Providing Chat Reference Service: A Survey of Current Practices

Matt Marsteller and Paul Neuhaus, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries

This survey examines the provision of chat services in your institution. It attempts to gather a variety of data that can serve as a baseline for further studies. If you are not the individual leading your institution's chat reference effort, please forward this survey to the appropriate person. We hope you will take the time to complete the survey and continue to assist us in gathering feedback about chat service!

Chat service refers to online, interactive, remote transactions with patrons. Chat operator means the library staff who answers the patron queries during chat services.

1. Which category best describes your institution?

   University Library
   College Library
   Community College Library
   Public Library
   Other (please specify):
   

2. What is the estimated user population that your institution serves?

3. What chat service/vendor does your institution use?

   AOL Instant Messenger
   EGain
   Human Click
   LivePerson
   LSSI
   Other (please specify):
   

4. Does your institution offer chat services as a member of a consortium?

   Yes No
   If "Yes", can you tell us the name of the consortium?
   

5. Excluding any training provided by the chat service/vendor, how many hours did your institution devote to training each chat operator on average?

   None
   1-2 hours
   3-4 hours
   More than 4 hours
   

6. How many chat operators does your institution have?

   Under 5
   5-10
   10-15
   15-20
   Over 20
   

7. What is your institution's yearly expense for the chat service? (e.g., vendor charges, office space, publicity, etc., excluding salaries)

   Under $2,500
   $2,500-$5,000
   $5,000-$7,500
   $7,500-$10,000
   Over $10,000
   Don't Know
   

8. What is your institution's yearly expense for chat operators' salaries?

   Under $10,000
   $10,000-$20,000
   $20,000-$30,000
   $30,000-$40,000
   $40,000-$50,000
   Over $50,000
   Don't Know
   

9. Does your institution expect to change services/vendors in the next year?

   Yes No

   If "Yes", please indicate the rationale (Check all that apply)
   

   Service with more options
   Less expensive service
   Technical problems with current service
   Simpler interface to operate
   Other (please specify):
   

10. How long has your institution offered chat services?

    1-4 months
    4-8 months
    8-12 months
    Over one year
    

11. When is the chat service provided? Please indicate the days per week and the specific hours per day (e.g. 1:00-5:00 p.m.)

    Sunday       Yes No    Hours:
    Monday      Yes No    Hours:
    Tuesday      Yes No    Hours:
    Wednesday Yes No    Hours:
    Thursday     Yes No    Hours:
    Friday         Yes No    Hours:
    Saturday     Yes No    Hours:
    

12. Does your institution expect these hours to change in the next year?

    No change
    Increase
    Decrease
    

13. How can patrons access the chat service link? (check all that apply)

    Library's home page
    Library's Web Site: Reference Services Page
    All pages of the Library's Web Site
    Other (please specify):     

14. Chat service is available to? (check all that apply)

    Users of the Web Site
    Affiliates of the institution
    Citizens and affiliates of your service area
    Other (please specify):     
    

15. Does your institution have written policies regarding chat services? (e.g., hours, description of patron base, etc.)

    Yes No
    

16. How many employees work in your library system? (Full-Time Effective or FTE, excluding students)

    Under 25
    25-50
    50-100
    100-200
    Over 200

17. What is the average number of chat queries your library system receives each month?

    Under 25
    25-50
    50-100
    100-200
    Over 200
    

18. Please describe the status of the chat operator(s). (Check all that apply)

    Reference Librarian
    Other Librarian
    Paraprofessional
    Student
    Other (please specify):  
    

19. How many persons staff the chat service simultaneously?

    One
    Two
    Three
    Four
    Five or more
    

20. For each chat operator, the number of hours devoted to reference services per week:

    Stayed the same
    Increased by 1-2 hours
    Increased by 2-4 hours
    Increased over 4 hours
    

21. Did your institution hire additional personnel to staff the chat service?

    Yes No

    If "Yes", how many?   
    

22. How often are chat sessions affected by technical problems?

    Never
    1-2 times/month
    1-2 times/week
    Daily
    

23. In the following questions, please compare chat services to in-person, telephone, and email reference interactions according to whether it is:  Much Better; Better; Same; Worse; Much Worse
    

    A. The chat operator's ability to guide the reference interaction:

    Chat compared to In-person:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse
    

    Chat compared to Telephone:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse
    

    Chat compared to Email:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse

    B. The chat operator's ability to answer the question fully with available, on-hand resources:
    

    Chat compared to In-person:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse
    

    Chat compared to Telephone:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse
    

    Chat compared to Email:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse

    C. The chat operator's ability to answer the question fully in the time allowed:
    

    Chat compared to In-person:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse
    

    Chat compared to Telephone:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse
    

    Chat compared to Email:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse

    D. The chat operator's ability to provide reference in real time:
    

    Chat compared to In-person:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse
    

    Chat compared to Telephone:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse
    

    Chat compared to Email:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse

    E. Overall quality of chat services as a tool for providing reference:
    

    Chat compared to In-person:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse
    

    Chat compared to Telephone:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse
    

    Chat compared to Email:      Choose Much Better Better Same Worse Much Worse

24. Who uses your chat service?
    

    A. Faculty:      Choose None Less than 25% 25-50% 50-75% More than 75% Don't Know
    

    B. Graduate Students:      Choose None Less than 25% 25-50% 50-75% More than 75% Don't Know
    

    C. Undergraduate Students:      Choose None Less than 25% 25-50% 50-75% More than 75% Don't Know
    

    D. K-12 Students:      Choose None Less than 25% 25-50% 50-75% More than 75% Don't Know
    

    E. General Public:      Choose None Less than 25% 25-50% 50-75% More than 75% Don't Know
    

    F. Other:      Choose None Less than 25% 25-50% 50-75% More than 75% Don't Know
    

    If other, please specify:  
    

25. How valuable is the chat service for providing reference services?
    

    Choose Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor
    

26. Is the chat service worth the money that your institution is spending?
    

    Choose Definitely Probably Maybe Probably Not Definitely Not
    

27. May we contact you if we have further questions?

    Yes No

    If "Yes",
    Name:  
    Phone:  
    Email:  
    

28. Do you have any additional comments you would like to provide?