Reference Services for Internet and other electronically distributed materials.
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In the digital world, the patron often never enters the physical doors
of the library. The librarian frequently has no opportunity to conduct
a reference interview. We have little influence over the types of data
downloaded by the off-site users, and the appropriateness of the data for
that specific information need. For example, at Pennsylvania State University
(PSU) we often receive calls from users who do not understand that decompressing
a digital elevation model will not yield a "picture." In this
electronic environment, users most often request help via e-mail or telephone.
Requests for help with data or downloads often involve complex technical
questions. The regular Social Sciences reference staff are often not be
able to handle technical questions from data users, so it is important
to emphasize that referrals are both welcome and necessary. Referring a
patron’s question to the technical staff is not in anyway failing, instead
the patron gets an answer from the staff person best able to field the
question.
E-mail reference is much more difficult than telephone, or face-to-face
service. The patron often phrases the question in an obtuse way. At PSU
we often receive messages such as: "it didn’t work" or "I
tried to download and nothing happened." Most users do not understand
that we run several web sites and three different download services, so
these messages are not only incomplete, but do not help us determine which
service was the problem. We respond requesting additional information,
and make an effort to meet the information request. Librarians know from
experience that a good reference interview will help the patron focus on
their information need. The result is often something quite different than
the original request. Likewise, a large number of the e-mail messages we
receive, especially after we have corresponded over a technical question,
are requests for additional data, or the location of more data.
In the past our primary user group was our campus or community. As the
digital environment grows, one wonders how librarians will manage to meet
the information needs of a very much enlarged user group. In a paper environment,
librarians create user guides to try to minimize the number of frequently
asked questions. In an electronic environment we can supply on-line help
and documentation with the data. Just as with the paper guides, users sometimes
read the help, and often do not. A clear and clean web interface will help
the patrons focus on important information that we, the data providers,
want to emphasize. At PSU we are in the process of developing a request
for help form. When the user sends e-mail to our web address s/he will
automatically be presented with a form that prompts all the necessary information
for a proper assistance.
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Suggested Citation |
Lamont, Melissa, "Digital Map Librarianship:
Library Functions; Reference, Considerations in the electronic environment."
Digital Map Librarianship: a working syllabus, 63rd IFLA Conference,
Copenhagen, Denmark. (4, Sept. 1997) <http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/ifla/lb_rf_ee.htm>
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