1. Improving Accuracy and User Satisfaction in the Digital Reference Environment: The 2002 LITA National Forum, Houston Dr. John V. Richardson Jr. UCLA Professor of Information Studies and Presidential Scholar, LSSI LLC

2. Published Abstract  This session will consist of a panel of leading practitioners and researchers discussing the state of the art in digital reference services. The goal of the presentation is to help practitioners improve the accuracy of their work as well as their users' satisfaction with the reference transaction in an electronic environment. Topics will include; improving customer satisfaction, chat-based digital reference services, and asking questions in the digital library.

3. Speakers Matthew Schall John V. Richardson Jr. Neal Kaske Steve Coffman

4. A Better Abstract  We wish to assert that asking and answering the right question in the digital reference environment is essential. So, how do we validate that we have done so, identify when we haven’t, define our failures, learn from our mistakes, and improve our service? Our primary research agenda is asking our clients how we did. Secondary questions relate to behavioral measurements on things like re- visits and re-asks of the same or similar questions.

5. Neal K. Kaske  Ph.D., Oklahoma, 1973  Librarian, Science and Engineering Library, University of Maryland  Worked for the US Department of Education, OCLC’s Office of Research

6. Matthew Schall  Ph.D., UCLA, Psychology, 1991  Taught Psychometrics at Tulane University  Worked at IBM (CRM Executive, Solution Architect, and Senior Data Mining Analyst) and UCLA OAC (principal statistician)  Vice President, Research, Analysis, and Development, Unifocus LLC –http://www.unifocus.com/

7. Steve Coffman  MLS, UCLA, 1980s  Worked with the County of Los Angeles as Director of FYI (business research)  Vice President, Product Development, LSSI LLC  Home Pages: –http://www.lssi.com/http://www.lssi.com/ –http://www.virtualreference.net/virtual/http://www.virtualreference.net/virtual/

8. John V. Richardson Jr.  Ph.D., Indiana University (1978)  Author of: –Knowledge Based Systems for General Reference Work (Academic Press, 1995) –Understanding Reference Transactions, with Matthew Saxton (Academic, 2002) –Virtual Question Answering (in progress)  Home Page: –http://purl.org/net/jrichardsonhttp://purl.org/net/jrichardson

9. Want to Read More?  1000 citations on reference transactions –http://purl.org/net/referencehttp://purl.org/net/reference  300 citations on virtual question answering –http://purl.org/net/vgahttp://purl.org/net/vga