Originally presented August 3, 2022
In this presentation, Christina Holm and Sarah Kantor discuss how reference staffing models may be a significant predictor of a decline in reference questions.
They review the results of their two-year case study which indicated that among five staffing models: (1) staffed and visible reference desks, (2) on-call and visible reference desks, (3) staffed, unseen reference desks, (4) on-call, unseen reference desks, and (5) chat reference, where librarians and users “talk” to each other in real-time using special software, users seem to prefer staffed and visible reference desks.
Drawing from these conclusions, Kantor and Holm present practical suggestions for improving or promoting reference services in academic environments as well as discussing how COVID-19 continues to impact reference services.
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Click the link below to download the chat transcript:
Is Reference Dead? Chat
