In order to complete the virtual chat reference evaluation at St. Peter College‟s T.

Dorney-Borrelli Library we will need to divide the evaluation into three separate sections: pre-

implementation, during the beta period, and after the service had been in use for 6-8 weeks.

Therefore, our data will come from three evaluations including reference transactions, and will

come from three different types of sources.

I. Data needed for evaluation and sources for data

The first kind of information we need to obtain is whether the patrons in our academic

library would like to see virtual reference services in addition to the traditional reference services

we currently offer. We need to find out the extent of interest in this project before we install chat

reference, because if patrons are unwilling to use the virtual reference services, we would be

wasting time and money by implementing it. The source for this data will be a questionnaire

which will yield quantitative results and will be measured by statistical analysis. The

questionnaire will be given to the audience of library patrons in paper format and online,

discussed below. After evaluating the results of the questionnaire, we will determine if we can

move on to the next step of implementing the beta period of the virtual reference service.

The second kind of data we need to obtain is whether the virtual reference services we

implemented in the beta period worked sufficiently, determined by a second questionnaire. The

questionnaire will be administered to patrons at the conclusion of every reference transaction.

Therefore, the audience for this questionnaire will be somewhat more limited than the first

questionnaire, as only actual users of the virtual reference service will be involved. After the

completion of the questionnaire, we will evaluate user comments and suggestions, and determine

what changes needed to be made.

 The third kind of information we need to obtain is what the reference librarians working on

the service think of the service. Having the reference librarians' opinions is important to our

evaluation because the librarians will provide us with a behind-the-scenes look at patron

activities. The data will be obtained through a questionnaire given to the reference librarians 6-8

weeks after the implementation of the service.

II. How to elicit data from sources

As a result of the many articles that we considered in our literature review, we discovered

that gauging user input is extremely important to a successful virtual reference venture.

Therefore, we decided that the creation of three questionnaires would be necessary to

successfully compute user needs. As stated in our literature review (2007), “Libraries must

balance users' needs with the desire to obtain technology that creates easier access to the

collection and virtual reference” (p.4). In order to balance user needs it is important for library

professionals to assess their users‟ needs: questionnaires were used almost exclusively in the

Library Science Journal articles discussed in our literature review. According to John Doherty

(2006), who considered how reference librarians should interact in the online environment,

understanding user needs is crucial (p. 101-102).

Through intensive literature research we found that, “comparison of user satisfaction is

one way to determine the differences between virtual and face-to-face reference. A study by

Nilsen (2006) measured user satisfaction (willingness to return) as a major criterion of the

service‟s success and showed that virtual reference transactions had lower rates of satisfaction

than face-to-face reference (p. 92-93). Overall statistics (face-to-face and virtual reference

transactions) showed that one third of patrons were dissatisfied with the service. The study also

showed that patrons were less satisfied with email reference than they were with chat reference.
However, the limitations to this study may have made results inconclusive as a sample. Data

from 266 face-to-face reference transactions were compared to data from only 85 virtual

reference transactions (Nilsen, 2006, 92-95). Nilsen (2006) determined that user satisfaction has

more to do with the feelings users had from the interaction than with whether or not they

received the information they were seeking (p. 94).” As result we discovered that an important

facet of the questionnaires would be how patron and librarian felt about the services they

received in terms of technology and answers.

We hope to use our questionnaires to determine how the participating patrons and

librarians feel about the service: technology, quality of transaction, and ease of use.

A. Types of Questionnaires (Please see Appendix A, B and C):

The format of the questionnaires was one we thought about extensively. Specifically, the

questions were written with brevity in mind. We use the word „other‟ frequently because it will

increase the opportunity for users to include their own comments. Conciseness of the

questionnaire was imperative because many users would be daunted by a twenty page

questionnaire and fail to complete it, defying the reason for having the assessment.

The questionnaires‟ format is also important. Both paper and online versions of the

questionnaires will be available, allowing users of varying technological skills and physical

capability to participate. The paper form in particular will be located throughout the library and

will serve as another means to drawing attention to the service. Awareness is key to the

successful implementation of any new technology. There are many benefits to the online

questionnaire format, such as cost, which depending on the amount of people taking the

questionnaire would be minimal (Survey Monkey is free for 100 people and under). The time it

takes to evaluate the questionnaires is also less with this computerized format. Also, users tend
to give longer answers to open-ended questions in the online environment. Our use of simple

uncomplicated vocabulary was intentional because the simpler the question the clearer the

results. Complicated and flowery language tends to confuse the user and then skews the results

(Creative Research Systems, 2006).

The first questionnaire (pre-implementation) will focus on what users already know about

chatting software. As stated previously, this questionnaire will be given in both paper and online

versions so as to hear from as many types of users as possible. In addition, the questions are

geared towards gaining an awareness of the potential users‟ level of computer literacy, which

will influence our choice of software. Although multiple choice questionnaires do yield a lot of

information, for our purposes, specific answers (qualitative) are needed to guide us toward

choosing the best chat software for application in an academic library setting. From the literature

about virtual reference we were able to understand the important aspects to keep in mind prior to

implementation of a new technology. The literature showed us that knowledge of the strengths

and weakness of each type of technology such as co-browsing, download versus non-

downloaded software, and free versus paid software are just a few of the aspects we are

concerned with in giving the first questionnaire. Polling users gave librarians the understanding

of what patrons want and need in new technologies.

The second questionnaire (to be given during the beta period of the service) focused on

the use of the service by users. Continued improvement of any technology is extremely

important in order to increase the use of the technology. The questionnaire has only seven

questions and therefore use of the questionnaire will be at the conclusion of each reference

transaction during the beta and final implementation. Satisfaction was a recurring theme in the

questionnaire because if patrons were not satisfied they would not continue to use the service.
Continual improvement of services encourages frequent use and gives insight into what services

users are using therefore a question was included about this issue. Justification for implementing

these services is a battle librarians must constantly fight, but with solid quantitative data it is

easier to do so.

The third questionnaire was an assessment geared toward reference librarians who were

providing the virtual reference services. It is important to understand reference librarians‟

opinions because they are on the frontlines of a virtual reference transactions and therefore have

important insight into patron needs. Numerous articles of our literature review were devoted to

the opinions of reference librarians after implementation, because they are the easiest members

of the library community to assess. Assessment by librarians is vital because as information

professionals they have a keen eye as to what improvements should be made. Adaptability is

important in the virtual world because the shelf life of many technologies is months and effort to

extend the usefulness of services is of utmost importance.

The third questionnaire was similar to questionnaires one and two because it includes

both qualitative and quantitative questions to encourage comments and statistical data. Many

articles in our literature review mentioned time being a struggle for virtual reference librarians

and their feelings of being rushed, so a question was added to gauge the comfort level of the

librarians during virtual reference transactions. Another important question was the librarians‟

opinions of whether the service should be continued and if they thought it was a benefit to the

users and the library. Much discussion in the literature about training led to question six, which

asked each of the reference librarians if they felt prepared when offering virtual reference

services. Preparation is also a key to success that must be evaluated to create a sustainable

virtual reference project. As a result any and all suggestions that might be missed in the
questionnaire were included in the last question. It was also important to have a question that

addresses any question that was failed to be asked.

III. By what means the data will be evaluated

The data from these three surveys will be both qualitative and quantitative and the way in

which we will evaluate them will differ. Our pre-implementation survey, which will allow us to

measure whether or not our audience desires a virtual reference service, will yield quantitative

results. We will measure these results through basic statistical analysis.

Our second evaluation, which will take place during our service‟s beta, or trial, period,

will be more subjective in nature. The evaluations will serve to tell us what features of the

service users like and dislike, how the users would change the service if they could, as well as

user satisfaction; like Ward (2004), we will gauge user satisfaction by the users‟ opinion of the

completeness of the reference transaction. Though this evaluation will yield some basic

demographical statistics that will need to be quantitatively evaluated, the open-ended answers

will require qualitative analysis.

The third evaluation will again be done using the results of a basic survey, and will help

us determine how the librarians who are in charge of virtual reference feel about the service, and

what changes they would suggest. This data will be subjective and thus will be analyzed through

qualitative analysis.

IV. How the results will be presented

A. Evaluation 1

The results of our three evaluations will be presented to three different constituencies, at

different times and in different ways, and with variant purposes. The first round of presentations

will be directed towards the library‟s governing board, and will be concerned with our pre-
implementation survey. Using the results of this survey, we will present the board with a

multimedia report on the feasibility of implementation of virtual reference in our academic

library. In addition to a paper-based document, which will include our literature review, the

survey results, and selected testimonials from staff, we will also present the board with a

PowerPoint presentation.

The first part of the PowerPoint presentation will be based entirely upon the

questionnaire results. Each of the survey‟s questions will have a dedicated slide, which will

include results mapped out in graphical or chart form. The second part of the presentation will

be less evaluative in nature, and contain screenshots of the proposed service. Presented in

tandem, the evaluated survey results and the potential service will help us form a convincing

argument for implementing a virtual reference service into our library.

B. Evaluation 2

Our second evaluation will be based upon the results retrieved from our second round of

surveys, done after the service‟s preliminary implementation, in a beta period. As in the

University of Texas‟ implementation, these surveys will provide us with information about our

patrons‟ actual use of the service, so the evaluation results will be presented to the all library

staff associated with the service (Chapman and Del Bosque, 2004, p. 67-68). Like in our first

round of evaluation, the librarians will be presented with the results in multimedia form: paper

documents and PowerPoint.

The report with which we will present the staff with will include our qualitative analysis,

and focus on the general trends we gleaned from the survey results. Selected user testimonials

will also appear in the report.

 The PowerPoint presentation will mirror the document in many ways, containing the

results in graphic form and some selected quotations from users. However, it will also contain

some suggestions for rectifying the issues brought up in the survey. Our presentation to the staff

will conclude with a group brainstorming session, from which we hope to gain a sense of how

the service will have to change before it goes entirely live. We will also use the usage statistics,

gathered from the gathered from the continuing usage of the second questionnaire beyond the

beta period, to entice patrons with our virtual reference service by hanging posters throughout

the library. These posters, which will say something like, "84% of users agree that T. Dorney-

Borrelli Library's Virtual Reference Service is a hit! See what the fuss is about" and "55% of our

student body has used T. Dorney- Borrelli‟s library's Virtual Reference. Join them!,” these

statements will not only apprise community members of our evaluation results, but also market

the service to still unknowing or uninitiated users.

C. Evaluation 3

This third evaluation will also include all questionnaires given to the users at the

conclusion of each virtual reference transaction and the librarians‟ questionnaires. Both

librarians and users experiences will be documented and compiled for a continuous update to the

staff on the status of the project and any improvements that need to be made in the future.

Evaluation of the service will be an ongoing process.

IV. Evaluating results

The survey conducted prior to the implementation of chat reference will allow us to

determine whether or not our patrons would want or use chat reference in T. Dorney-Borrelli

Library at St. Peter‟s University. As we have uncovered in our literature review, before the

installation of any service it is important to take users‟ needs into consideration the needs of the
users. In order to uncover the patrons‟ level of interest we created three different questionnaires

that will yield quantitative and qualitative results. The purpose of evaluating results is of course

to improve service.

Even though we have found, through an intensive literature review that virtual reference

tends to not elicit many users, another reference service access point is needed. Evaluation of

our questionnaires‟ results will play a key role in determining the scale and effect of virtual

reference service we will implement. The results will also guide our technology choices; apprise

us of format issues, user interest (vs. use), awareness of the service, and other important data.

As stated previously, the results of the first questionnaire one are most important because

they will influence our decision to implement the service and our choice of technology. The

questionnaire will give keen insight into user‟s online chatting habits. Knowledge of the newest

and most effective type of software will give the project creditability. There are positives and

negatives of all the technology available. Though, virtual reference literature has shown us that

the majority of patrons prefer a medium that does not have a required downloaded component.

AOL Instant Messenger, GoogleTalk, and Yahoo Pager are excellent examples of these

technologies which have a totally online component. However programs such as Plugoo (please

see Appendix D for an example on a website) use a completely online component on a website

but AOL Instant messenger is used by the librarian. Although co-browsing is not supported by

this software, familiarity and comfort with the software go far in ensuring they will use the

service.

The results of all the questionnaires give libraries a plethora of information to use in

evaluation (Ward, 2007, p.1). The reference interview is a staple of the library experience and

the results give us the means to get at the heart of user needs. There is a large need for
information about the correct behaviors to use in the Internet environments. Using the

questionnaires, we will not only learn this, but will also uncover the many different ways that

patrons connect to the Internet. Although DSL is becoming cheaper, the majority of Americans

still connect to the internet via dial-up. However, most of the service‟s patrons will be St. Peter‟s

College students. Therefore, the majority of patrons will use broadband which is provided by the

college.

Specifically, the results of the virtual reference transactions will be broken up into

categories as Wendy Diamond and Barbara Pease (2001) did in their study of question types.

They created a list of eleven different types. Depending on the questions received during

reference transactions the number could go up or down. Examples of these categories include

standard reference resources questions, term paper/assignment help, factual information not

ready reference, catalog look-up, library policies procedures, non-library questions, information

literacy, and other questions (p. 1- 5). This type of organization is needed in order to understand

the information given. According to the literature when patrons were asked what they liked

about chatting software they said that is was “convenient, fast, and the anonymous (Walter &

Mediavilla, 2005, 213).”

During the evaluation of the results we expect to find that, like the experience at the

University of Texas and North Carolina University, most of the patrons enjoy the service but,

because of technical difficulties and librarians‟ misinterpretation of questions, a few will find the

experience frustrating (Chapman and Del Bosque, 2004; Boyer 2001) In an attempt to remedy

this situation prior to implementation, the virtual reference implementation team would

encourage virtual reference librarians to be sure to use the traditional reference interview. As
Nilsen found in her study (2006), forgoing the reference interview created unhappy patrons

because more often then not the patrons‟ questions were not answered (p. 96).

An overwhelming majority of University of Texas patrons were dissatisfied with the

virtual reference service because of hours of operation, therefore, during the beta period, virtual

reference services will be offered during more night hours to assist patrons when they need the

most help (outside of traditional library hours) (Chapman & Del Bosque, 2004, 72).

Results from survey 3:

The third kind of data we will evaluate will be what the virtual reference librarians

thought of the service 6-8 weeks after it was finally implemented and beyond. Having the

reference librarians' opinions of the project was an important component of our evaluation

because they gave us their informed opinion of the entire process. Again, we wanted to

determine if chat reference was worth the time and expense. We hope that our experience will

differ from Chapman and Del Bosque‟s, who reported the feelings of a frustrated librarian:

“While I am enthusiastic about the potential of chat reference as another method of interacting

with users and reaching our students, I am disappointed that the service gets so little use, by

either UTSA students or other UT System students. It doesn't seem like the investment of time

and resources that librarians have invested are having any significant service outcome, in terms

of number of patrons using the service with the energy being put into staffing the service

(Chapman and Del Bosque, 2005, p. 74). It is important to make sure that T. Dorney-Borrelli

Library librarians have an outlet to improve service.

Results praising co-browsing, audio, and video features by virtual reference librarians

would coincide with the results found in current literature. Boyer (2001) mentions and we

detailed in our literature review, “co-browsing,. . . and the up and coming audio option in virtual
reference was touched upon as one way to bring virtual reference services closer to the real-life

interaction and instruction received in face-to-face reference (p. 125).” The information

concerning new technologies to use with instant messaging software has been positively

referenced by many virtual reference librarians. The third evaluation gives us the information to

determine what all librarians think of the new service. It enables them to voice their own

concerns without the thread of reproach and they can honestly detail their thoughts of the new

service which will create a well oiled machine in virtual reference.

Academic libraries will continue to implement new technologies in order to meet the

demands of students, and the T. Dorney-Borrelli Library is part of the growing trend of

information technology centered college libraries. We feel strongly that it is vital to reach out to

patrons via different modes of communication. Implementation of virtual chat reference is a

worthwhile investment if it means that students are able to connect to the library‟s resources.

Any and all access points to the collection will be a constant goal for the staff at the T. Dorney-

Borrelli Library.

Collaboration between Heather Turner, Erica St. Peter, Erin Dorney and Andrea Borrelli
Appendix A:
Appendix B:
Appendix C:
Appendix D:
Appendix E:

55% of the student body has used the library’s

virtual reference service….

Join them! Visit

www.library.stpeteu.edu/virtualref
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