Krisellen Maloney
Dean of Libraries
University of Texas at San Antonio
Jan Kemp
Assistant Dean for Public Services
University of Texas at San Antonio
Carolyn Ellis
Technology Project Management Librarian
University of Texas at San Antonio
For over a decade, even as libraries have broadened their service offerings to include online service, both the number and complexity of reference questions have declined. In late July, the Library replaced its old chat service, LibChat, with Zopim, a commercially available software service that enables staff to configure a persistent and context-sensitive widget for the library website. By placing the chat widget itself rather than a link to ‘Ask a Librarian’ on every page of the website, users can start a chat immediately from wherever they are. Since the chat widget persists across the session and all library webpages, users do not have to remain on the same page where they began the chat. Instead, they receive sustained help from library staff as they move across library webpages, supported through their entire research process. The Zopim software also enables staff to configure context-sensitive triggers that automatically initiate a chat session with an appropriate, pre-defined message when page-specific criteria are met. For example, if a user stays on the ‘Find Databases’ page for 60 seconds, the widget displays a message that says, “Let us know if you need help finding a database!”
Based on early analysis, the number of questions received has increased by over 500% since the implementation of the new software. Of even more interest is the increase in the complexity of the questions received. Before implementing the new chat widget, only 12% of the questions received via chat required the knowledge and experience of a librarian. Now, over 65% of the questions require advanced expertise. These changes have had serious implications for chat staffing; further, the dramatic increase in chat reference calls into question the assumption that the decline in reference questions is the natural result of increased availability of full-text content and improved discovery tools. It appears that traditional reference questions (questions requiring deep knowledge of information resources as well as an understanding of the curriculum and students’ learning process as they develop critical thinking skills) have been out there, and users would have asked the questions if they had been offered support at the point of need.
This presentation will provide information about the service, updated statistics regarding the use of the service, and the changes that have occurred within the organization to deal with a rapid increase in reference questions.