This week I will be reflecting on how libraries provide
instant messaging and VoIP reference services. These days it is quite common to
see services like ‘Ask a Librarian’ or similarly named services offered by
public and academic libraries. I find the IM service to be useful through QUT
and since a friend of mine recently gained employment as a Virtual Reference
Librarian there, I find I use it more.
In relation to public libraries, I don’t think it worked out
the way they planned. I do recall that a guest lecturer from last semester said
for public libraries the IM service turned out to be a failure. She said the
majority of queries were asking after opening hours or how to renew items, all
which could be done through the web service provided by the library. From the
sounds of it, originally they had hoped that it would attract more reference enquiries:
eg school kids, assignment or research help etc.
I guess when comparing the two contexts: public vs.
academic, academic would most likely get more enquiries relating to assignment
help as the majority of their clients would be students. University students
seem to me personally, as more willing to get as much help from any avenue,
compared to school students who are quite happy to use Wikipedia and wing it. I
think the success of these IM services would also depend on the library and how
much staff or resources they are willing to provide to allow the service to be
a really useful addition.
In relation to using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), I
think it would also depend on the particular library as to whether it would be
a success. Personally, I wouldn’t use it and I don’t think a lot of people
would be interested in skyping with their librarian. If they can’t access the
library physically, the IM service would theoretically cover it. I think there
would be different level of expectations when using the different tools but I
still think that they would be addressing the same enquiries and having both
services would be unnecessary.
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