Digital Reference at Bobst Library By Jennifer Schwartz jennifer.schwartz@nyu.edu

In the print-based library of the past, where collections were limited by shelf-space and square-footage, students, faculty and other researchers could easily seek the assistance of a reference librarian while they consulted materials and resources located in the building. But as libraries move further into the digital realm, more and more information is available online. Today, many researchers do not need to consult materials housed in the library as frequently as they had to in the past; depending upon the subject of their research, some researchers might not require the materials physically housed in the library at all. The "brick and mortar" library, however, was (and continues to be) more than just a collection of books and journals. Services--including expert reference assistance--add considerable value to libraries' collections. In an effort to provide reference help to researchers who are nowhere near the physical reference room, NYU librarians are offering services that employ the same communication media used to deliver electronic collections. At Bobst Library, two digital reference services--the well-established e-mail based Ask-a-Librarian, and a pilot project for real-time "chat" reference service--can address contemporary researchers' needs for professional reference assistance as they work in their dorm rooms or faculty offices, at one of the University's global campuses, or from any other location beyond the traditional reference room.

What is Ask-a-Librarian?

In September, 1999, Bobst Library instituted an e-mail based reference service called Ask-a-Librarian. Over the three year period since its introduction, Ask-a-Librarian staff have received and responded to well over two thousand questions, dealing with specific service policies, technical problems, and research strategies. Users of the service receive an e-mail response to their questions within 24-hours.

In comparison, some readers may be familiar with commercial services like AskJeeves that allow users to enter natural language queries (e.g., "why is the sky blue?") rather than forcing them to select a few keywords. There is no real human intervention at these sites; rather, a computer program attempts to match the terms of the question with an appropriate website for an answer. Other commercial services like AskMe.com and AllExperts.com provide a list of self-proclaimed experts, and allow the user to select the appropriate person or category to answer their question. Many of these services charge a research fee, which is often negotiated directly between the "expert" and the user of the service.

Bobst Library's service differs from these commercial services in several ways. First, unlike the AskJeeves type of service, real people read and respond to each question. And, unlike the for-profit services offering access to "experts," users are assured that their question will be answered by a professional librarian without hidden charges. But perhaps the biggest distinction of Ask-a-Librarian is its instructional objective; rather than simply presenting an answer, users are taught how to find information for themselves. The resources available to the service's staff of librarians are the same resources available to the information seeker, allowing an easy transfer of search strategies between the user and the librarian.

There are only a few limitations on the types of questions Ask-a-Librarian will answer. Ask-a-Librarian is not a document delivery service, for example. While we often respond to questions with appropriate citations for books and articles, we generally do not send the full text of articles or documents. Neither will the service provide a full bibliography on a topic, or check on the availability of a long list of items. Rather, Ask-a-Librarian provides the user with the tools and skills to conduct this type of research independently.

Real-Time Reference

To supplement its remote reference presence, the Bobst Library is launching a pilot project to provide real-time digital reference during the fall 2001 semester. This innovative service will enable users to receive more immediate assistance with their research. Instead of waiting 24 hours for a response, users will be connected with a librarian in a "chat" window. Here, they can conduct the kind of back and forth interaction that until now only took place at the Library's reference desks. Technical and research needs can be met the instant problems or questions arise.

Real-time digital reference provides several advantages over e-mail service. First, the librarian is able to determine the true needs of researchers more quickly and easily. Using our asynchronous e-mail reference service, librarians can't discuss or refine a researcher's initial inquiry, and on occasion, the intended question is not answered completely with the first e-mail response. Follow-up questions may take days to resolve.

Second, chat reference enhances the instructional component of electronic reference. Librarians can teach users how to search immediately and interactively in a way that is not possible via e-mail, or even in a telephone conversation. In an electronic chat directly with the librarian, web pages can be instantaneously shared back and forth; specific search strings can be suggested, attempted, and revised with both the researcher and the librarian witnessing the same results; error messages can be immediately assessed and resolved with all parties seeing the same information. And, finally, researchers receive assistance precisely when it is needed, rather than having to wait for a response.

Into the Future

The Library expects Ask-a-Librarian, chat reference, telephone, and traditional in-person reference assistance all to continue. These various modes of interaction serve different needs and user populations. E-mail reference provides staff with the luxury of time to investigate a remote researcher's needs and to construct a lengthy response. Chat reference allows immediacy and the ability to instruct users interactively. But, just as there are many types of resources that are only available in libraries, there will always be reference librarians on-site to provide assistance in the use of all of Bobst Library's offerings.