[WEB4LIB] What's wrong with virtual reference?

[Oberg, Steve]

Bernie,

I wholeheartedly concur with the authors' viewpoint.  At first I thought that it would be an article that simply bashed virtual reference as the latest librarian fad -- which to some extent, virtual reference is.  But as I read the article, it was clear that the authors were not arguing against virtual reference as a whole but rather against the idea that virtual reference can/should replace traditional in-person reference interaction.  They argue for moderation.  I think that is a very instructive point and it is a good one for us to remember.

I work with QuestionPoint at Taylor and pushed for us to get involved in that collaborative effort as a way to "get our feet wet" in this area.  Overall I think it has been a worthwhile experience and I'm glad we're doing it.  However, virtual reference can never fully replace in-person reference, nor should it, in my view.  It is one of many tools at our disposal to help provide good service to our users.  One example that wasn't mentioned in this op-ed piece was provision of reference service to distance education students.  While not ideal, virtual reference is better than nothing for these students!  We at Taylor have a College of Adult and Lifelong Learning that enrolls approximately 900 part-time students and provision of a virtual reference service has been of value to them.  It was one of the main reasons we wanted to get our feet wet in the first place.  And what about the increasing number of on-campus users who do not regularly come in to the library yet heavily rely on library resources via the Internet?  Virtual reference is worth trying if only to try to reach that population.

One additional point that might be worth mentioning:  The authors refer to the U of I study and the finding in that study that virtual reference transactions were averaging about 10 minutes, longer than what it would take in-person.  It's important to remember that that article, if I remember correctly, was written based on a trial period experience.  Librarians using the new service were in a learning process, still getting used to the new service and technology, so perhaps it is a little unfair to generalize on the statement that virtual reference transactions take longer than in-person reference transactions.

Steve

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steve Oberg -- Electronic Resources Librarian
Taylor University -- Zondervan Library
http://www.tayloru.edu/library/


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sloan, Bernie [mailto:bernies at uillinois.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2002 5:57 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: [WEB4LIB] What's wrong with virtual reference?
> 
> 
> There's been a discussion on the DIG_REF list today about the 
> following
> Op-Ed piece:
> 
> McKinzie, Steve. Virtual reference: overrated, inflated, and not real.
> Charleston Advisor, 4(2). October 2002.
> http://www.charlestonco.com/features.cfm?id=112&type=ed  
> 
> I know that there are a number of Web4Lib folks who are 
> interested in this
> topic, but who are not on the DIG_REF list. I'm curious to 
> hear what you all
> think of this article.
> 
> Bernie Sloan
> Senior Library Information Systems Consultant, ILCSO
> University of Illinois Office for Planning and Budgeting
> 616 E. Green Street, Suite 213
> Champaign, IL  61820
> 
> Phone: (217) 333-4895
> Fax:   (217) 265-0454
> E-mail: bernies at uillinois.edu
> 
> 
>