Examines the design characteristics of ready-reference and email reference pages on the Web sites of 110 academic libraries in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Characteristics examined included the wording of page titles and links, organization schemes, timeliness, and additional means of communication available between patron and…

Discusses the availability and quality of commercial reference services available on the World Wide Web such as Ask Jeeves and the decline in library reference service statistics. Describes a project in California to help libraries develop live, real-time reference services over the Web by adapting Web contact center software. (LRW)

Examines the reference interview in the digital library environment. Compares and contrasts traditional face-to-face reference interviews with electronic interviews; and presents suggestions for effective electronic interviewing, including the importance of good written communication skills. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the current state of academic reference services from a library administrator's point of view. Highlights include statistics that show a lack of quality reference service that meets users' needs; a decline in the demand for reference services; the role of technology; and changing attitudes about education, including increasing…

Discusses approaches to reference services in academic libraries in light of new technologies and emphasizes the need to maintain the personal element, based on experiences at Northeastern State University (Oklahoma). Topics include roving librarians; desktop video conferencing; Internet media and the World Wide Web; and remote users. (LRW)

Examines the practical details of setting up live online reference services in libraries. Topics include choosing software; differences between licensed and hosted applications; models used to implement virtual reference services; how libraries are using these services in day to day operations; and marketing strategies. (Author/LRW)

The provision of equitable library services to distance learning students emerged as a critical area during the 1990s. Library services available to distance learning students included digital reference and instructional services, remote access to online research tools, database and research tutorials, interlibrary loan, and document delivery.…

We are building conventional library space without making the paradigm shift our digital environment requires. The chief obstacles to change lie in our conception of readers as information consumers, in our allegiance to library operations as the drivers of library design, and in the choice made between foundational and non-foundational views of…

Given the many changes in our students and their study and research practices, libraries are finding it necessary to seek new ways to reach these students. The Undergraduate Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign created a new model to do so. Librarian's Office Hours are a hybrid of reference and instructional services that…

Following an overview of the Pennsylvania State University Libraries, this paper discusses the role of dual function librarians. The duties and responsibilities of a RISD (Reference and Instructional Services Division) cataloger are listed, and problems of terminology, evaluation, divided loyalties, and inflated expectations are addressed.…

The importance of paraprofessional personnel in a university library is discussed. (PF)

The activities of the Vermont Department of Libraries in library cooperation are outlined. (PF)

This directory lists more than 900 organizations that provide individuals with access to the ERIC database and related resources. In order to help users quickly locate organizations where ERIC resources and related services are available within a geographically short distance, the service providers are presented in three sections covering the…

The purpose of these guidelines is to assist librarians in providing students and faculty with appropriate information about computerized sources of information, particularly national online and compact disc (CD-ROM) databases. The guidelines offer ideas for brief, medium-length, and long presentations on the use of online searches, including…

The Orientation and Training Task Force of the Temple University Library was charged by the Director of the Central Library System (CLS) in October 1987 to develop plans for a three-level program, including an orientation component for all CLS staff, a second component for staff who regularly work at any public service point, and a third component…