[WEB4LIB] RE: What's wrong with virtual reference?

[Tom Edelblute]

Thomas Dowling wrote:
> 
> At 09:41 AM 12/6/2002, Oberg, Steve wrote:
> >... 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....
> 
> That's a straw man argument.  I may be a little sheltered here, but I've
> never heard any responsible suggestion that virtual reference be considered
> as a relplacement for in-library, in-person, I'm-a-human-you're-a-human
> reference.  It replaces the interaction that has predominated online, which
> was typically no interaction at all (or askjeeves.com, et al.).  By that
> yardstick, it measures up pretty well.
> 
> Thomas Dowling
> OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
> tdowling at ohiolink.edu

In my mind, the real question is what population are you serving and
what are the most appropriate tools you need to do that job.  Every
community will have a different answer.
-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom Edelblute
Public Access Systems Coordinator
Anaheim Public Library   phone: (714) 765-1759
500 West Broadway        fax:   (714) 765-1730
Anaheim CA 92805         e-mail: thomas at anaheim.lib.ca.us