[12696] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Why Don't People Use e-mail Reference?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Thu Jan 28 20:02:09 1999
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 14:04:59 -0500
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
2 Messages; 46 Lines
*-----
From: Christy Harrington <CHarring@mail.cspp.edu>
Subject: Why don't people use e-mail reference? -Reply
I would think it's because when people have a reference question they
want the answer right away or, at least, quickly. If people send and
email question they have no idea when they will get an answer.
Thank you,
Christy Harrington
Reference/Systems Librarian
Kauffman Library
California School of Professional Psychology
5130 East Clinton Way
Fresno, CA 93727
559/253-2265 x2310
fax:559/253-2223
charring@mail.cspp.edu
*-----
From: Robert Cunnew <robert@cunnew.demon.co.uk>
In article <E5D27D04B963D211A82600A024DF2EC50709DB@oscar.pb.uiuc.edu>,
Sloan, Bernie <bernies@uillinois.edu> writes
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
>So, once again giving the caveat that this is a small, self-selected
>sample, my question is: Why don't people use e-mail reference
>more frequently? With millions of people surfing the Web, and
>millions of people with e-mail accounts, and internet commerce
>logging billions of dollars in sales, etc., why does e-mail reference
>seem to account for less than one-half of one percent of total
>reference questions?
>
I think the only meaningful comparison is e-mail enquiries as a
proportion of total *written* enquiries. By and large people who now e-
mail would in the past have posted a letter or faxed - if they'd managed
to find out about us. And I'm finding that of our written enquiries
(admittedly a small proportion of the whole) a majority are now by e-
mail. The rest are fax, with the occasional letter. One reason is the
ample provision of mailto links on our Web site.
--
Robert Cunnew
Librarian, Chartered Insurance Institute, London
