reference question email forms

[N. TOMAIUOLO, INSTRUCTION LIBRARIAN, CCSU]

Dear Colleagues,
Thanks to all responders.  I spent the morning looking at a couple of dozen
reference question forms and their attached text (i.e., caveats, delimiters, 
etc.).  Here is the list I went through; the brief comments are editorial.
In general the forms stressed that the question should be for a fact--something
that could be looked up.  At least one form didn't promise an answer but
promised to keep the requester updated.  Approximately 3/4s of the forms
restricted questions to the library's primary clientele. 90% required an email
address as a criteria for answering the question.  Most commented that an answer 
would come within 24 hours if it wasn't a weekend -- but the answer might not be 
complete pending further clarification with the requester.  Finally, all were 
good looking, easy to read forms that simply wanted administrative/contact 
information and then had a box for the client to enter a message.

Also most forms asked for a "when do you need this information by" and 3/4 of 
them asked "what sources have you tried?"

Here is the list:

www.lib.utexas.edu/ask/eref.html
nvl.nist.gov/ask.htm (admonishment about staff questions only)
www.maricopa.gov/lawlibrary/refreq.html (this is the form that had radio
buttons so requester could identify if they were 'teachers' 'lawyers', etc.
it was also the form that mentioned "we will update you on our progress".
www.uwgb.edu/~library/refdept/askref.html
www.brown.edu/Facilities/University_Library/forms/Forms.html (pull down 
clientele)
www.library.ohiou.edu/forms/aldenref.html
www.babson.edu/library/refquery.html (a very detailed form)
www.lib.usm.edu/ref.html
www.dsu.edu/departments/library/index.html
www.ipl.org/ref/QUE/RefFormQRC.html (An eight part form, probably the longest)
www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/refq.htm
www.indiana.edu/~libweb/question.html
scils.rutgers.edu/~saraweis/eref.htm (posted the results of a trial -- good 
info)
www.lib.usf.edu
amerlia.db.erau.edu/Reference/email_requests.html
www.library.epl.etobicoke.on.ca
www.uis.edu:1967/~library/ask.html
www.mun.ca/libforms/asklib.html
cooroomba.client.uq.edu.au/mailref.html
lib.bsu.edu/refnet2.html (good for short questions only)

Looking at the pages has been very helpful.  I should add some information 
concerning a comment the Systems Librarian here made regarding the proposed form 
that we are possibly going to put up somehwere in our library pages.

He mentioned -- "What do you want the form to do?" That is, you are collecting 
information about requesters -- what do you want to do with the information.  
Basically as a reference person, I simply want to answer the question.  The 
other possibilities (these are only a couple the systems librarian mentioned): 
creating a database of electronic reference users; using statistics to measure 
our usage, etc.

Sincerely,
Nicholas G. Tomaiuolo, MLS
Bibliographic Instruction Librarian
Central Connecticut State University Library
Reference Department
New Britain, CT  06050

http://library.ccsu.ctstateu.edu/~bibman
email=  tomaiuolon at ccsu.ctstateu.edu
phone=  (860) 832-2068
fax=    (860) 832-3409