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Close Encounter: Reference Services in a Digital Environment E-Publishing Trends and Issues Ateneo de Manila University May 10, 2002 Laine Farley Director, Digital Library Services California Digital Library University of California Oakland, CA USA California Digital Library What is the California Digital Library? • Co-library of the 10 University of California Libraries • Build shared digital collection • Acquire or develop tools and services • Integrate print and digital collections • Direct service delivery mainly via campus libraries California Digital Library Indirect service provision “…many of the traditional reference inquiries will be handled by improved interfaces and help systems that librarians will play a primary role in developing.” -Kerryn A. Brandt, Jayne M. Campbell, and Willard F. Bryant Jr., “Reflections on Reference Services,” Journal of the American Society for Information Science 47, no. 3 (Mar. 1996): 212 California Digital Library Indirect Service Provision • Develop our own tools and services • Influence vendors • Collaborate with campus libraries California Digital Library How are libraries planning for Digital Reference? • Motivation: internal, a mandate from above; few user assessments • Planning: informal, no documentation • Goals: same as traditional reference • Quality: accuracy not formally measured but transactions available – Self-evaluation – Peer review • Marketing: low key, traditional methods • Evaluation: inconsistent, little analysis » David Lankes, Assessing Quality in Digital Reference Services California Digital Library Service Development • • • • Strategies and Methods Case Studies Lessons Learned Implications for Reference California Digital Library Strategies and Methods 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Expert knowledge and experience Environmental awareness National/international efforts Campus initiatives User feedback Values / Principles California Digital Library 1. Expert Knowledge & Experience • Analyzed categories of services • Developed Framework – – – – – – Locate or gain access (discovery) Manipulate Integrate Share Customize Administrative California Digital Library 1. Expert Knowledge & Experience • Identified Key Challenges – Locate or gain access: • Discover where to start – Manipulate • Rank, group, filter, evaluate results – Integrate • Deal with multiple interfaces • Facilitate access to online full text – Customize • User profiles, personalized list of resources California Digital Library 1. Expert Knowledge & Experience • White Papers: UC Librarians – Access Integration: Improving Access to Electronic Resources – Digital Reference Services – Model Policy on Privacy for Library Provided Digital Services • http://www.slp.ucop.edu/sopag/ California Digital Library 2. Environmental Awareness • Drop in reference statistics – Change in nature of reference questions – Going to where users do their work – New uses for library space • Google/Amazon/Yahoo/AskJeeves, etc. – Simple but not simplistic – Web search engines change expectations – Portals • Integrated • Personalized • Personal Digital Assistants California Digital Library 3. National / International Efforts • Digital Library Federation / Mellon Foundation – Assessing Quality in Digital Reference Services • Association of Research Libraries – Scholar’s Portal • Other institutions – North Carolina State: MyLibrary California Digital Library 4. Campus Initiatives • Digital Reference pilots: UCI, UCLA • Campus Portals: MyUCLA, MyUCDavis • Medical schools requiring PDAs California Digital Library 5. User Feedback – Formal Methods • Focus groups – Best for: Early stages, idea building – User groups: Not freshmen! – Example: MyLibrary, SearchLight • Structured Evaluation – Heuristics – Best for: Early stages; functional analysis – User groups: Librarians/library staff – Example: Resource evaluations; vendor comparisons California Digital Library 5. User Feedback – Formal Methods • Usage statistics – Best for: Standardizing across resources, services, trends – Limitation: Can’t tell why • User feedback – Best for: Immediate problems, reactions; new ideas • User Observations • Survey/questionnaire California Digital Library 5. User Feedback • From CDL products – Sampling and analysis • Reference: 7-24% • Feature/Function: 16-25% – HelpDesk logs • Digital reference session logs California Digital Library 6. Values / Principles • User Needs – How and where users do their work – Old and new methods co-exist • • • • Ease = Speed = Saving time Equity of access Quality Personal service – “environments conducive to fruitful interaction” – tailoring service to user needs at time of need – Chris Ferguson and Charles Bunge, “The Shape of Services to Come: Values-Based Reference Service for the Largely Digital Library” College & Research Libraries, (May 1997). California Digital Library Functional Analysis – What is Reference? Function 1. Interview 2. Recommend/evaluate sources Assess By Tool or Product 1. -Digital reference Chat or voice over IP -Email reference 2. -Chat -Web site: Pathfinders, subject pages, dynamic “database advisor” -Web-based courseware California Digital Library Functional Analysis – What is Reference? Function Assess By Tool or Product 3. Instruct 3. -Chat -“Follow me” -Web-based courseware -Web/email tutorial 4. - Email - statistics - surveys - web logs 4. Follow-up California Digital Library Case Study - SearchLight • Multi-source discovery tool • Simultaneous search across article databases, book catalogs, ejournals, reference sources, etc. • Sorts results by type; ranks by hit counts • Click-through connection to search results • Not a “portal”? California Digital Library Case Study – SearchLight Why? • Key Challenges: – where to start? – multiple interfaces; integration – rank, group results • Built on campus development: Database Advisor (UC San Diego) • Principle/Value: make it easier for users • Principle: use global solutions California Digital Library California Digital Library California Digital Library California Digital Library California Digital Library Case Study – SearchLight What focus groups told us? • Sounds like a good idea but not sure until they try it • Undergrads value library sources vs free web sources (but still use the web more) • Grads want more sophisticated features • Users want the library to publicize services more! California Digital Library Case Study – SearchLight Lessons learned • Technology not robust enough (yet) • Reference librarians wanted it to be: – More sophisticated, smarter – More flexible, customizable (by source, format) • Need to sell the purpose to library staff (and to users) • Who is the audience? – Undergraduates? – Users working in a new field? California Digital Library Case Study – SearchLight Lessons learned • Searches too simplistic, google-like? • Or a great discovery tool for independent learners in an overwhelming info environment? • Is Scholar’s Portal model the answer? California Digital Library Case Study – SearchLight Lessons learned • Is The New Academic Platform model the answer? • • • • • • Discovery: Scholar’s Portal Capture: request and delivery tools Integration: description, classification, indexing tools Manipulation: citation management, text processing Distribution: contribution and publication tools Consultation: virtual reference services; access to scholarly communities California Digital Library Case Study - MyLibrary • User selects subject area • Receives list of resources recommended by librarians • User can add own resources • User can receive notification of new resources • Another portal idea? California Digital Library Case Study – MyLibrary Why? • Key Challenge: – customization, personalization – where to start • • • • • Other institutions: success at NC State Campus developments: MyUCxx Extended existing profiling services Principle/Value: quality Principle/value: make it easy for users California Digital Library California Digital Library Case Study – My Library What focus groups told us • More integration with other library services (reserves, circulation) • More integration with campus services • Make it easier to add their own resources • Users really wanted a “unified digital campus” portal—not something we could do California Digital Library California Digital Library Case Study – MyLibrary Lessons Learned • Be more aware of campus initiatives, and be at the table • Look at the bigger picture • Understand how users do their work California Digital Library Process Analysis – What Do Users Do? • Scenarios: a vision of the possibilities – ARL Scholar’s Portal • Task analysis: record steps, ideal or real – Users have different purposes, habits, paths • Preferences, attitudes – DLF/Mellon study – Nancy J. Young and Marilyn Von Seggern, ”General Information Seeking in Changing Times”, Reference & User Services Quarterly 41, no. 2 (Winter 2001) California Digital Library “I was a lot more dependent on librarians and stuff, where now I feel like because of computers and technology, I don’t have to worry about whether someone’s going to be there. I can just come and do everything on my own by myself.” California Digital Library “I still have a thing about talking to real people. I still really prefer talking to a real person.” -Young and Von Seggern, ”General Information Seeking in Changing Times”, p.162-163 California Digital Library Lessons Learned / Themes • Emphasis on web services, not just web site • Task modeling - multiple paths to services • Users like being self-sufficient but want human help California Digital Library Implications for Reference Services • Usability – Solve problems, don’t work around them • Vendors & campus partners: work with them on behalf of users – Model and broker solutions among vendors – Global not proprietary solutions – Define standards: functional, performance, technical, online help, user interface – Bring library values to the table – Advisory boards, planning committees • Old and new methods co-exist California Digital Library California Digital Library Focus on… Skills and Methods for Librarians – Analysis: for evaluating digital reference products and other venues • Process • Functions – Assessment: Evaluation methods • Appropriateness for nature of the service • Reporting: for decision makers, for staff – Advocacy • Vendor “education” • Promotional techniques California Digital Library Focus on…Reference in the Digital Environment, not just Digital Reference California Digital Library Your Questions? California Digital Library