[13875] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Policy Issues in Digital Reference Service
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (WILMA REEDER)
Tue Apr 17 20:01:17 2001
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 12:49:39 -0400
From: WILMA REEDER <reeder@LYCOMING.EDU>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
Message-id: <sadc3c0b.094@mailsrv.lycoming.edu>
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Gilles,
I wasn't saying that I didn't think a chat session was a good idea, I
was saying that it might not always be the case. I work for a small
college library and we do not have the staff for twenty-four hour
digital reference service.
We have an email service called "Ask the Librarian" that doesn't happen
in real time. I'm not a reference librarian so I am not participating in
this service so I don't know how it is working out. It is in still in
its trial stage. As I stated I just know from past experience that the
student or patron is usually in a hurry for the information and Bernie
was asking about policies or issues and I think this is one. Wilma
Wilma
>>> gilles@EXPLORATORIUM.EDU 04/14/01 12:44PM >>>
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
