MIDWINTER: REFERENCE SVC in a DIGITAL AGE

[digiref at loc.gov]

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You are invited to an exploratory meeting. . .

		REFERENCE SERVICE IN A DIGITAL AGE

		Open Discussion Session
		Sponsored by the Library of Congress
		ALA Midwinter
		Sunday January 11, 1998
		4:30pm - 6:30pm
		New Orleans Convention Center
		Room 57


The Library of Congress will host an open discussion session, on reference
service in a digital age, as part of an effort to plan an institute
on this topic later in 1998.  The session will be hosted by Diane Kresh,
Acting Director, Public Service Collections, LC, and moderated by Anne
Lipow, Director, Library Solutions Institute and Press.  Speakers will give
brief synopses of current innovations and experiments in reference to spark
discussion in selected areas.



Why This Meeting?

In recent years much has been written about and much implemented for
digital libraries, including digital collection development, cataloging,
and preservation.  Also, there is some literature about redefining
reference work and in some cases even eliminating it.  However, except for
some predictions that the human interface will become obsolete as
electronic finding aids using artificial intelligence improve, there
appears to be little focus on the role of the reference librarian as
mediator in the digital library and the larger digital environment. 

We start with the premise that far from becoming obsolete, reference
librarians providing service will be more needed than ever in the digital
environment.  But unless we intervene to ensure that future, it won't
happen.  Therefore, this exploratory meeting. 


Themes

Below are some questions, organized around five themes, that we believe
need fresh answers.  We want to hear your ideas about them; we want to hear
what other issues you are concerned about regarding reference service.
Please come ready to participate or to just listen.  



Staff Skills and Training

What new skills do we need and how do we get them?
How do new developments in technology, education (e.g., distance
learning), architecture, publishing, and so on affect the skills and
responsibilities of reference librarians?



Onsite and Remote Users

What sort of reference service should be available to the onsite and the
remote user?  Will reference librarians need to compete with Internet
answering services?  Will libraries continue to have a role in ensuring
the quality of reference service to researchers who may not be onsite in a
library building?  Should we be taking better advantage of interactive
communications technology such as chat and email to provide service? 




Mixing the Electronic and Paper Worlds 

How will we better integrate old and new resources in the reference
transaction?  How can we address the likelihood that users of handy
digital resources will ignore superior physical resources on library
shelves? 



Policies

What policies need to be implemented to ensure the ability of the
reference staff to provide quality service to all and priority service to
a library's primary clientele while also providing services to other
remote researchers? 



Models

Are there models of cooperative service that can apply to the library
environment?  Should libraries of different types, and librarians remote
from each other and with different skills, work together to ensure that
researchers can fulfill their needs in a digital age?  Can several
reference departments working together provide better service than each one
can provide separately?  Is there a special role for the national and the
state libraries in promoting cooperative services?



Please join us to express your ideas and concerns and to contribute toward
planning an institute later in the year.



For ideas and comments,  email: digiref at loc.gov