Creating The Virtual Reference Desk: The Decision To Take Reference Live And Online

As information users find the Internet meets more and more of their needs, libraries are rushing to meet users on the Web with digital collections And services. Live, in-person reference service in bricks-and-mortar libraries first went digital with the addition of e-mail reference. Today many librarians see interactive, virtual reference as the next generation of reference service. Although virtual reference using chat room and other interactive capabilities is still in experimental mode, what looked like a fad a year or two ago has become a serious movement in academic and public libraries. This Briefing will look at the current state of virtual reference initiatives, exploring issues of user acceptance, new service models, technology hurdles, and vendor solutions.