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Why Does Digital Reference Matter? Library of Congress

Explore the importance of digital reference in meeting the information needs of communities and individuals. Analyze the current state of practice, methods of interaction, and success factors. Discover the potential for improvement and the role of libraries in the digital age.

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Why Does Digital Reference Matter? Library of Congress

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  1. Why Does Digital Reference Matter?Library of Congress Joseph Janes The Information School of the University of Washington jwj@u.washington.edu

  2. what we do • examine the information needs of our communities and individuals • survey and understand the tech & info environment • devise, evaluate, plan, manage and refine the most efficient and effective ways of meeting those needs • or else

  3. expansion • of our traditional strengths into a new technological domain • service orientation • determining needs & understanding context • multiple modes of searching • evaluation of resources • when to stop • education about the process • tool-making

  4. expansion • to where it is arguably more important than ever • more stuff, wider diversity of stuff • easier to find something – not necessarily good stuff • broader service capability • -- but not mindlessly

  5. test • of things we took for granted • interview • quality, accuracy, satisfaction, evaluation • traffic, volume, clientele

  6. questions • What is the current state of practice in electronic question negotiation, in both synchronous and asynchronous modes? • Who is best served by digital reference services, and by which methods of interaction? • What makes a reference interview successful? • What is the role of non-verbal information? How important is it, in what situations? What parallels exist or can be created in email, web form, and chat environments? • Is there a relationship between the method of interaction and the success of that interaction?

  7. demonstrate • the multiplicity of ways in which we can serve • in person • by voice • email • synchronous digital interaction • whatever comes next • the medium is only part of the message – it ain’t all about the chat

  8. an opportunity • for improvement of the quality of service • training • competencies • transcripts

  9. share • opportunity to take advantage of the shared experience of lots of librarians on multiple levels (QP, WA VRS, etc) • not without some potential issues • (over)specialization/generalization • equity • questions re funding, quality, interoperability, standards

  10. relevance • part of the fight for it, for the very future of libraries • no us, nobody else • our continuing, ongoing relevance, importance, centrality in the information lives of our communities, which is under question now

  11. why does DR matter? • it won’t, if… • we do it badly • we do it alone • we do it in only one way • we do it in secret, in hiding • we do it too slowly • we do it from a position of fear

  12. why does DR matter? • it will, if…. • we serve more people better and more efficiently than before • because it isn’t “digital reference”; it’s “reference” (or something else), and that’s what matters

  13. Why Does Digital Reference Matter?Library of Congress Joseph Janes The Information School of the University of Washington jwj@u.washington.edu

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