This study aims to identify factors and behaviors associated with user dissatisfaction with a chat reference interaction to provide chat operators with suggestions of behaviors to avoid. The researchers examined 473 transcripts from an academic chat reference consortium from June to December 2016. Transcripts were coded for 13 behaviors that were…

Researchers surveyed academic librarians to determine current software and practices used in synchronous virtual research consultations. The survey findings identified the top software products currently used by respondents for virtual research consultations. Through open-ended comments, it became clear that libraries are not tied to one…

Sometimes users need to be asked if they need help. This is difficult with online users, because in-person cues cannot be used to engage when the users need assistance. Proactive chat widgets help to solve this problem as the chat box slides out onto the screen and prompts the user for help. The need for the proactive chat widget was also seen as…

This reflection article explores how a library on a regional university campus adapted its services in response to the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It delves into some of the novel conclusions drawn by its librarians about how the library has and will continue to contribute to the teaching and learning efforts of the campus…

The aim of this study is to show student perception of the value of library reference and consultation work in the building of information literacy skills. Using student answers to questions about library research help received in a required first year course, the authors analyzed motivations for use of librarian aid, and the types of assistance…

As distance education programs grow at college and universities across the country, libraries must ensure virtual reference services are prepared to meet the needs of patrons in these programs. This article describes the process and results of a 2018 chat analysis conducted at a midsize research university with a large distance education program.…

To better understand, articulate, and improve the academic library's impact on online populations, this two-phase mixed-method study examines library communication with online students and faculty. In phase I, online focus group participants responded to vignettes illustrating library communication scenarios. Results from phase I informed the…

Academic reference librarians frequently work with students who are not aware of their professional roles. In online interactions, a student might not even realize that the librarian is a person. The ways students initiate conversations reveal their understanding of the mutual roles involved in reference encounters. Conversation analysis of live…

This study focuses on the roles of organizational stories among librarians who work at the reference desk. Twenty librarians employed in four academic institutions were interviewed. Most of the organizational stories shared among the participants and their colleagues were rich in tacit knowledge and can be classified according to four main roles:…

The liaison librarian to a university with a substantial and growing online learning population began using asynchronous, personalised video instruction as an online replacement for the traditional face-to-face, one-on-one bibliographic instruction reference appointment. This project was informed by the framework of metaliteracy and the 'See One,…

Student employees fulfill an essential role at all academic libraries, but budget and staffing cuts have made student work even more imperative at small, public institutions. This article examines a reference service redesign at Adams State University through the lens of the student circulation employees. Student employee feedback was directly…

Research support services at The University of Queensland Library (UQ Library) have evolved in response to the global and national drivers, which have impacted on broader University strategy. UQ Library's success in responding to these drivers has involved leveraging the information within, and capacity of, the institutional repository, the core…

School resource room guidance personnel handle services to students with disabilities in institutions of higher education in Taiwan. This study conducted a survey of the kind of work performed by university and college resource room guidance personnel, and used a questionnaire to investigate 244 such personnel. This questionnaire contained…

Zines have begun to gain a place in higher education as pedagogical tools studied or made by students, and many academic libraries maintain zine collections. The library literature reveals little about how nonlibrarian faculty use zines in their classrooms. This paper describes the results of a survey of faculty from a range of academic…

As academic institutions continue to renovate and remodel existing libraries to include colocated services, it is important to understand how this new environment requires the redefining of traditional library roles and responsibilities. This case study examines how Delaware County Community College redefined reference and research service by…