# Presentation: 577760

## Slide 1

## The Information Challenge

**Exponential growth of resources**
**New researchers with new needs**
**Multiple communication options**
**New expectations and     opportunities**

## Information Resources and Tools

***Internet Resources:***
**Located everywhere**
**Growth doubles each year**
**Digital only**
**No single search engine covers      the entire Internet**
**Short-lived**

## Information Resources and Tools

***Library Resources:***
**“****Bricks and mortar”**
**Continued growth**
**Analog and digital**
**Standard indexing tools **
**Perpetual**

## The Challenge for Researchers

***To retrieve information that is:****** ***
**Relevant**
**Accurate **
**Authoritative**
**Easy to locate***                                              *

## The Challenge for Libraries

**Use traditional strengths to build new programs**
**Leverage the community of librarians and libraries worldwide**
**Redefine the role of librarians      and libraries in the Internet age**

## Modeling the Solution

**Provide seamless access to global resources**
**Collect knowledge for reference access**
**Complement access to information on the Internet  **
**Demonstrate flexibility in creating       solutions**

## Collaborative Digital Reference Service provides professional reference service to users anywhere anytime, through an international, digital network of  libraries.

## How Does it Work?

## Process Definitions

**End User:**** a person who asks a question **
**Member:**** an organization or a person participating in CDRS on behalf of an end user **
**Service Level Agreement (SLA):**** an agreement describing the scope of services **
**Request Manager (RM):**** software for managing Q&A receipt and assignment, SLA compliance and administrative tasks**

## Resource Databases

**Member Profiles**
- Member features and strengths
- Member representative strengths
**Knowledge Base of Questions and Answers**
- Searchable by staff, later by end users
- Confidentiality, privacy, intellectual           property maintained

** ****Libraries (public, academic, special)**
** ****Consortia**
** ****Museums**
** “****Ask-a” Expert Services**

***Members***

## Three Pilot Phases:

*** ******Phase 1 (February - March 2000)***
**10 members**
**Test member profiles**
**30 questions per week                                                                                            **
**Scheduled and scripted**

##  Phase 2 (June 19 - Sept. 15)

**Increase to 16 members**
**Use and test sample Request Manager software and routing decisions**
**Build/test revised Member profiles**
**Test new Web form**
**Develop Service Level Agreements**
**Determine training requirements**
**Determine costs **

## Phase 3 (Oct. 17- Jan. 31, 2001)

**40+ members**
**Scale up to full production to test volume and speed**
**Investigate portal technology**
**Determine Governing Body membership and roles    **
**Service Level Agreements**

## Goals of the Pilots - Summary

**Q&A process, including web form**
**Request Manager procedures for assigning, tracking, etc.**
**Determine scope and capacity of researcher requests **
**Response time**
**Interoperability**
**Best practices**

## Modeling the Solution

**Maximum flexibility**
**System integration**
**Multiple partners **
**Reestablish libraries as epicenters   of knowledge for their communities**
**Internet services implement customized community library  portals**

## Community Portals Provide...

**Dynamic content**** - events, news, weather, book reviews**
**Useful applications -****  reserve a book, chat with an author, browse the catalog**
**CDRS Gateway**** - enables patrons to submit questions during off-hours   without diluting local library’s brand**

## Portals Benefits

**Internet services recover investment through advertising and affiliation fees (e.g., Amazon.com)**
**CDRS “tags along” with portal for reduced fees or for free**

## Where to Next?

**One stop shopping for reference and research services, including:**
**Locating/verifying bibliographic citations**
**Interlibrary Loan**
**Document Delivery**

## International / Universal  Issues

**Language & literacy**
**Accessibility & infrastructure**
**Cultural & political sensitivities**
**Jurisdictional & service constraints**
**E-commerce & trade agreements**

## http://www.loc.gov/rr/digiref/

## Beyond CDRS:  an end-to-end user service model

- Reference Process :  ask ;  answer

- Catalogue Process :  verify ;  locate

- Delivery Process :  ILL ;  document delivery

**Beyond CDRS:  an end-to-end user service model**