Is the library open? How the pandemic has changed the provision of virtual reference services

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the questions received via chat reference at a Canadian university library.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative analysis using coding of chat transcripts and a quantitative analysis of the length of chat interactions were used in this study.FindingsThe author determined that the types of questions received changed slightly during the pandemic due to the new library services offered. The complexity level of questions did not change significantly nor did the presence of instruction. The length of individual chat interactions and the total amount of time spent on chat increased, most likely due to the extended hours of the service and the number of patron questions present in one interaction.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate the potential impact of the pandemic on virtual reference services at a university library. The findings could lead to practical implications for libraries who need to close their in-person reference desk or need to respond to building closures.

Exploring an automated method for the analysis of virtual reference interactions

“…Dempsey (2016) identified that 50% of chat interactions were reference questions, while Fennewald (2006) reported that 72% of chat questions at their institution can be classified as reference. Previous research at the authors' institutions reported that reference questions were present in 14–24% of interactions (Hervieux, 2021).…”

“…Although it is a popular approach, other researchers preferred to use an established coding scheme to compare their results with other institutions. The READ scale has proven to be a popular coding scheme to determine the level of complexity of reference interactions (Gerlich and Berard, 2010; Hervieux, 2021; Maloney and Kemp, 2015; Mawhinney and Hervieux, 2022). Other researchers have also proposed coding to determine the presence of instruction in reference (Desai and Graves, 2006).…”

La eficiencia del servicio de mensajería instantánea: una experiencia en BiDi UNAM durante la pandemia

“…Acertadamente el servicio de chat se pone en operación en diciembre de 2017 siendo bastante esencial durante el periodo de la pandemia por el virus sars-CoV-2 (covid-19) y consolidándose como uno de los servicios digitales de dgbsdi al momento de la emisión del acuerdo emitido por el rector de la unam (Graue, 2020), en donde la Dirección General de Bibliotecas cambia su nombre por el de Dirección General de Bibliotecas y Servicios Digitales de Información, con el al ser un servicio tan inmediato para consultar y para pedir ayuda; ha contribuido para que el estudiante se atreva a establecer contacto con la ayuda brindada por la biblioteca digital, en lugar de tener que desplazarse o llamar por teléfono (Hervieux, 2021), el crecimiento que se vio mayormente reflejado de acercamiento fue mayor en niveles de licenciatura y bachillerato.…”

Launching chat service during the pandemic: inaugurating a new public service under emergency conditions

“…As it pertains to physical library closures as necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, McGill University Libraries did report an increase in the number of virtual reference questions received as well as an increase in the length of those interactions online, particularly around midterms and finals (Hervieux, 2021). Similarly, the College of Staten Island Library reported an increase in the use of virtual services related to pandemic closures and moved to alter the schedule to include longer virtual shifts for chat operators and the method of monitoring their chat queues in order to provide better targeted service to their users (Garvey, 2021).…”