality in service and the research that has been done report mixed results.…”

Section: Racial Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender and racial bias in email reference services

Vladoiu,

Fichman,

Liu

2023

RSR

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PurposeThis article examines if there is evidence of racial or gender bias in email reference services in American public and academic libraries.Design/methodology/approachUsing a two-by-two study design and an unobtrusive data collection, the authors conducted two studies in which the authors sent 1,960 email requests to 505 academic and public libraries. Requests in both studies differed in the perceived identity of the user as indicated by their name, and the counterbalanced method was utilized to control for intervening variables. Based on content analysis of the responses, the authors examined the statistical significance of the differences by race, gender and race by gender.FindingsOverall, the authors found equitable service to users regardless of their race and gender; at times, however, there was evidence of favorable service to the White female in academic and public libraries and to the Black male in academic libraries.Originality/valueThere is little research into potential bias in email reference services in both academic and public libraries in the United States of America. Yet, following the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement in 2020, there has been an increased focus on racial equality in library services and the American Library Association (ALA) Code of Ethics was modified accordingly. The authors' study makes significant contributions to the increasing body of research on racial and gender equality in online library services.

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Section: Racial Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender and racial bias in email reference services

Vladoiu,

Fichman,

Liu

2023

RSR

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“…25% of all questions were reference-related (ready reference 67%; in-depth 16%; instructional 6%). Skaggs (2020) found that research was the most-asked question type (37%) at West Chester University. These results show that chat reference operators should be mindful of policy, reference, and research questions, which requires higher skill levels for searching techniques.…”

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confidence: 99%

Chat Reference

Sze

2023

Pathfinder

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Chat reference services have become increasingly important in libraries providing remote reference assistance to users. The success of these services depends on several factors, including staffing and training. This literature review examines the relationship between question types, the staffing model, and the areas of improvement related to these issues. It draws on various sources, including qualitative and quantitative studies on chat transcripts from different types of academic libraries. Regarding question types, chat reference services are best suited to straightforward and factual queries, while more complex or subjective questions may require other assistance. Chat reference providers should also know the medium's limitations, such as difficulties displaying images or lengthy texts. In order to provide high-quality service, chat reference providers should ensure that staff have the necessary skills and knowledge, as well as appropriate levels of support and supervision. The review explores the advantages and disadvantages of student staffing in particular. Clear and effective communication strategies are also essential, including managing user expectations, providing timely responses, and following up as needed. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the literature around best practices for chat reference service providers, highlighting the importance of careful planning, implementation, and ongoing assessment.

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Library Support in Times of Crisis: An Analysis of Chat Transcripts During COVID

Kathuria

2021

Internet Reference Services Quarterly

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“Can you come tell people to be quiet?”: Analyzing chat questions from on-campus and off-campus patrons

Cited by 4 publications

References 7 publications

Gender and racial bias in email reference services

Gender and racial bias in email reference services

Chat Reference

Library Support in Times of Crisis: An Analysis of Chat Transcripts During COVID

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