Chat Reference: A Guide to Live Virtual Reference Services by Jana Smith Ronan

From the Publisher

How does one start a virtual reference service? What types of software are available? This comprehensive guide to live virtual services answers these and other questions. Intended as a blueprint, the book is designed to lead the reader through the many decisions and considerations involved in setting up a real-time reference service. Acclaimed expert Jana Smith Ronan introduces both basic and advanced real-time reference software, offers practical information about features, advantages, and disadvantages, and discusses human and organizational issues, such as staffing, training, and administration. Complete with five case studies from successful real-time reference services, this guide provides readers with a better understanding of real-time reference and an ability to make educated decisions on what's best for their library and their patrons.

Library Journal

Ronan bears the job title "interactive reference coordinator" for the George A. Smathers Libraries of the University of Florida at Gainesville, which says a lot about librarians embracing live virtual reference services. Also reflecting this trend are the number of new titles on this topic: Mark Meola's Starting and Operating Live Virtual Reference Services, Steve Coffman's Going Live: Starting and Running a Virtual Reference Service, and, now, Ronan's Chat Reference. Like those other books, hers covers similar ground but does offer more detail. All of the expected sections are here, including an introduction to basic and advanced chat software, knowing your audience, selecting software, staffing, training, administration, guidelines and policies, the reference interview online, and promotion. Ronan ends with five case studies of academic and community college libraries using live virtual reference services. Including case studies from public libraries would have made the book useful to a wider audience. Those who have already purchased a guide (or two) on live virtual reference and are successfully running a service will not need another. If you are planning to begin live virtual reference services from scratch, this book is a good starting point. Still, any one of these titles will help you avoid the expensive mistake of purchasing more advanced software than you actually need. As with most technology books, these titles will have a very short shelf life until the next "big thing" comes along. Video reference anyone?-Robert Battenfeld, Long Island Univ.-Southampton Coll. Lib., NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents