----

##  Trends and Issues in Digital Reference Services. ERIC Digest.                

INTRODUCTION
As more people rely on the Internet for information               and less people approach the reference desks at their local                     libraries for assistance (Tenopir, 2001; Coffman and McGlamery,                 2000), there is an increased need for formal methods of remote                  communication between information seekers and information                       professionals. Many libraries and organizations have responded to               this need by providing reference service via the Internet, or                   digital reference service, to their users. Results of one study                 conducted in 1999 found that 45% of academic libraries (Janes,                  Carter, and Memmott, 1999) and 13% of public libraries (Janes, 2001)            offered digital reference services through e-mail and the Web. A                later study found that 99% of 70 academic libraries offer e-mail                reference and 29% offer real-time reference service (Tenopir,                   2001). 
Aside from reference services based in traditional library             environments, hundreds of ask-an-expert (AskA) services on the                  Internet (some in existence for six years or more) offer information            in a variety of subject areas as well as general reference,                     primarily through Web-based query forms and e-mail. In addition to              the many non-profit educational AskA services, a large number of                commercial Web sites offer reference service to Internet                        users (e.g., Abuzz), proving extremely popular and causing concern              among those who view use of these services as competition for                   libraries (Coffman and McGlamery, 2000). 
The concept of digital               reference is emerging as its own domain within the field of                     librarianship. Several issues have surfaced recently in practice and            research, including provision of real-time reference service,                   collaborative efforts among networks of libraries and organizations,            and development of quality and technical standards. [For general                information on digital reference services, including a history and              steps for building a service, see Wasik (1999).] REAL-TIME                    REFERENCEEarly digital reference services primarily used e-mail             to receive questions and provide responses. While it is still used              in most services, e-mail is often criticized for presenting barriers            to two important aspects of traditional face-to-face reference                  service: patrons often do not receive the same immediate response,              and librarians cannot as easily conduct the reference interview that            is so often necessary to accurately determine and meet users'                   needs (McGlamery and Coffman, 2000; O'Neill, 1999). Many libraries              have tried to recreate the immediacy found in face-to-face reference            interactions in a digital environment through the use of                        synchronous, real-time technologies. Real-time reference tools can              range in format from chat technologies and instant messaging                    software to more comprehensive Web contact center software (some                products incorporate more than one format). 
Chat technologies,                which enable users to communicate on the Internet with others in                real time, have been used to provide digital reference service as               far back as 1995, when the Internet Public Library experimented with            a type of text-based chat environment called a MOO (Multi-user                  Object Oriented) (Shaw, 1996). More recent efforts include the use              of commercially available Web-based products such as ConferenceRoom             from WebMaster (Antonelli and Tarlton, 2000) as well as custom-built            solutions, as in the case of Temple University Libraries'                       Interactive Reference Project (Stormont, 2001). 
Instant messaging             software products such as AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ allow                   librarians to communicate in real-time with patrons through a series            of messages sent back and forth. Instant messaging products enable              librarians to indicate their availability on a contact list, share              URLs and files with patrons, and record sessions (Yue, 2001). These             products are free but must be downloaded on both librarians' and                patrons' computers. Instant messaging products include chat                     features, offering the option to communicate synchronously in a                 shared environment. 
Web contact center software allows live                   interaction between librarians and patrons, routing mechanisms to               transfer queries between institutions, and collaborative                        browsing (enabling librarians to display specific Web pages on the              patron's computer screen) (McGlamery and Coffman, 2000). Some                   products are designed for use in library settings, including Virtual            Reference Software from LSSI (Coffman, 2001) and 24/7 Reference from            the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System (Metropolitan                       Cooperative Library System, 2001), while some commercial products,              such as LivePerson, may be adapted for use in library                           settings (Eichler and Halperin, 2000). 
While real-time reference              introduces many benefits to librarians and patrons, it also presents            several challenges. For instance, librarians must often juggle                  real-time patron requests with those of walk-in or phone patrons;               staff must be trained to use selected real-time tools; and ongoing              technical support must be available to maintain the                             system (Eichler & Halperin, 2000; Stormont, 2001). COLLABORATIVE              SERVICESMany libraries and organizations have recognized the                benefits of providing digital reference service through                         collaborative services. Existing library consortia are adding                   digital reference to current shared services, and networks of                   libraries and AskA services in different locations are banding                  together to share question loads and expertise. 
Some regional                 library consortia are offering member libraries the opportunity to              share reference questions with each other using the Internet and                other technologies. The Metropolitan Cooperative Library System,                based in the Los Angeles area, has established a real-time service              for its public and academic libraries using Web contact center                  software that can be customized for each individual                             library (McGlamery, 2001). Eight academic libraries in the Alliance             Library System in Illinois are currently piloting Ready for                     Reference, a collaborative 24x7 live reference service (Sloan,                  2001). 
Other collaborative efforts invite participation from                  institutions in various locations around and outside the United                 States that can offer expertise in specific areas. The Virtual                  Reference Desk (VRD) Network consists of almost twenty AskA                     services (specializing in science, math, education, art, general                reference, and other areas) that submit out-of-scope and overflow               questions via e-mail to VRD to be redistributed to other member                 services or answered by librarian volunteers (Bennett, 2001). The               Collaborative Digital Reference Service, operated by the Library of             Congress, is an international network of libraries, consortia,                  museums, and AskA services, that uses a help desk system to route               questions to appropriate institutions based on member                           profiles (Kresh, 2001; Kresh and Arret, 2000). 
Collaborative                  digital reference services provide many benefits, such as allowing              individual institutions to share expertise and resources, expanding             hours of service, and providing access to a larger collection of                knowledge resulting from digital reference service (e.g.,                       question-answer archives). However, sharing workload and resources              with other institutions can also present challenges, such as                    ensuring the quality and consistency of responses, reaching                     consensus in developing procedures and policies, and configuring                technology that can be best accessed and used by each participating             group. DEVELOPING STANDARDSWith the growth of digital                     reference services and collaborative networks, there is a clear need            for defined standards in order to ensure service quality and                    interoperable technology. A number of efforts have been developed to            identify standards in these areas. 
The Virtual Reference Desk                 Project identified a set of quality characteristics for AskA                    services in 1997, which were later revised as a working set of                  standards for organizations participating in the VRD Network. The               standards, offered at varying levels of membership to accommodate               different types of services, are based on eleven quality                        characteristics (Kasowitz, Bennett, and Lankes, 2000). Development              and assessment of measures and quality standards for digital                    reference services is the focus of a current research study                     sponsored in part by OCLC (Online Computer Library Center, Inc.) and            the Digital Library Federation (McClure and Lankes,                             2001). 
Standards development for digital reference technology                 includes specifications for expressing, sharing and storing data                captured in digital reference transactions (i.e., question-answer               exchanges). Two standards-setting efforts have begun to address                 these issues. Question Interchange Profile (QuIP) is a threaded data            format using metadata to maintain, track, and store digital                     reference services' questions and answers in a consistent manner.               QuIP also allows for the development of a shared knowledge base of              services' question and answer sets, and aids in balancing question              loads among services (Lankes, 1999; Lankes, 2001).                              KnowledgeBit (KBIT) is a common, standard data format for the                   management of reference transactions (Butler, 2001). 
More work                needs to be done before those providing and supporting digital                  reference services will formally adopt such standards. However, as              more libraries and organizations provide digital reference service              and face issues regarding technology, procedure, and partnerships,              these and other standards efforts will lead digital reference                   services into the future. 
<REFS>REFERENCES

Antonelli, M. and               Tarlton, M. (2000). The University of North Texas Libraries' online             reference help desk. In R. D. Lankes, J. W. Collins, III, and A. S.             Kasowitz (Eds.), "Digital reference service in the new                          millennium" (pp. 197-206). NY: Neal-Schuman. (ED 449 810) 
Bennett,            B. (2001). The Virtual Reference Desk Network. In A.S. Kasowitz and             J. Stahl (Eds.), "Facets of digital reference." [Online]. Available:            http://www.vrd.org/conferences/VRD2000/proceedings/bennett-net-intro            .shtml [September 25, 2001]. (IR 058 319) 
Butler, B. (2001).                  KnowledgeBit: A database format for reference, version 2.0. In A.S.             Kasowitz and J. Stahl (Eds.), "Facets of digital                                reference." [Online]. Available:                                                http://www.vrd.org/conferences/VRD2000/proceedings/butler5-01.shtml             [September 25, 2001]. (IR 058 319) 
Coffman, S. (2001). Web contact            center software: Tools for doing reference in an online environment.            In A.S. Kasowitz and J. Stahl (Eds.), "Facets of digital                        reference." [Online]. Available:                                                http://www.vrd.org/conferences/VRD2000/proceedings/coffman-intro.sht            ml [September 25, 2001]. (IR 058 319) 
Coffman, S. and McGlamery,              S. (2000). The librarian and Mr. Jeeves. "American Libraries,"                  31 (5), 66-69. (EJ 615 180) 
Eichler, L. and Halperin, M. (2000).              LivePerson: Keeping reference alive and clicking. "Econtent" 23 (3),            63-66. 
Janes, J. (2001). Current research in digital reference. In            A.S. Kasowitz and J. Stahl (Eds.), "Facets of digital                           reference." [Online]. Available:                                                http://vrd.org/conferences/VRD2000/proceedings/janes-intro.shtml                [September 25, 2001]. (IR 058 319) 
Janes, J., Carter, D. S., and              Memmott, P. (1999). Digital reference services in academic                      libraries. "Reference & User Services Quarterly," 39 (2),                       145-150. 
Kasowitz, A., Bennett, B., and Lankes, R. D. (2000).                 Quality standards for digital reference consortia. "Reference & User            Services Quarterly," 39 (4), 355-363. (EJ 620 105) 
Kresh,                     D. (2001). Collaborative digital reference service: Library quality             reference service meets the Web. In A.S. Kasowitz and J.                        Stahl (Eds.), "Facets of digital reference." [Online]. Available:               http://www.vrd.org/conferences/VRD2000/proceedings/kresh-intro.shtml            [September 25, 2001]. (IR 058 319) 
Kresh, D. and Arret, L. (2000).            Collaborative digital reference service: Update on LC initiative. In            R.D. Lankes, J.W. Collins, III , and A.S. Kasowitz (Eds.), "Digital             reference service in the new millennium" (pp. 61-67). NY:                       Neal-Schuman. (ED 449 810) 
Lankes, R.D. (2001). Question                      Interchange Profile (QuIP): Metadata for cooperative reference. In              A.S. Kasowitz and J. Stahl (Eds.), "Facets of digital                           reference." [Online]. Available: http://                                        www.vrd.org/conferences/VRD2000/proceedings/lankes-quip_files/v3_doc            ument.htm [September 25, 2001]. (IR 058 319) 
Lankes,                          R.D. (1999). "The Virtual Reference Desk: Question interchange                  Profile" (White Paper, Version 1.01D). [Online]. Available:                     http://WWW.VRD.ORG/Tech/QuIP/1.01/1.01d.htm [September 25,                      2001]. (ED 417 728) 
McClure, C.R., and Lankes,                                R.D. (2001). "Assessing quality in digital reference services: A                research prospectus." [Online]. Available:                                      http://quartz.syr.edu/quality/Overview.htm [September 25,                       2001]. 
McGlamery, S. (2001). Building a virtual reference network.            In A.S. Kasowitz and J. Stahl (Eds.), "Facets of digital                        reference." [Online]. available:                                                http://www.vrd.org/conferences/VRD2000/proceedings/mcglamery-intro.s            html [September 25, 2001]. (IR 058 319) 
McGlamery, S. and Coffman,            S. (2000). Moving reference to the Web. "Reference & User Services              Quarterly," 39 (4), 380-386. (EJ 620 108) 
Metropolitan Cooperative            Library System (2001). "24/7 Reference." available:                             http://www.247ref.org/ [September 25, 2001]. 
O'Neill, N. (1999).              E-mail reference service in the public library: A virtual                       necessity. "Public Libraries," 38 (5), 302-303. (EJ 599 807) 
Shaw,            E. (1996). "Real-time reference in a MOO: Promise and                           problems." [Online]. Available:                                                 http://www-personal.si.umich.edu/~ejshaw/research2.html [September              25, 2001]. 
Sloan, B. (2001). "Ready for reference: Academic                   libraries offer live Web-based reference." [Online]. Available:                 http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/~b-sloan/r4r.final.htm [September 25,                   2001]. 
Stormont, S. (2001). Interactive Reference Project -                   Assessment after two years. In A.S. Kasowitz and J.                             Stahl (Eds.), "Facets of digital reference Online]. Available:                  http://www.vrd.org/conferences/VRD2000/proceedings/stormont.shtml               [September 25, 2001]. (IR 058 319) 
Tenopir, C. (2001). Virtual                reference services in a real world. "Library Journal," 126 (11)                 38-40. 
Wasik, J.M. (1999). "Building and maintaining digital                  reference services. ERIC Digest." Syracuse, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse              on Information & Technology at Syracuse University. (ED 427                     794) 
Yue, J. (2001). The use of ICQ in providing real time                    reference services. In A.S. Kasowitz and J. Stahl (Eds.), "Facets of            digital reference." [Online]. Available:                                        http://www.vrd.org/conferences/VRD2000/proceedings/Yue11-20.shtml               [September 25, 2001]. (IR 058 319) ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Abby S.                   Kasowitz, MLS, is Coordinator of the Virtual Reference Desk (VRD)               Project, a project of the U.S. Department of Education, operated at             the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology. She is co-author            of the AskA Starter Kit: How to Build and Maintain Digital Reference            Services and co-editor of Digital Reference Service in the New                  Millennium and Facets of Digital Reference.  Kasowitz assists                   organizations in building digital reference services and organizes              the annual VRD conference, an international conference on                       Internet-based reference service for library and information                    professionals. -----ERIC Digests are in the public domain and             may be freely reproduced and disseminated. -----ERIC                      Clearinghouse on Information & Technology, Syracuse University, 621             Skytop Road, Suite 160, Syracuse, NY 13244-5290; 800-464-9107;                  315-443-3640; Fax: 315-443-5448; e-mail: [email protected]; URL:                  http://www.ericit.org. -----This publication is funded in part            with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under                  contract number ED-99-CO-0005. The content of this publication does             not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department            of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products,              or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government. Please               visit the Department of Education's Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/          **Title:** Trends and Issues in Digital Reference Services. ERIC Digest.                **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology, Syracuse University,            621 Skytop Rd., Suite 160, Syracuse, NY 13244-5290. Tel:                        315-443-3640; Tel: 800-464-9107 (Toll Free); Fax: 315-443-5448;                 e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://ericit.org.                        **Descriptors:**  Computer Mediated Communication,  Information Services, Internet,              Library Cooperation, Library Development, Library Networks,  Library            Services, Online Systems,  Reference Services, Standards,  Trend                Analysis, World Wide Web                                                     **Identifiers:** Digital Technology, ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and                       Technology, ERIC Digests                                                     
###
[Return to ERIC Digest Search Page]