Referring academic library chat reference patrons: how subject librarians decide

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula R. Dempsey
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Chat Reference ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Doctoral Universities

Purpose The purpose of this study is to learn what factors liaison librarians in academic research libraries consider in determining whether to refer chat reference patrons to subject specialists. Design/methodology/approach Subject specialists were asked what policies guided their decisions to refer to a specialist and then assessed unreferred chat session transcripts both within and outside their specializations to determine need for a referral. Findings Few respondents were guided by formal policies. Contrary to an initial hypothesis, subject area was not a key factor in referring chat. A broader set of criteria included reference interviewing, provision of relevant resources and information literacy instruction. Respondents valued both the depth that subject specialists can provide to reference interactions and the ability of a skilled generalist to support information literacy. Research limitations/implications Findings are most applicable to large, public doctoral universities with liaison librarian programs. Assignment of respondents to subject specialist categories was complicated by their broad range of background and expertise. Practical implications The study contributes new understanding of referrals to subject specialists who have potential to guide development of formal referral policies in academic library virtual reference services. Originality/value The study is the first empirical examination of chat reference referral decisions.

Assessing an academic library performance before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study in UAE

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdoulaye Kaba
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Significant Difference

PurposeThe purpose of this case study is to assess and compare the performance of an academic library, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on data collected from the library management system, usage reports of online databases, and monthly reports and archives to evaluate and assess library performance in managerial activities, collection development, collection treatment, collection circulation, usage of digital resources, quality control, reference services and information literacy activities. Frequency distributions and non-parametric tests were used in identifying differences and testing hypotheses.FindingsThe study found that library performance before the COVID-19 pandemic outperformed library performance during the pandemic in collection development, collection treatment, collection circulation, access and use of digital resources, quality control and information literacy. On the other hand, the library demonstrated higher performance in managerial activities and reference services during the COVID-19 pandemic than that of before the pandemic period. Interestingly, the analysis of the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test revealed statistically no significant difference in the library performance before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results supported all the eight hypotheses stated in this study.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a case study based on data collected from an academic library in the UAE before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings may not be generalized and may differ if more data are analyzed from many academic libraries.Practical implicationsCOVID-19 pandemic is a turning point for library managers to increase the number of digital resources and services, to ensure that library staff are equipped with essential and up-to-date information and communication technology (ICT) skills and knowledge, to ensure that library users are equipped with essential and up-to-date information literacy skills and knowledge. These will enable them to satisfy users' information needs and ensure library operation in disasters and crisis periods.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies conducted in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to evaluate library performance before and during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of the study could be an important reference in understanding how libraries responded to COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East. The results of the study may contribute to the provision of digital resources and services during the pandemic and disasters in the UAE and the Arab world.

scholarly journals Let’s chat: the art of virtual reference instruction

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Hervieux ◽  
Nikki Tummon
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Resource Sharing ◽  
Virtual Reference ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Information Literacy Instruction ◽  
Chat Reference ◽  
Reference Interactions ◽  
Academic Year

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the instances of information literacy instruction within the virtual reference system of a Canadian university library. Design/methodology/approach Coding and analysis of a sample of chat transcripts over the course of one academic year have been used. Findings The analysis indicated that over 50 per cent of virtual reference interactions do not lend themselves to information literacy instruction. An average of 23.6 per cent of interactions included information literacy instruction and the preferred methods of instruction were modelling and resource sharing. Originality/value While previous studies have focused on information literacy instruction provided in a virtual reference setting, this study aims to identify not only instances of information literacy but also to better understand the nature of chat queries by codifying instances of a transactional nature. The results could lead to improved best practices for chat reference, enhanced staff training and varied promotion and delivery of not just virtual reference services but of other library services as well. A portion of this research project, including partial results for the Fall semester, was presented at the LILAC Conference in Liverpool in April 2018.

Readiness of academic libraries in South Africa to research, teaching and learning support in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 355-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis N. Ocholla ◽  
Lyudmila Ocholla
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution

PurposeIn this paper, we refer to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2016, where the concept of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) was coined by Klaus Schwab, with the reference that it would be building on “the Third, the digital revolution” and would be “characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres”. While acknowledging that the 4IR will impact on everything, everywhere, including research and libraries, we conceptualize 4IR, and we compare current academic library services/trends in South Africa with 4IR requirements, through the analysis of 26 public university library websites.Design/methodology/approachBesides conceptualization of 4IR, a content analysis of websites of 26 public universities’ libraries in South Africa was achieved followed up with verification of the data by respective libraries through a preliminary research report circulated to them by email. 23 areas were identified as the trends in academic libraries, which included free Wi-Fi in the libraries; 24/7 study areas and access to library resources on and off campus; research commons; makerspace; borrowing ICTs (e.g. laptops); e-resources; e-catalogues; research data services (RDS; RDM, IR); open scholarship; information literacy and reference/bibliographic tools, library as a publisher, among others. Data obtained were captured in Excel and analyzed by the research questions.FindingsThe 4IR concept does not occur often in literature, in relation to academic libraries, but it is implied. The findings show that the libraries are responding well to the revolution through their services, with remarkable innovation and creativity on display. There was a 64% presence of the analyzed trends/services in the libraries, with emerging trends/services such as library as a publisher (4%), robotics/AI (4%), makerspace (8%), RDS (27%), borrowing of ICTs/devices (19%) and user experience (19%) scoring low, while information literacy and digital scholarship (e.g. IR) (88%), e-catalogue and e-resources (92%), group study area (85%) and off campus access (77%) scoring above 75%. The scatter of the trends/services among the university libraries is noted for knowledge sharing of best practice.Research limitations/implicationsIn order to improve accordance with trends, academic libraries have to be better resourced, accessed and used, as well as improve web visibility. The study expects library services to be responsive, resourced and accessible anytime and anywhere, and it provides a conceptual framework and a benchmark for further research and exploration in the country, region and perhaps elsewhere.Practical implicationsThe study can be used for benchmarking current and future academic library services in Africa. The conceptual framework provides an agenda for theoretical discussions and deliberations.Social implicationsThe trends, framework and 4IR representations in the study can inform theory and practice in LIS, particularly in Africa.Originality/valueLinking 4IR to current and future library services provides a tool for academic libraries services benchmarking and development and provides a conceptual framework for theoretical and practical debates and implementation. The study is quite current and appropriate for the ongoing discussions of 4IR implications to academic libraries.

scholarly journals Undergraduate and postgraduate students in a North American University are choosing to use chat reference services for all kinds of reasons

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
Gill Needham
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
The United States ◽  
User Survey ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Chat Reference ◽  
Survey Form ◽  
Chat Reference Services

A review of: Ward, David. “Why Users Choose Chat: A Survey of Behavior and Motivations.” Internet Reference Services Quarterly 10.1 (2005): 29-46. Objective – To investigate reasons why undergraduate and postgraduate students choose to use chat reference services and their satisfaction with the experience. Design – User survey. Setting – Large academic library in the United States. Subjects – A total of 341 library users took part in the survey. Of these, 79 were graduate students, 215 undergraduates, 21 staff, 5 alumni and 21 members of the public. Method – A user survey form was posted on the library website for a period of one month (March 2003). Users of the chat reference service received an automatic closing message asking them to complete the survey. Responses were fed into a database to be analysed by the research staff. Additional data was also gathered about the behaviour of all users of the chat service during that period – both responders and non-responders. Main results – The most popular reason for choosing to use a chat service was the desire for a speedy response, followed by ‘distance from the library’. Responders chose to use chat to ask a range of different kinds of questions. Nearly half (45%) were looking for a specific resource and 23% were seeking help at the beginning of their research. There were notable differences between undergraduate and graduate students. Twice as many undergraduates as graduates used the service to help them get started on their research. Graduates were three times as likely as undergraduates to be using the service to address technical problems they were having with the website. Overall satisfaction with the service was extremely high, with 77.5% rating it 5 out of 5 and 94.5% giving it 4 or 5 out of 5. Conclusion – Chat reference services are popular with users primarily because they are quick and convenient. However, users expect that these services will be able to deal with all types of questions, including help with research. This challenges an assumption by library staff that the medium is only suitable for short factual enquiries and general questions about library services. It is suggested that a detailed analysis of the chat transcripts from this period could provide a valuable addendum to the survey results.

Beyond metrics

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 306-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber N. Welch ◽  
Krystal Wyatt-Baxter
Keyword(s):  
Human Ecology ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assessment Plans ◽  
History Of

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe an approach to developing a makerspace assessment plan. This approach focuses on connecting organizational and service point mission statements with outcome-based assessment plan goals, strategies, methods, and success measures. Design/methodology/approach This paper will outline the steps taken by an academic research library to design an outcomes-based assessment plan that monitors the human ecology of a makerspace. The paper includes a history of the space, the role of the library within the campus makerspace environment, the connection between mission statements and assessment plans, and how that connection can facilitate and drive space and service design. Findings Designing assessment plans that are centered on a makerspace mission statement can ensure that progress toward fulfilling the mission, values, and goals of the space is constantly monitored. Originality/value Academic library makerspace assessment literature is still in its infancy. This paper seeks to contribute to the literature on academic library makerspace management and stewardship.

Chat reference: evaluating customer service and IL instruction

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Hunter ◽  
Samantha Kannegiser ◽  
Jessica Kiebler ◽  
Dina Meky
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Literacy Instruction ◽  
Chat Reference ◽  
Industry Standards

Purpose Reflecting on the new ACRL Framework, a deficiency was observed in literature on the assessment of information literacy instruction in chat reference. An evaluation of recent chat transactions was undertaken and the purpose of the study was twofold. The purpose of this study is to discover if and how librarians were teaching information literacy skills in chat reference transactions and identify best practices to develop training and resources. Design/methodology/approach To start, a literature review was performed to identify current industry standards. A rubric, influenced by the ACRL Framework, was developed to evaluate chat transactions from one semester. Results from the assessment were compiled and interpreted to determine current practices. Findings This study identified the necessity of balancing customer service and instruction to manage student expectations and encourage successful chats. Best practices and strategies that librarians can use to provide a well-rounded service were culled for the development of training and resources. Originality/value Reference assumes a large portion of the services that academic librarians provide to students. As technology advances, librarians are relying on virtual platforms, including chat reference, as convenient and useful tools to provide reference services to the academic community. While face-to-face reference encourages information literacy instruction, it is challenging to perform the same instruction in a virtual setting where expectations are based on retail models. With the growing use of virtual services, evaluating the success of chat reference based on industry standards is imperative.

Academic library liaison programs: four case studies

2012 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 485-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Henry
Keyword(s):  
Program Evaluation ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Web Pages ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Subject Specialization ◽  
Compare And Contrast ◽  
Communication Methods ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to compare and contrast four academic liaison programs.Design/methodology/approachAreas addressed include liaison subject specialization, communication methods, duties, and program evaluation.FindingsThis paper found similarities in areas of orientation meetings, library guides, and information literacy classes. Unique concepts among the four libraries studied include physical classroom embedment, use of specialized class web pages, faculty literacy classes, and concentrated faculty information literacy assistance.Originality/valueThe results presented provide insight into current academic library liaison practices and the faculty‐liaison relationship.

Data literacy: in search of a name and identity

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibor Koltay
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
The Body ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Literacy ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Data Citation ◽  
Close Relationship

Purpose – The role of data literacy is discussed in the light of such activities as data a quality, data management, data curation, and data citation. The differing terms and their relationship to the most important literacies are examined. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – By stressing the importance of data literacy in fulfilling the mission of the contemporary academic library, the paper centres on information literacy, while the characteristics of other relevant literacies are also examined. The content of data literacy education is explained in the context of data-related activities. Findings – It can be concluded that there is a need for data literacy and it is advantageous to have a unified terminology. Data literacy can be offered both to researchers, who need to become data literate science workers and have the goal to educate data management professionals. Several lists of competencies contain important skills and abilities, many of them indicating the close relationship between data literacy and information literacy. It is vital to take a critical stance on hopes and fears, related to the promises of widespread ability of (big) data. Originality/value – The paper intends to be an add-on to the body of knowledge about information literacy and other literacies in the light of research data and data literacy.

An assessment of academic library services: international and domestic students perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 631-653
Author(s):  
Sanaz Soltani ◽  
Shahrokh Nikou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Literacy Skills

PurposeInformation literacy is defined as discrete abilities that a person requires to have in order to find, assess, use and share information. As information literacy skills play a prominent role in the students' academic achievement, students and in particular international students coming to continue their postgraduate studies in other countries may face problems in finding and using library services. The purpose of this paper is to explore and investigate the information literacy skills, challenges and needs of international and domestic students at the Finnish universities.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey (82 respondents) and qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 international and 10 domestic students.FindingsAcademic library services are used but in different ways. The findings indicate that international students have a relatively low level of information literacy skills compared to domestic students and faces various challenges, especially in the beginning of their studies.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was exploratory, and data were collected from limited number of Finnish universities and may not be representative of the underlying population.Practical implicationsAcademic libraries should provide effective courses on research methods and library services to the international students while keeping in mind the international students language and cultural barriers.Originality/valueThis is one of the first attempts in information literacy research that focusses on international and domestic students' information literacy skills at the higher education environment. As such, the results provided in this paper can help librarians and decision-makers at the higher education environments to plan better and become more efficient in delivering information services meeting students' information needs and expectations.

Managing occupational identity and institutional pressure within French business schools

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 280-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farah Kodeih
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Academic Standards ◽  
Occupational Identity ◽  
Professional Roles ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how faculty members in French business schools (FBSs) manage intense pressure to adapt their practices and roles to new international academic standards. It stresses that in order to stimulate people’s accommodation of new institutional demands it is important to apprehend and manage occupational identity (OI). Design/methodology/approach – This is an inductive qualitative study that draws on 48 interviews in ten FBSs and written data. Findings – The paper categorizes faculty members’ responses to demands for more international academic research based on their initial OI. It also discusses the strategies schools employ to manage this transition and faculty’s professional roles. Originality/value – The originality lies in the empirical examination of a phenomenon that has so far been studied only theoretically. Business schools can improve their performance and avoid mission drift by apprehending and managing faculty members’ occupational identities.

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