Emerald Login
   

Welcome guest

Article Request:
Collaborative reference work in the blogosphere

Article Information:

Title:

Collaborative reference work in the blogosphere

Author(s):

Jeffrey Pomerantz, Frederic Stutzman

Journal:

Reference Services Review

Year:

2006

Volume:

34

Issue:

2

Page:

200 - 212


ISSN:

0090-7324


DOI:

10.1108/00907320610669443

Publisher:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Document Access:

Existing customers:

Please login above.

Purchase this document:
Price payable: GBP £13.00
plus handling charge of GBP £1.50 and VAT where applicable.
Purchase

Request this document:
Print or e-mail a document request to your librarian.
Request

Reprints & permissions:
Image: Rightslink Request

Abstract:

Purpose – This paper explores the use of blogs as a platform for providing reference service, and discusses Lyceum, an open source software project from ibiblio.org, for this purpose.

Design/methodology/approach – The following topics are explored: the evolution of libraries' uses of blogs, the advantages of conducting the reference transaction as a collaborative effort, and the use of blogs as an environment that fosters collaboration. The argument is made that blogs may be used to good effect in reference services

Findings – It is argued that blogs may be used to good effect in reference services. Lyceum, an open source blogosphere application, is discussed as an environment for blog-based reference service.

Originality/value – To date, blogs are not being used by a library reference services, and by few online reference service unaffiliated with libraries. This paper will be useful to libraries and other reference services interested in conducting the reference transaction as a community effort.

Keywords:

Communication technologies, Internet, Reference services


Article Type:

Research paper


Article URL:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/00907320610669443

Top