Going Live: Starting and Running a Virtual Reference Service

Citation

Bollinger, E.J. (2003), "Going Live: Starting and Running a Virtual Reference Service", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 477-478. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830310509781

Going Live: Starting and Running A Virtual Reference Service is a good step‐by‐step overview of setting up and managing a virtual reference service. It is ideal for smaller libraries and reference librarians just beginning to investigate the options of running a virtual reference service.

The author has 15 years of experience with the Los Angeles Public Library. He was the Director of Research Services at FYI, a fee‐based business reference service, and is currently a vice president at LSSI (Library Systems and Services, LLC). Michelle Fiander and Kay Henshall also work at LSSI with previous experience as reference librarians. Bernie Sloan is currently a doctoral student at the University of Illinois, and is the author of many articles and a bibliography on digital reference services.

The book starts with a brief history of reference and of virtual reference, touching on how many people are moving to the Web. The authors give some interesting ideas on how to use virtual reference, including suggestions of online bibliographic instruction and online library programming. They discuss a brief list of the pros and cons of implementing your own service, using a service or collaborating with others. They also touch on three key points to consider in designing your system: software, staff and cost.

Missing from this section are any anecdotal accounts of implementations. It would be helpful to hear from people who have implemented systems to hear what their original expectations were of time and cost, and how they compared to reality. A list of some of the different software packages, including their pros and cons, would have been a great addition, although the author does speak generally about different types of software and ballpark costs. A discussion of the different commercial services with contact information would have enriched this section as well. The author does have a good section on judging and calculating call volume, including a long discussion and a helpful formula.

The authors then discuss management of virtual reference. They provide detail on hiring staff, including characteristics to look for in a virtual reference librarian. For those who have chosen to hire a commercial reference service, the authors include sample evaluation forms along with a discussion on how to assess the service. What would have enhanced this section even more are a few sample transcripts of some successful virtual reference interactions.

A section including tips on how to make the transition with existing staff is missing here. The characteristics the author identifies in hiring new librarians to staff the virtual reference desk are applicable to librarians already working for the library, however, they ignore the possible cultural issues that can arise in implementing a new system. The questions of convincing library management to hire new staff or convincing existing staff that virtual reference is something they should attempt are not addressed.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of virtual reference is marketing. It was reassuring to see that the authors provided a specific section with suggestions on advertising to users online in the building, as well as marketing to those outside the library. I particularly liked their discussion of proactive chat as an option. There are some concerns and pitfalls with proactive chat, such as watching a user’s movements while they navigate the site and contacting them when it appears they are having difficulty. However, it is akin to watching a patron browsing near the desk and being able to ask if they need help. This was an excellent section with a good discussion of suggestions on how to market the service.

The book provides a brief review of where virtual reference is now and the state of the competition. It takes a brief look at the future and how virtual reference could transform the way reference is done.

More than one third of the book is dedicated to the appendices and bibliography. Appendix A is an extensive Software Feature Checklist that appears to be extremely useful to evaluate a reference software purchase. Appendix B is a Sample Pre‐Employment Screening Test and Key to assist in hiring virtual reference librarians. I wonder about the value of this appendix, simply because most of us have experience in hiring librarians. I would much rather have seen an appendix relating to the contracting with a reference service. Finally, there is an abridged version of Bernie Sloan’s Virtual Reference Services Bibliography, which Bernie maintains online[1].

Overall, this book is a good overview of virtual reference, but is missing a few pieces, including anecdotal discussions of virtual reference implementations, a list of the different software packages and their features, and a list of the different services available. Even without those pieces, this book is a good resource for a reference librarian in the planning stages of virtual reference because of the questions it raises, as well as the wealth of information offered in the appendices.

Note

1. 1.

   1 www.lis.uiuc.edu/∼b‐sloan/digiref.html