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Abstract

Virtual reference services are used in academic libraries to provide real-time information services to users. The use of the live-chat service was assessed to determine the frequency and use of virtual reference services and the types of questions asked. The mixed methods approach was employed in this study. One thousand seven hundred and thirteen (1713) chats were assessed to be valid for the study. Thematic content analysis was carried out to identify common themes, after which descriptive and inferential analyses were carried out in SPSS. The study revealed that of the 1713 valid chats initiated by users, 340 (19.8%) were answered directly, while 1373 (80.2%) chats were not answered. Also, the live-chat service was used throughout the 24 hours of the day, with noon (12 noon) being the peak time. It was recommended that librarians be available at all times to attend to the request and queries of users. Also, training programmes can be organised for librarians to answer the different reference questions and be adept in providing VRS.