title: The necessity of real-time-fact and fiction in digital reference systems
abstract: Current discussions and trends in digital reference have emphasized the use of real-time digital reference services. Recent articles have questioned both the utility and use of asynchronous services such as e-mail. This article uses data from the AskERIC digital reference service to demonstrate that asynchronous services are not only useful and used, but may have greater utility than real-time systems
keyphrases: real-time digital reference services asynchronous services e-mail AskERIC personalized Internet-based service digital library