Virtual Reference Services: Issues and Trends

Citation

Johnson, S.L. (2005), "Virtual Reference Services: Issues and Trends", Library Review, Vol. 54 No. 7, pp. 438-439. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530510611965

Virtual reference service is a hot topic in LIS these days, judging by the large number of books and recent articles on the subject. The present volume is a collection of articles previously published as Vol. 8 No. 1/2 (2003) of Internet Reference Services Quarterly. Like all such collections, it contains a mixture of theory and practicality, and the articles themselves vary in their usefulness to current practitioners.

The editors begin with a helpful introduction, pointing out not only contributors and their chosen topics but also emerging themes, such as the many names given to virtual reference, common administrative issues, collaborative efforts, and ways to analyze the resulting data. To their credit, the diversity of the thirteen articles is impressive, with little duplication of material between them. Of particular note is the first article, Anne Grodzins Lipow’s rousing endorsement of virtual reference, which also raises some good points about embracing change and looking towards new models of library service.

Among the rest, several other articles stand out. For example, John Wanserski contributes an article on creating a new software package to support the virtual reference needs of the University of Wisconsin‐Madison’s Wendt Library. Karen Ciccone and Amy VanScoy of North Carolina State University Libraries discuss ways to manage an established and active service, such as dealing with problem patrons and juggling multiple virtual reference sessions. Finally, Jodi Condit Fagan and Christina Desai of Morris Library, Southern Illinois University‐Carbondale, present their analysis of the success of a local web search engine versus live reference interaction. These articles raise issues not often discussed in the literature and are well worth reading. Other articles cover topics such as statewide collaboration projects, staffing needs, managing data collection, the necessity of an online reference interview, and descriptions of “how we did it good” at a health science library, a corporate library, and others.

Like Implementing Digital Reference Services, edited by R. David Lankes et al. (reviewed v. 17 no. 4 of Library Review, p. 240) this is not a handbook or manual, but rather a volume to be read for new and interesting perspectives on virtual reference. Librarians interested in the subject will likely learn something new here.