Digital Reference Services

The word ", Encyclopedias , etc., and (2) reference work, which is the task of providing assistance to library users in finding information, answering questions, and otherwise fulfilling users’ information needs. Reference work often but not always involves using reference works.

The Reference And User Services Association defines a reference transaction as "an information contact that involves the knowledge, use, recommendations, interpretation, or instruction in the use of one or more information sources by a member of the library staff." In other words, the reference transaction is the interaction between the user and the librarian, in which the librarian attempts to help the user to fulfill an information need.

Digital reference is a service by which reference work is conducted online, and the reference transaction is a Computer-mediated Communication .

HISTORY

The earliest digital reference services were launched in the mid-1980s, primarily by academic and medical libraries, and provided by Email . These early-adopter libraries launched digital reference services for two main reasons: to extend the hours that questions could be submitted to the reference desk, and to explore the potential of campus-wide networks, which at that time was a new technology.

With the advent of the graphical World Wide Web , libraries quickly adopted webforms for question submission. Since then, the percentage of questions submitted to services via webforms has outstripped the percentage submitted via email.

In the early- to mid-1990s, digital reference services began to appear that were not affiliated with any library. These digital reference services are often referred to as “AskA” services. Some examples of AskA services include: The Internet Public Library , Ask Dr. Math , and Ask Joan of Art .

FORMS OF DIGITAL REFERENCE

Email

Webforms

Chat using commercial applications

Several applications exist for providing chat-based reference. Some of these applications are: Virtual Reference Toolkit , 24/7 Reference , QuestionPoint , and VRLplus . These applications bear a resemblance to commercial help desk applications. These applications possess functionality such as: Instant Messaging , co-browsing, webpage- and document-pushing, customization of pre-scripted messages, storage of chat transcripts, and statistical reporting.

Chat using Instant Messenger

Instant Messaging applications are used by some libraries as a low-cost means of offering chat-based reference, since most IM applications are free.

CONSORTIA OF DIGITAL REFERENCE SERVICES

SOFTWARE FOR PROVIDING DIGITAL REFERENCE

The article Live, Digital Reference Marketplace by Buff Hirko contains a comparison of the features of applications for chat-based reference.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Reference and User Services Association's Definitions of a Reference Transaction

Information About

Digital Reference Services