Virtual Reference Service: From Competencies to Assessment (The Virtual Reference Desk Series) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1555705286 ISBN 13: 9781555705282

Publisher: Neal Schuman Publishers, 2007

Synopsis

This new collection shares experts' best practices, forward looking models, and advice on new developments in virtual reference. Chapter authors discuss the building of consortia, motivational and coaching techniques for staff, instant messaging options, creation of subject-specific taxonomies, interpersonal communications improvement, methods of assessment, and more. A special section of the book introduces the all-new core competencies and standards of the Digital Reference Education Initiative an IMLS-funded project to compile training tools from digital reference educators and practitioners. Each chapter is based on a cutting-edge conference presentation and features both practical guidance and the latest thinking about virtual reference work in libraries.

About this title

Reviews

Virtual reference has gone from an idea to a regular library service in an astonishingly fast seven years. This title comes from papers presented at the seventh, and possibly last, Virtual Reference Desk conference. It is arranged in four parts. The first describes the challenges of beginning a virtual reference service. Part 2 talks about branching out from a commercial chat reference to an IM reference model. It also explores medical librarians’ responsibilities in a chat reference environment. Part 3 discusses ongoing improvements and describes accounts of rude or unacceptable behavior and best practices to deal with those behaviors. The fourth part of the book discusses the important of virtual reference training. Each contributor has a different style, but overall, the text is easy to read. The audience is librarians working with or setting up a virtual reference service and LIS professors studying virtual reference. --Jack O'Gorman

Edition details

• Publisher: Neal Schuman Publishers
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1555705286
• ISBN 13: 9781555705282
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 206
• Editor: R. David Lankes, Scott Nicholson, Marie L. Radford, Joanne Silverstein, Lynn Westbrook, Philip Nast