Minutes, Digital Reference Committee

May 20, 2002

Present: Eileen Abels, Julie Arnold, Katalin Ebrani, Ann Hudak, Travis Johnson, Neal Kaske, Alesia McManus, Cindy Todd, Lynne Woodruff

Absent: Jim Miller

Topic: Update on CDRS and QuestionPoint

Leader: Travis

Time: 20 minutes

Outcome: Committee decided to ask for a trial version of the software in order to test feasibility for use at the UM Libraries. Travis will contact LOC to ask for a trial and to find out who is currently beta testing the software. Some possible advantages of using QuestionPoint could be: customizable pop-up forms, opportunity to build local knowledge base, possibility of forwarding email reference questions during weekends/off hours, statistics generation (for email), consistent interface for chat and email.

Topic: Update on Chat with a Librarian Service

Leader: Julie

Time: 15 minutes

Outcome: Currently there are 19 librarians and staff operating the chat service. Hours are still 11-6, Mon through Thursday, 11-4 on Friday, and will remain the same over the summer. Julie is monitoring both the LiveReference and the Maryland Virtual Reference Alliance mailing lists. Chat transcripts for the spring semester will coded by volunteers for content.

Topic: Email Reference Statistics

Leader: Julie

Time: 5 minutes

Outcome: Subgroup to address the data and evaluation will be Cindy Todd, Neal Kaske, Jim Miller, and Julie Arnold. ra136@umail is being used and there are currently 170 messages in the box. Julie will look into setting up an alias for this account.

Topic: Lynne’s Replacement

Leader: Julie

Time: 5 minutes

Outcome: Committee agreed to invite Bonnie Jo Dopp who expressed interest previously (but the committee was full).

Topic: Work of the Committee

Leader: Julie

Time: 40 minutes

Prework: Committee came up with a list of items to be looked at:

Marketing of Chat Service

Julie will look at peer institutions to determine how many have a link to chat on the top page

Other things to consider

Bookmark

Logo

A graphic for Testudo on June 11

Make sure reference staff mentions chat as a method of getting reference assistance in bibliographic instruction courses

Internal marketing to librarians

Poster for McKeldin Open-house

Policy for outside users of digital reference services

Neal and Cindy will look at peer institution’s policies

Best practices for digital reference

Julie and Alesia will do some research on what is currently available (some places to look: LSSI, RUSA, GW, Congressional Reference Service)

Committee agreed that the Email FAQ section on “Who can Use this Service” will be replaced with Alesia’s rewritten policy for use.

Training Issues

Julie will offer peer training on the chat service in July and November

Julie will continue to offer monthly or bimonthly training sessions for current operators