[13970] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: The Future of Digital Reference Services?? (Revisited)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (LaVonne Stein)
Fri Jun 1 20:10:59 2001
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 12:17:01 -0500
From: LaVonne Stein <lstein@DAKOTA.LIB.MN.US>
In-reply-to: <8DD31AE07607D511B1E70002B31FCB04232703@eagle.pb.uiuc.edu>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: lstein@DAKOTA.LIB.MN.US
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We are just beginning to consider providing e-mail/web based reference
services here at Dakota County, and already this looks like outdated
technology according to your query. How can these things pass us by so
quickly? It does seem that college libraries would be more likely to be on
the "digital edge" than public library systems, so perhaps we are right
where we should be. lrs
-----Original Message-----
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum
[mailto:PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU]On Behalf Of Sloan, Bernie
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2001 4:18 PM
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Subject: The Future of Digital Reference Services?? (Revisited)
It looks like there will be a number of sessions at ALA in San Francisco
that deal with digital reference services. As people prepare for these
sessions, it might be a good time to reflect on the future of such services.
A couple of weeks ago I posted a note asking about the future of digital
reference services. I didn't get a whole lot of responses, and someone
suggested that might be because my note may have been too cluttered with
info on the history of digital reference. So, I am sending another note
that's pared down to the basic questions I had, plus one or two additional
questions.
What might be waiting on the horizon to steal the thunder away from
chat-based services? What's the next technology that will impact digital
reference services? Will videoconferencing make a comeback as cameras become
more commonplace and bandwidth is increased? Will voice-over-IP applications
lessen the need for typed chat sessions in Web call center software as
microphones become more common as computer peripherals?
Will digital reference services become more automated? For example, the OPAL
Project at the UK's Open University will attempt, in part, to use
agent-based architecture to create a generic "artificial librarian", capable
of answering complex questions about library resources. (See
http://oulib1.open.ac.uk/wh/research/opal/intro.html).
Will we see more "hybrid" services (e.g., chat to conduct a quick reference
interview, and e-mail to deliver the answers)?
How will collaborative services (e.g., LC's CDRS or the Alliance Library
System's "Ready for Reference" project) impact local digital reference
services?
Will e-mail continue to be the default medium for digital reference services
as we experiment with other technologies?
I'm sure others can think of additional questions!
Bernie Sloan
Senior Library Information Systems Consultant
University of Illinois Office for Planning and Budgeting
338 Henry Administration Building
506 S. Wright Street
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 333-4895
Fax: (217) 265-0454
E-mail: bernies@uillinois.edu
