User Preferences in Reference Services: Virtual Reference and Academic Libraries

Abstract

This study examines the use of chat in an academic library's user population and where virtual reference services might fit within the spectrum of public services offered by academic libraries. Using questionnaires, this research demonstrates that many within the academic community are open to the idea of chat-based reference or using chat for some loosely defined "research purposes," but this openness does not necessarily result in high levels of use. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether the lack of virtual reference use could, in part, be explained by students' preference for competing methods and technologies for obtaining reference assistance. This study demonstrates a pattern that suggests chat-based reference does not compete well with other methods of providing reference service.

Visual Tutorials for Point-of-Need Instruction in Online Courses

“…Online chat reference in particular has grown in popularity each year, with usage more than doubling from 245 questions in the 2003-4 academic year to 513 in the 2006-7 academic year. Contrary to some of the published literature (Cummings, Cummings, & Frederiksen, 2007) indicating a decline in online chat reference and a low user preference for chat compared to other reference services, its use at Plattsburgh has continued to increase at a steady pace. Still, while answering factual questions and providing searching recommendations through online chat programs is indeed almost as easy as in-person reference, simple actions demonstrating how to search effectively, such as showing a patron where to click to limit results to peer-reviewed articles, require laboriously typed step-by-step instructions.…”

“Ask a librarian”: Comparing virtual reference services in an Israeli academic library

“…Foley (2002) and Cassell and Hiremath (2012) suggest that chat reference services are similar to f2f, because both are done in real time. This assumption contradicts Cummings et al (2007), who claim that chat reference does not compete well against other available reference services. The present study did not inquire about the preferences of users with respect to VRS versus f2f, but the conclusion was drawn that email VR is more popular for research questions.…”

“…If a certain technology has low usage, it should be removed, although the reference staff must make sure that its lack of use is not due to poor marketing (Cummings, Cummings, & Frederiksen, 2007;Nicol & Crook, 2013).…”

The Effect of Time of Day on Reference Interactions in Academic Law Libraries

“…22 The preference for in-person resources in comparison to electronic reference options has also been identified in non-law library settings. Despite patrons reporting that they are open to using electronic-based reference services such as on-line chat and giving high user satisfaction ratings for these services, 23 actual usage statistics…”