[13874] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Policy Issues in Digital Reference Service
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Gilles Poitras)
Mon Apr 16 20:12:16 2001
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 09:44:07 -0700
From: Gilles Poitras <gilles@EXPLORATORIUM.EDU>
In-reply-to: <sad6be45.053@mailsrv.lycoming.edu>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
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At 8:51am -0400 4/13/01, WILMA REEDER wrote:
>Millard Johnson's suggestion that there be a chat session
>is not always feasible. My experience in libraries has taught
>me that usually the patron or student wants the answer NOW.
But a chat session is real time rather than an email reply which, being
asynchronis, may be mailed to the patron hours later and read by them even
later.
And the email reply may be the librarian asking for clarification needed to
begin the process of locating resources for the patron.
A two or three minute chat exchange will in most cases be enough to define
the patron's question.
Gilles Poitras gilles@exploratorium.edu
Learning Studio, Exploratorium Museum
