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After a detailed review of the literature on the evaluation of reference services in academic libraries, we describe the evaluation process of the Reference Service of the University of Seville’s library, in both its onsite and virtual models, during two time spans in 2011. We analyse the results using an adapted version of the READ scale. The predominance of the system’s onsite model was confirmed, with the type of service characterized by short questions of a basic nature, quite evenly distributed between the morning and afternoon, with a duration of less than five minutes, with the questions coming predominantly from students and answered by non-specialist staff.

The following article will comment the experience of the library Joaquín V. González of the Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales of the Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Argentina) in the implementation of a virtual reference service by chat, to answer requests in real time, directed to the university community.