Jeff Penka, Manager of
Cooperative Reference Services & the QuestionPoint Service at OCLC.
Jeff has worked at OCLC since 1996 in a variety product development
and project management roles for reference services including OCLC
SiteSearch and OCLC WebExpress. He currently sits on the NISO
Committee AZ developing standards for Networked Reference. He has an
M.Ed. in Career and Technology Education and an M.A. in English from
Bowling Green State University. (D-Lib Magazine, February 2003, v.9 #2, "Authors")
A Reference Reality Check: Understanding the Role of Digital Reference
Abstract"The world of the reference librarian is changing. As more and more patrons go to the Internet first to meet their information needs, libraries must be there to help them locate, and obtain relevant information. Much has been written about the various tools for digital reference, technical issues associated with their implementation, and the potential for these tools to reach new patrons. This talk will work to put this pace of change and these new tools in context with other critical concepts including: the need to understand the technical environment within which digital reference occurs, the issues of patron definition and access,and the role of cooperative relationships and networks in meeting the shared needs of librarians and patrons. The discussion will also look at today's reference environment, by providing attendees with data from OCLC’s QuestionPoint, a collaborative reference service with members from around the world, and practical examples from services at Carnegie Mellon University, the Library of Congress, University of Washington, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum(Ask Joan of Art). These services demonstrate the importance and effect of understanding audiences, appropriately using technology, and working cooperatively. The future of digital reference services is bright and will be shaped by a shared understanding of these concepts."
[http://www.dlib.org/dlib/february03/penka/02penka.html]
