They are often older and may have been out of the academic environment for many years. If they have ever done library research, it was in a library very different from what they will encounter now. Many are new users of computer technology and are not comfortable with electronic resources. They are, however, more committed to their educational goals than many students who attend college straight out of high school. Off-campus students have essentially the same information needs as other students, plus some issues that are specific to remote access and delivery.
Questions usually come via the phone, fax, or email.
The phone is preferable, because with e-mail and fax, the opportunity for a full reference interview is lost. In order to serve off-campus students well, three general areas require special attention and some creative thinking. Other important issues, such as document delivery and collaboration with other libraries, of course should not be overlooked, but these three relate most directly to reference services. Many questions can be answered by students searching the catalog or indexes themselves, but many students are not computer savvy. Libraries need to make sure that students can actually use what they are offering.