ASERL Virtual Reference: Time To Change John Burger, ASERL John Ulmschneider, VCU Libraries

Challenges to collaboration virtual reference  Question profile changes  Design profile: high question volume, low number of questions specific to participating institutions  Actual question profile steadily departed from design profile  Tool set changes  V-ref tools built to satisfy librarians delivering the service  Users prefer different tools: simple chat software, used for many purposes, integrated with other aspects of cyberlife  Special v-ref toolsets never performed acceptably  Emergence of “cyber diversity” for reaching users  Social networking environments  Instructional tools like Camtasia, podcasts, wikis, blogs  Instructional environments: BlackBoard and its built-in support tools  Progress in self-help environments from vendors

Tangible successes of collaboration virtual reference  Financial and service hour goals  Exceeded initial cost and service hour goals  Inexpensive: a real bargain for participants on a per-hour basis  A weakness?: Designed for financial and service hours, not the user?  Exploration of new models  Regional-scale, virtual reference service model across diverse academic research institutions  Use of contracts to expand hours at low cost  Operated with minimal central staffing  Service promotion: it works  Successful in its time and place  Environmental changes mandate service change  Declining participation eroded business model

Less tangible benefits from the project  Skill in collaboration  Steering group developed superb networking  Initial reticence grew into strongly trusting, cooperative relationships  Skill in exploiting online tools  Acquired deep understanding of online reference tool sets  Developed extensive knowledge of content and online services, both their own and beyond their own institutions  Professional development for new SLIS graduate students  SLIS students under contract developed respect for librarians in research libraries across the Southeast  Research librarians came to a new appreciation for skill sets of new graduates.  Result: stronger pipeline for recruitment