LIBR 246-12: Web 2.0 and Social Networking Tools (Fall 2008)

What do you think are the most important features any virtual reference service should have?

There are three things a virtual reference service should have to be effective.

The first is a good reference librarian. If you have a mediocre reference librarian, no matter what you else you have for virtual services will only be mediocre. Technology can only enhance, you still need a good base to provide good service. I think that is forgotten sometimes.

Second virtual reference service will need some type of communication interaction with patrons. This does not have to be video, or even screen sharing, however if you are only doing text, that is all the person is going to see. People tend to be visual, and the more you can entice them and make them part of the interaction, the better the experience will be for them. Because at the end of the day, what we (all we do?) should be about the patrons. If not why are we doing something? It is cool to have the latest technology and be 2.0, but if no one using it, is it just a drain on resources? If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is around, does it make a sound? Even if does, why does that matter. I think evaluation of services; is where evaluation and determination of need might be the most important aspect of librarian.

Lastly, I think for a virtual reference service needs to have a intuitive design.  I think the average person should be able to sit down at the computer and be able to not get to the virtual reference service, but when using have an idea of how to use everything. I guess this could be a subset of the above, but I think it is different because ergonomics is what we should be striving for at the end of the day. It is one thing to provide a service. It is a completely anther thing to provide a service that a customer enjoys using. If you can combine a service that people want (and/or need) with an effective design then you have a winning product.

At the end of the day, it is what the whole 2.0 movement about. Making things that work that are easy to use. So easy in fact, that people will use them, and want to use them again.