Notes

Outline

Wild Wonderful Virtual Reference West Virginia Library Association Annual Conference December 4, 2003 Paul Neuhaus Matt Marsteller

State of the State Academic Libraries

State of the State Public Libraries

The Opportunities Are there times when real-time virtual reference is the optimal solution?

Arguments Against Real-Time Virtual Reference Lankes and Shostack, 2002 Make a good case for e-mail reference No reason given for not providing real-time virtual reference McKinzie and Lauer, 2002 Overrated and fraught with administrative difficulties Specifically they felt that librarians couldn’t “model habits of information trolling and gathering” But, page pushing used more than 60% of the time by some real-time virtual reference services

Arguments For Real-Time Virtual Reference (1) Having the librarian available to the patron at their time of need “The digital library is a lonely place.” - Roy Tennant, 1999 “Having multiple options for communication means being able to help patrons more appropriately.” - Carol Tenopir, 2001

Arguments For Real-Time Virtual Reference (2) Libraries are assembling vast digital collections for their patrons’ use Are we to ignore the users of these collections, or should we insure that we are there to help them effectively utilize these expensive resources?

The Public Library Setting (1) Remaining competitive Google has already won the ready reference battle … this cannot be our main emphasis (Joe Janes, VRD 2003) Janes feels that our strengths lie with conducting reference interviews and handling more difficult questions Samuel Swett Green Awards are proof that this can happen and IS happening (Marie Radford, VRD 2003)

The Public Library Setting (2) Marketing Still enjoys the status of being cool Break down non-users misperceptions Geographical barriers Children in rural areas People with limited transportation Busy streets or dangerous travel for children

The Public Library Setting (3) Inadequate physical facilities Patron provides the ambiance Renovations After hours services Kiosk technology

The Public Library Setting (4) Information and referral Citizen information and participation services “MUSIC” (Multi-User Sessions in Community)  Software created by Alan Shaw at the MIT Media Lab http://xenia.media.mit.edu/~acs/ Senior citizens services Service for the disabled

The Academic Library Setting (1) Needs of travelers Distance learning Support to remote research facilities Role of the regional resource Limited service to alumni

The Academic Library Setting (2) Service to emeritus faculty Bibliographic instruction Service to branch campuses Collaboration

The Special Library Setting Support for branch offices Currently limited by licensing issues If licensing issues were solved, it could mean a better bottom line for both companies and publishers Librarianistic teleswarms Needs of the business traveler

The School Library Setting Needs of teachers and administrators The traveling librarian M.R. Marsteller and J. Schmitt-Marsteller, “Opportunities for Real-Time Digital Reference Service,” The Reference Librarian (forthcoming).

Administrative Issues Role of the library director Individual library vs consortial arrangement Staffing scenarios Other administrative issues Choosing software Assessment

Local/Regional vs. State/Nat’l/Int’l Consortium Local/Regional Easier coordination Easier to train staff OK to send full-text Familiar with patrons Patron access to core collections State/Nat’l/Int’l Extended coverage More resources More experts More money Larger patron base Larry Shankman, PALCI 2002

Staffing Scenarios Regular librarians at reference desk Regular librarians off-desk in library Part-time librarians in library small staff dedicated to virtual reference Part- or full-time librarians off-site remote service from home or elsewhere Partners, consortia, or volunteers

Other Administrative Issues Support and funding Commitment to quality Training Marketing

Criteria for Evaluating Software Cost Software on library or company server Secure transmission Live chat Page pushing Co-Browsing Pass to another op Off-Hours handling Exit survey Track users within site Statistics Searchable Knowledgebase Scott Milewski and OCLC Institute

Non-Chat Software E-Mail Web forms Instant Messenger AOL Microsoft Yahoo Trillian

Chat Software with Basic Features Groopz InstantHelp Live Assistant Live Help

Chat Software with Advanced Features Library specific Web contact center solutions 24/7 Reference Docutek VRL plus eLibrarian LivePerson Tutor.com (formerly LSSI) QuestionPoint

Digital Measures (1) McClure/Lankes et. al. - Assessing Quality in Digital Reference Number of digital reference questions received Number of digital reference answers Number of questions received digitally but not answered or responded to by completely digital means Digital reference correct answer fill rate

Digital Measures (2) Number of referrals Reasons for use or non-use Cost of digital reference service

Other Elements of Assessment What are the optimum hours to offer the service? Is the software the library uses the best alternative? Are there ways to promote the service to increase use?

Reference Statistics at Carnegie Mellon

Did You Receive the Information You Needed?

Status of User

Subject Categories of Questions

What is “Other”

Nature of Librarian Responses

Chat Compared to In-Person, Telephone, and Email Reference

USA Patriot Act (1) Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) Regulates government access to stored communications or transactional records in criminal investigations Under certain conditions, permits warrants to seize any “tangible thing” held by any entity Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Probable cause “that a person is a foreign agent or member of a terrorist group” Section 215 relates to business records, including library records

USA Patriot Act (2) Pen registers and trap & trace devices Patriot Act expands use of these devices to include computer communications Devices examine real-time transaction records, not content Typically directed toward internet service providers (ISPs) Wiretaps capture content as well as transaction records

West Virginia Code Section 10-1-22 (a) Circulation and similar records of any public library in this state which identify the user of library materials are not public records but shall be confidential and may not be disclosed except: (1) To members of the library staff in the ordinary course of business; (2) Upon written consent of the user of the library materials or the user's parents or guardian if the user is a minor or ward; or (3) Upon appropriate court order or subpoena. (b) Any disclosure authorized by subsection (a) of this section or any unauthorized disclosure of materials made confidential by that subsection (a) does not in any way destroy the confidential nature of that material, except for the purpose for which an authorized disclosure is made. A person disclosing material as authorized by subsection (a) of this section is not liable therefor.

Types of Digital Reference Records Transcript of the reference interaction Registration information E-Mail address Name Zip code Library user number IP address Date and time Name of librarian answering question

What Librarians Can Do to Protect Patron Privacy Break link between patron information and transcript Do not require patrons to register Have procedures in place before law enforcement visits Train staff regarding privacy policies and procedures Create privacy policies

Elements of a Privacy Policy (1) Explain what information is collected Explain who has access to library records Address the use of encryption, if pertinent Address the use of cookies, if pertinent Library users have the right to view, correct, or remove their own records

Elements of a Privacy Policy (2) Records may be used to conduct ordinary library business and to compile statistical reports Records may be evaluated to assess internal library processes Authorized individuals may utilize records for research and publication

Elements of a Privacy Policy (3) No personally identifiable information will be publicly released The library will not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party Library records will be released to law enforcement bearing a court order or subpoena according to state law

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Cost of Virtual Reference Previous gripes about determining the cost of reference service “…cannot be accurately measured…”* “not enough time is available for the task”* “…required mathematical and statistical skills are too demanding”* “derived data would actually not affect the decision-making process” “… limited … to individual library applications”* * items I chose to address

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Final Questions How does virtual reference fit into the overall library plan to provide reference service? How does virtual reference fit into the overall vision of the library?

Thank You! Paul Neuhaus Social Sciences Librarian Hunt Library 4909 Frew Street Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA  15213 neuhaus@andrew.cmu.edu Matt Marsteller Physics and Math Librarian Engineering & Science Library 4400 Wean Hall Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA  15213 matthewm@andrew.cmu.edu