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This review analyzes the quandaries facing libraries from African countries, especially from the sub-Saharan region, regarding the free dissemination and access to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) content. It examines the challenges the libraries face and finally highlights the role they should play in disseminating LGBTQ+ content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined if students would prefer robots to human librarians in the delivery of library services. The study used a descriptive survey research design. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Of the 1009 students surveyed, findings indicated that most students would prefer human librarians to robots in the delivery of library services. However, students would like to see robots introduced into library services because they believe they would be effective in giving directions, welcoming users, ensuring library security, answering library users' questions, monitoring library users' activities, library users' registrations, charging and discharging of books, and maintaining library quietness. The study concluded that robots are necessary for providing library services and therefore recommends that robots be bought to do difficult and time-consuming jobs such as library security, monitoring library user activities, and providing directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020, the Leonard Lief Library created a searchable online knowledge base (FAQs) as a complement to virtual reference during the library's pandemic-related closure. One year of search query data was used to assess the online knowledge base. This paper discusses the assessment's findings and planned improvements to the FAQs. A content analysis of user queries revealed what users are seeking in the knowledge base. The study examined the actions taken by users after conducting a search to determine the knowledge base's success rate. The knowledge base was successful in answering user questions almost half of the time. The top three query categories were access, non-library, and instructional. The frequency of access-related queries was expected, due to COVID-19 library building closure. The prevalence of questions about other campus units was unexpected. This finding suggests a perception of the academic library as a source of campus information and supports including this type of information in the library FAQs. This study adds to the body of assessment research within reference services, an area not well represented in the LIS literature. The methodology employed provides a model for assessment of online FAQs that can be adopted by other libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries have long used patrons' willingness to return as a metric for assessing reference services, but have not measured actual return rates for this service. Knowing if our user base is a small number of highly engaged patrons, or many patrons who visit only once, has implications for service improvements, marketing, and assessment. This study establishes 28% as the baseline return rate for chat reference at one research university, with 62% of all sessions coming from repeat users. Predictors of whether a patron would return after their first session are affiliation (e.g., whether they are faculty, graduate student, undergraduate, staff, or not affiliated with the university), the duration of the session, and where on the library website the chat was initiated. The librarian assisting, wait time, and the patron's own rating of the chat are among the factors that are not predictive. Further research into why patrons do or do not return, and what constitutes a good return rate, is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As staffing models evolve for academic library service points, online chat reference services require strategic analysis to improve efficiency and effectiveness. This paper will examine the perception of chat reference before and after staffing changes from faculty librarians, staff, and graduate assistants to non-MLIS library professionals and graduate assistants at Florida State University's a large, public research university library. Our survey explores satisfaction levels and perception of both patrons and library personnel before and after the staffing change. Our analysis of 197 patron survey results determined that patrons are equally satisfied with non-librarian provision of chat reference services and found chat interactions to be comparable in quality and timeliness to chats staffed by librarians. Our research into staffer survey results revealed a slight decrease in satisfaction with operation of the service, notably in terms of confidence after the staffing transition even though this was not reflected in the patron satisfaction levels. This assessment indicates that library workers are equally as competent in staffing chat reference services as librarians from patron perspectives. As academic libraries continue to measure the value of staffing service desks with librarians, this study will provide relevant insight into how patrons and staffers are affected by changes in staffing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries use surveys and other instruments to gather feedback from their users. However, with competition from many other campus entities requesting input, how can survey fatigue be avoided? To gather this feedback, the Social Sciences Reference Desk utilized a short, fun and easy method. Each week for 10 weeks during the fall semester of 2017, the reference assistants wrote a survey question on a whiteboard and provided sticky notes for patrons to write their answers. The survey provided valuable information about patrons' needs and expectations. It also fostered changes that were easily implemented to improve the delivery of library services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes the coresearch engagement model (CoRE), which addresses how the academic research librarian can become a coresearch partner with any patron. The CoRE model is an interpersonal process and is founded upon the concepts of mutual respect, collaboration, reciprocity, and empowerment. Grounded in Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory, Malcolm Knowles’ andragogical model, and guidelines from the Reference and User Services Association, CoRE has the potential to result in engagement for the librarian and patron. The CoRE model can be utilized in many ways including self-awareness and development for those who need and want to expand their abilities as a research librarian. It provides a theoretical framework and a knowledge base, in addition to giving a context for further development by expanding, comparing the related theories for further research, and implementing various applications suggested by this article. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on providing proper customer service in a library. Topics discussed include the author's view about the types of customers that visit the library, the different approaches the author uses in servicing each customer, the personality type suitable for night duty in the library and the importance of empathy in a customer service.

With staffing and funding shortages and rapidly changing expectations from patrons, what is actually happening at the reference desk in today’s libraries? Understanding the needs today’s reference librarians face can be useful in developing ways to support those needs. Asking them to make some predictions on the future of public library reference work gives Library and Information Science (LIS) students, and libraries preparing for the future, a valuable look at the expertise provided by experience. This understanding will help make some realistic decisions about reference staffing and service needs and provide some guidance for those aspiring to careers in public library reference. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Changes in information and technology continue to test how librarians interact with and support patrons. Now, engaged librarians have the opportunity to immerse themselves in their user’s workflows and become partners in the research enterprise. Engagement represents a model of librarianship in which librarians are challenged to move from the traditional collection-centered model to an engaged-focused one. It requires new roles and tasks, as well as a deeper understanding of the academic setting. This article discusses working in a large research institution and articulates the engagement model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article addresses what reference librarians should do when patrons ask for information about explosives or dangerous drugs, and explores how reference librarians can possibly deter people from dangerous, unmediated searches by proactively providing information and actual examples on the dangers and risks of making and using these materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When dealing with e-books, several ethical dilemmas exist as a result of competing professional values. Dilemmas identified and discussed here include challenges related to serving nonaffiliated users, providing high-quality service while respecting intellectual property rights, and balancing the needs of current users with the needs of future generations. Readers would like to have access to all e-books all of the time, with as few restrictions as possible. Librarians would like all of their users (affiliated or nonaffiliated, current or future) to be able to easily use e-books. Librarians also want to recognize the valuable contributions of authors, publishers, and content distributors while safeguarding patron privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive assessments have shown that academic library users prefer a welcoming environment that provides the opportunity for self-sufficiency. Libraries need to meet these expectations and improve the quality of library reference by creating a comprehensive training program for librarians, staff, and students. This article will review standards for reference training in academic libraries with a focus on one-desk service points and consider best practices for planning, implementing, and assessing training programs for staff, students, and librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent years, academic reference librarians often find themselves working in closer proximity to computer workstations, labs, and information commons. They are spending a greater portion of their time assisting library users with the vast array of software and hardware used to access library resources. This study examines whether an increased demand for technological knowledge and proficiency is reflected in job expectations for academic reference librarians. Researchers compared randomly chosen academic reference librarian job advertisements from 1999 to those from 2011, examining both job responsibilities and candidate qualifications. Results were mixed, with some variables gaining prominence but others declining. There was no apparent increase in demand for technological skills and responsibilities overall. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Harrison College (formerly Indiana Business College), a for-profit institution with approximately 6,100 students, implemented a virtual reference service in 2009. This article discusses our choice to use LibraryH3lp as the provider for this service, and how it has created a unique model for staffing our virtual reference services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from a survey at a ground campus of a proprietary school are considered in the context of recent library science literature. Two surveys indicate that students prefer face-to-face communication with the library and learning about the library services through class visitations. Most of the respondents had not used library services. These trends suggest that proprietary school students are not entirely dissimilar from traditional students in learning and marketing preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of music collections and their use means that patrons have always required specialized guidance from librarians to access what they need. Currently, library patrons' expectations are growing as collections and their delivery modes evolve. Music reference services must adapt to effectively address these needs. This article examines the challenges to delivering effective music reference service, the basics of reference assessment, and how assessment models such LibQual+, the Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation Program, and the Reference Effort Assessment Data Scale can help librarians build patron-centered music reference services. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using interactive and mobile technologies enhances literacy instruction and outreach services. In the classroom, polling applications and clickers provide real-time assessment, inform future instruction, and encourage students to participate. Outside the classroom, we are creating instructional videos and media on topics such as search techniques, navigating the library, and publishing Web sites. These materials can be accessed via the library Web site, streamed onto handheld devices, added to course sites, and embedded throughout the library's physical site using quick response codes. These innovative methodologies help us reach students in a multitude of ways and broaden students' means and methods of access. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors discuss the rapid growth in the use of smart devices and the resultant need for libraries to meet patrons where they are, via quick response code. Suggestions for use include marketing of library services, strengthening bibliographic instruction, supplementing reader's advisory services, and enhancing online public access catalog records. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As more people use mobile technology, libraries need to be in a position to engage library patrons online. Engaging people online cheaply and effectively is a challenge, but by taking advantage of services such as Twitter, libraries can create a dialog with users. Applications that make managing Twitter accounts easier are free and widely available. Librarians can monitor activity with a simple RSS feed and generate interest for their Twitter accounts through news, discussions, and games. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As use of mobile devices continues to expand and users take advantage of new technologies available on these platforms, it becomes necessary to examine how these technologies will affect user privacy, and in turn, how librarianship will respond to these challenges. This paper addresses the history and expectations of privacy in our society, the relationship of libraries to privacy, current and emerging mobile technologies, and how librarianship can address new challenges to user privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Decision theory, or the study of how individuals make choices, is a burgeoning field of study within many disciplines: economics, computer science, psychology, and organizational theory, to name a few. However, it has been less examined in library science. The study of how library users make decisions can aid librarians in many ways, such as marketing of services, purchasing decisions, or advocacy efforts. One way to build the study of decision theory into library science would be to incorporate decision-making concepts into Library and Information Science education. This article presents an overview of decision-making concepts and explores why these ideas should be incorporated into Library and Information Science education. The article concludes with suggestions on how to best incorporate decision-making concepts into Library Information Science education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Privacy and anonymity in the profession of librarianship was one of the themes emerging from the Internet Public Library (ipl2) institute in March 2010, questioning whether new trends in librarianship are leading to the demise of the “anonymous librarian.” This article examines the research literature on how privacy and anonymity issues can affect users and librarians. The rise of new initiatives such as embedded librarians, on-site liaison librarians, and personal librarians appears to be a shift toward increasing professional visibility and away from anonymity in professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines an issue that is rarely considered-the similarities between the action taken by an intermediary responding to inquiries within the setting of a school library media center and the information behavior of end-users. The work concentrates on five important areas: the exploitation of the individual's own knowledge; the employment of readily accessible information resources; the way in which materials may be used; approaches to other people; and the circumstances surrounding the termination of a search. The article identifies implications for the information professional and suggests ways forward for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of digital reference services in academic libraries in Malaysia. It focuses on the awareness, usage, users' perception, library's performance, perceived needs, issues, and problems faced by students. The research methodology employed was a case study approach that combined three data collection methods: questionnaires, interviews, and content analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the eyes of our patrons, the success of a library transaction depends on both the accuracy of the information conveyed and the quality of the patron/staff interaction. We each experience rapport naturally many times during the day. Skills borrowed from the field of neuro-linguistic programming allow us to learn to quickly create a state of rapport with anyone we encounter. By learning to create rapport intentionally with our patrons, we can improve the quality of their library experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet is the research tool of first choice among today's library users. Libraries are responding by introducing a number of Internet-based reference services to meet the needs of these techno-literate users. Focusing on an academic library in the Caribbean, this article discusses the issues that privilege traditional over virtual reference and examines issues such as student information research skills, the physical format of the collection, levels of staffing, and the role of culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on various problematic situations that may arise in a virtual library setting. Discussed are the ways in which a problem library patron may behave in a virtual community, such as through social abuse, sexual harassment, passive or appearance harassment, and program-based assault. The author states that bad patron behavior in a virtual world tends to be more extreme in nature and does not integrate into the learned experiences of professional librarians. The author also discusses two theories as to why people may behave problematically online more than in face-to-face situations.

A library's web site is a virtual “front door” to its services and collections. Libraries can use their “Ask a Librarian” pages to promote reference services and to inform patrons about the different options available. Much variation is found in the naming of those pages and the number and type of reference contact options they include. This article reports the results of an examination of the reference assistance pages of libraries that are members of the Association of Research Libraries. In particular, the study attempted to determine whether virtual modes of reference service are being promoted at the expense of traditional options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many libraries striving to provide accessible resources to people with visual disabilities stop at the door of the omnipresent database. Given the extent of database use today, the article questions whether we shortchange our visually impaired users if we do not examine the accessibility of these electronic resources and encourage database vendors to improve their products. Libraries have moved at varying speeds in servicing the needs of the visually impaired, both in providing helpful web site service pages and in providing the extra measure of reference assistance necessary for database access and use. This article examines a sampling of academic library web sites to determine how libraries might improve service and access for this specially challenged population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 5,000 households with a person identified as having a physical, mental, or emotional condition that impairs participation in activities were surveyed about their opinions concerning barriers to public library use and opinions about efforts by public libraries to be useful to people with disabilities. Results showed that perceptions of accessibility, collections, and presence of assistive or adaptive devices for people with disabilities were slightly more positive if someone in the household had used the public library in the past year. Data used for the study were from the October 2002 Current Population Survey, a federal survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article relates the results of a survey of academic libraries using text messaging as a means for delivering reference services. Information concerning the hardware, software, costs, staffing, hours of operation, service life, and patron use is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 77 pupils in an English high school contributed data via an online questionnaire about their information needs. Many pertained to popular culture and technology, with sport and computer games inspiring particularly large numbers. Current information was especially important to the participants. Future research incorporating interviews would be invaluable in collecting richer data on young people's information needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This bibliographic essay examines recent (1994-2006) research into the evaluation of reference effectiveness. Different methods for evaluating traditional in-person reference services are compared and contrasted from an unobtrusive or obtrusive methodology perspective, including those that use the "Willingness to Return" factor and the Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation Program (WOREP). A review of emerging trends is provided as well as recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the decision that some libraries are making to only provide the electronic version of certain journal subscriptions. The article suggests that this decision would make content searching easier for consumers who can begin looking up their topic right away instead of first trying to locate the issue in the library. Also discussed is the amount of stress that would be relieved from libraries who would no longer have to manage and catalog paper copies.

This article discusses the National Information Standards Organization's new standard, NISO Z39.7-2004, which includes the reporting of the usage of library-generated Web pages and e-mail, live chat, and instant messaging reference queries. The integration of statistics on these new methods of providing service with traditional library statistics provides a more accurate picture of library services and demonstrates how libraries have expanded types of patron contacts in the digital age. This article also discusses the statistical reporting of individual reference queries handled away from the reference desk (e.g., in individual librarians' offices). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Libraries are a symbol of a free, democratic society. Open access to information and patron privacy allow intellectual inquiry and the creation of new knowledge. Librarians have a long tradition of protecting these liberties. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, concerns have been raised that the passage of the USA Patriot Act and other anti-terrorism measures threaten these liberties. Librarians need to educate staff, users, and their communities as to the impact these measures have on libraries and access to information. Policies, procedures, and guidelines need to be developed that balance the traditions of intellectual freedom and issues of national security. This article examines access to government information issues and threats to patron privacy and confidentiality of patron records resulting from the passage of the USA Patriot Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-mail reference has been utilized as a reference tool in academic libraries since the early 1980s. Today it is one of the most common media for providing digital reference service. An important aspect of providing any service is evaluating users' satisfaction levels with that service. Users of the Ask-A-Librarian e-mail reference service at a large academic library over a ten-month period voluntarily completed a seven item web-based questionnaire. The results indicated that the majority of respondents were satisfied with Ask-A-Librarian overall. This paper discusses how the library used the survey results to improve the existing service, and to implement a new one-chat reference. Reference service providers should not only ask users for feedback on existing services, but also should include them in the planning and design phase of new services. In doing so, they demonstrate their commitment to providing adequate and appropriate services to their patron community, and ultimately can save their institutions time and expense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology is rapidly moving libraries toward a self-service interlibrary loan model. Patrons currently request books and articles through OCLC's unmediated ILL Direct Request service, and interlibrary loan management software enables users to request, track, and renew borrowed materials unassisted online. In addition, products such as SFX and Serials Solutions further expand unmediated requesting. Peer-to-peer resource sharing defined by the ISO ILL Protocol and direct consortial borrowing, which has become possible following the recently approved NCIP standard, encourage and support the widespread development of self-service interlibrary loan. As borrowing from other collections becomes an almost effortless process for library users, reference librarians must find ways to encourage patron use of local collections, as well as familiarize themselves with the mechanics of unmediated interlibrary loan to better assist patrons in their use of evolving interlibrary loan technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate of change in music reference represents a challenge to librarians. The three issues in the library literature that probably have the greatest impact on music reference service and are the subject of this paper are changes in users, sources, and modes of access to sources. These three issues are certainly related, as users need to use sources, and they need to know how to access them in order to use them. Reference librarians are called upon to mediate this process. Music library collections have their own peculiarities, however. Because they contain a wider variety of materials than many other kinds of library collections, reference librarians for music collections must be aware of the format, content, and intended uses of these materials, as well as the research patterns of their patrons. In the recent past, as cultural norms have changed with the paradigm of Western culture, users have wanted to use music libraries in new ways, and librarians are challenged to accommodate them. The musical genres used and requested by today's library patrons are different than they once were, both for listening and for academic study. Musical reference sources are being issued in electronic formats, and this represents a challenge for some users. The expanded use of interlibrary loan and electronic access to materials represents new opportunities and challenges. Music librarians are being called upon to provide services to patrons they may never see. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of electronic sources has had a significant impact on reference collections in libraries, and public library reference collections are no exception. Evaluating, selecting, and organizing sources to meet the needs of public library users has always been a fundamental role of public librarians. However, now they have the added responsibility of evaluating electronic resources and deciding whether the electronic sources will supplement or replace traditional paper reference sources. Issues of authority, accessibility, cost, comfort, and user education must be carefully weighed during this evaluative process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the current state of digital versus print reference collections in school libraries. issues addressed include an overview of adoption practices, acceptance and use of digital materials, and implications for the future. The article compares findings from multiple sources to provide an in-depth examination and understanding of the qualities and characteristics that school libraries share. The sources include current literature, research findings, and the observations and experiences of an information specialist in the role of participate observer. Survey and analysis of this data will provide a triangulation of information that will form the basis of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plagiarism by students in academic institutions is an old but continuing problem facing teachers and librarians. Although studies disagree on the Internet's effect on student plagiarism, the easy availability of electronic information creates a challenge for librarians, who must be ready not only to detect and deter plagiarism, but also to educate their patrons about it. The purpose of this contribution is to summarize briefly the nature, extent, and causes of plagiarism in its academic aspect, especially as it has been influenced by electronic information sources, and to review measures of its detection and deterrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference publishing is in an era of competing technologies: print and electronic. For large multivolume reference books, the transition from being primarily a print resource to being primarily electronic is well advanced, perhaps nearly complete. For many smaller reference books, such as dictionaries, thesauruses, and almanacs, the transition is less advanced; in fact, it seems likely that print and electronic editions of such works may coexist for years to come. There are good reasons for this to happen, but this situation also poses challenges to librarians, publishers, and patrons. This article reviews some of the aspects of this transitional era in terms of what has been learned so far and what may develop in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edward G. Miner Library, the health sciences library at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is reaching out beyond its usual user group to improve health knowledge of members of six inner-city African-American churches and one community center. With the Congregation Healthy Heart Action Partnership (CHHAP) and the Rochester Public Library as partners, and with funding from the National Library of Medicine, Miner is providing Internet access at the churches and training church and community members to use reliable health Web sites such as MedlinePlus. A train-the-trainer approach and follow-up meetings empower church members to carry the information to others. In addition to trainees learning about reliable health Web resources and Rochester Public Library's health resources, new relationships between libraries and churches have resulted. It is hoped that this program will help reduce health disparities between Rochester's inner-city minorities and residents of the surrounding suburbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a use analysis and the results of a user survey of Bowling Green State University Libraries' "Chat with a Librarian" service for the academic year 2001-2002. When appropriate, the results are compared with the results of other libraries' services. Information examined includes when and from where users ask questions via the services, how users find out about the service, and what types of questions the users ask, the status and affiliation of the users, and user satisfaction with the service. Most of this information can be compared to findings from at least one other academic library's study of a somewhat similar service. With a few exceptions, the findings are similar from service to service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the fallacy that real-time and asynchronous digital reference software are fundamentally different. Instead the author argues that the only real difference is lag time, and that this difference does not support the separation of digital reference functions. An attempt is made to create a unified model for digital reference and digital reference functions. Lastly, the author presents some practical considerations for libraries seeking to purchase digital reference software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real time digital reference services are now a standard part of reference work in medium to large sized libraries as well as numerous smaller libraries. Aside from the basic questions of whether or not this new computer service will flourish, are the day-to-day activities which make it possible. The contributors to this gathering of opinion and pragmatic activity offer numerous reports and theory about the development and growth of the new approach to answering reference questions. There is a wide diversity of methods and ideas about how digital reference service should be offered to the public. All taking part in this discussion speak from experience and considerable thought about a revolutionary new idea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the homosexual as a problem library user. Problem on sex in public places; Sex deterrence in public buildings; Library safety policies regarding sexual activity.

Presents techniques to lessen the impact of an emotional outburst of a library users. Decrease the recovery time of library staff member from the incident; Improvement of the communication skills; Emphasis of the rights of library users and staffs.