why is the sky blue? implementing a collaborative virtual reference desk project kitty mackey...
TRANSCRIPT
Why is the sky blue?Implementing a collaborative virtual
reference desk project
Kitty Mackey
Roxanne Dimyan
Cannell Library, Clark College
Linda Frederiksen
Nicole Campbell
WSU Vancouver Library
Outline
Introduction & Grant Information Technical Information Assignments Lessons Learned Conclusions / Q & A
Seattle Public Library
Jefferson County Library
Ellensburg Public LibraryTimberland Regional Library
King County Law LibraryCity University
University of Washington
Washington State Library
Virtual Reference in Washington
Sno-Isle Regional Library
Pend Oreille County Library
Stevens County Library
Spokane Falls CCSpokane CC
Washington State University
Whitman County Library
Skagit Valley College
Grays Harbor College
WSU-VancouverClark College
Information provided by the Statewide Virtual Reference Project, Washington State Library
WSU Vancouver – Clark College Project
Why we did it– Geographic proximity– 2+2 model
Grant proposal Grant period Grant requirements
Ask A Librarian
Formalizing collaboration– Interagency agreements– Budgets and accounting
24/7 software
Where we are now
Status of Washington State Library and LSTA funds in the state
Current number of transactions Where we hope to be by the end of the grant How will we evaluate virtual reference service
Policies
Determining user population– Students, staff & faculty– Community
Hours & Scheduling Authentication Communication Confidentiality
Troubleshooting
Technical:– Dropped patrons– Clearing cache
Staff:– Are you monitoring?– Test and preview pages
Assignments: WHY?
Nothing was happening “online”
Needed to practice
Wanted a “control” group for feedback
The Process
Met with faculty, designed assignment
Met with classes, described assignment
Emailed details to Virtual Reference list
Students turned in transcripts to instructor
Met classes, students completed evaluations
How We Picked Courses
Instructor interest
Assignment met course outcomes
Different skill levels
Web experience
Library experience
HDev116: College Success
One specific question: Please tell me where to find information on … (fill in career of their choice).
One specific answer: Librarians “escorted” students to specific source (CIS and WOIS).
Created scripts for repetitive instructions.
CSA185: Intro to Using the Internet
Seven questions, they choose one. (7th was “your choice”)
Several answers, but specific sources -- periodicals databases.
Student reactions led to evaluations.
Evaluation Questions
1. What type of connection? (gave us a clue…)
2. What kind of service did you expect to receive?
3. How did your experience compare with your expectations?
4. Additional comments
Students’ Expectations
Sorted into three “types”
Instructional: “Someone who could help me find my way around”
Q&A: “A question answer service”
“Drive-Thru”: “Reliable, fast service!”
Evaluation Tallies
Experience?
Positive: 30
Negative: 10
Neutral: 4
Expectations?
Instruct: 10
Q&A: 13
Drive-thru: 9
Neutral: 12
Comments?
Positive: 17
Negative: 9
Neutral: 3
Student Responses - Negative
Connection: ? AOL
Expectation: “I wasn’t sure.”
Experience: “It sucked because it messed up. (twice)”
Comments: “Too slow!”
Student Responses - Negative
Connection: Cable
Expectation: “Reliable, fast information”
Experience: “Below my expectations.”
Comments: “Because there were several technical problems during my session, the librarian couldn’t guide me to the web page [she/he] found. And the transcripts … were incomplete. Only showed my question.”
Student Responses - Positive
Connection: Cable
Expectation: “Reliable, fast service”
Experience: “It was better than I thought. I mean, it had some problems, like glitches here and there, but I got my information.”
Comments: “Still need to work on the program, figure out the problems, but otherwise good program.”
Student Responses - Positive
Connection: DSLExpectation: “I had no expectations. I thought it
would just be busy work, but it was more helpful.”
Experience: “Librarian was patient and more than helpful – especially since I had never been in a chat room. I got email of sites visited, which was helpful.”
Comments: (Couldn’t get on 2nd time, called reference desk at Clark.)
Student Responses - Positive
Connection: DSL
Expectation: “…basically good service, sending me directly where I wanted to go.”
Experience: “…librarian not familiar with assignment, but tried…followed up next day w/o being asked, sent me more info. I was very impressed with his service…”
Comments: “More hours of operation”
Student Responses - Positive
Connection: ModemExpectation: “… exactly the type of service I
received. Ask a question and get an answer that is both helpful and interesting.”
Experience: “… excellent service and the person that I spoke to was very informative, and to boot was very courteous. Don’t find that too much with automated information systems.”
Comments: “… should be made a permanent feature.”
Student Responses - Positive
Connection: HP thru AOL
Expectation: “Pretty general service.”
Experience: “It was great. They asked good questions and led me to very specific websites for information.”
Comments: “They responded quickly & when they were busy, asked if I wanted to wait.”
Student Responses - Positive
Connection: DSLExpectation: “I was kind of unsure about what to
expect. I figured it was some kind of search engine but was surprised it was an actual librarian.”
Experience: “BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER! KABOOM!!! ”
Comments: THANKS
Assignments - Conclusions
Keep assignments simple.
Build scripts to match assignments.
Do pre-and post evaluations.
Students should get credit for assignments.
Lessons Learned
Statistics Marketing Staffing Service hours Policies and procedures The virtual reference librarian Online help guides User populations