Virtual Reference Services: Survey Results Terri Miller, Michigan State U. for the Ad hoc Committee to Survey Virtual Reference Services

Survey Background Survey created using Google Forms Administered August-September 2013 Sent out to RUSA listserv 91 respondents total

Type of InstitutionRespondents Large college/university (>=10,000 students ) 50 Large Public (>=50,000 residents) 7 Other 6 Small college/university (<10,000 students ) 24 Small Public (<50,000 residents) 4 Grand Total 91 Who responded?

How many questions do you receive via Virtual Reference each year?

Are you happy with your Chat software?

If you don’t have chat, why?

If you don’t have text/sms, why?

In the past 3 years, have your chat questions increased or decreased?

In the past 3 years, have your Social Media questions increased or decreased?

In the past three years, have your transactions increased or decreased?

In the past 3 years, have your Text questions increased or decreased?

Is your chat service successful?

But how’s that Text Service?

How do you staff your virtual reference service?

How many are trained to do VR?

Recommendations Survey becomes a regular part of a RSS committee’s work instead of an ad hoc committee Survey released in September of every other year Keep many questions the same to track trends; tweak others