Resources for Participating Librarians

Getting Started - Scheduling - Policies/Board - Staying Informed - Virtual Reference - Marketing Toolkit

Ask Us 24/7 Videos and Tip Sheets

Most of these items are available as a video and a PDF. The information is the same in each, but since some people may prefer to watch a demonstration of some of the tips, we have video versions.

WMV = Windows Media Video rormat
QT = QuickTime video format

• Receiving (and sending) an Instant Message - WMV, and QT. For a PDF version of this information, see the section of the Ask Us 24/7 Training Manual titled "Instant Messaging with Other Librarians."
• Finding Articles Online - WMV, QT and PDF
• Finding Books Online - WMV, QT and PDF
• Reference Sources - WMV, QT and PDF
• Search Techniques - WMV, QT and PDF

Guidelines

• RUSA: Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers - Includes guidelines in three areas of reference work: in-person, remote, and general (which applies to both). Please make note of the remote and general guidelines.
• IFLA: Digital Reference Guidelines - The section titled The Practice of Digital Reference includes tips for online reference transactions.

Chat/IM Culture:

• HTML Source: Chat Acronyms - a list of the most common acronyms used in chat
• Webopedia: Text Messaging, Chat Abbreviations & Smiley Faces - a longer, more comprehensive listing of acronyms

Articles

• How to be a person: Tips and tricks for virtual reference - C&RL News, November 2009.
  
• Let's Fix Virtual Reference. Library Journal, February 1, 2009.
• The Effects of Librarians’ Behavioral Performance on User Satisfaction in Chat Reference Services. Reference & User Services Quarterly, volume 47, issue 2, 2008.
• Encountering Virtual Users: A Qualitative Investigation of Interpersonal Communication in Chat Reference. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. Volume 57, Issue 8 , Pages 1046 - 1059, April 25, 2006