[13977] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: The Future of Digital Reference Services?? (Revisited)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jennifer Heise)
Mon Jun 4 20:10:14 2001
Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2001 13:35:32 -0400
From: Jennifer Heise <jahb@LEHIGH.EDU>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
Message-id: <3B1BC6E4.54E18B93@lehigh.edu>
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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 services here at Dakota County, and already this looks like outdated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
It's not so much that email reference is outdated, as that it's no
longer cutting edge-- and that the rates of use, initially fairly high
before the prevalence of fact-finding sites on the web, are dropping.
Our email service started in the mid to late 1980's, and now, even with
a unified helpdesk (libraries and computing) we average only about 40-50
questions a month.
--
/ Jennifer Heise, Helpdesk/Librarian, Lehigh Univ. Information
Resources
\ \ Fairchild-Martindale Library, 8A Packer Ave, Bethlehem PA 18015
/ Phone (610) 758-3072 Email: jahb@lehigh.edu
"Comment is free, but facts are on expenses." -- Tom Stoppard
