scholarly journals Reference Mode Preferences of Community College (Two-Year) and Four-Year College Students: A Comparison Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Carey ◽  
Ajatshatru Pathak
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
New York ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Online Chat ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Reference Service

Abstract Objective – The purpose of this study was to examine the reference service mode preferences of community college (two-year) and four-year college students. Methods – The researchers administered a paper-based, face-to-face questionnaire at two institutions within the City University of New York system: Hunter College, a senior college, and Queensborough Community College, a two-year institution. During the summer of 2015, the researchers surveyed 79 participants, asking them to identify their most and least preferred mediums for accessing library reference services. Results – Nearly 75% of respondents expressed a preference for face-to-face reference, while only about 18% preferred remote reference services (online chat, e-mail, text message, and telephone). Close to 84% of the participants cited remote reference services as their least preferred modes and slightly more than 10% said this of face-to-face. The data reveal a widespread popularity of face-to-face reference service among all types of participants regardless of institutional affiliation, age, gender, academic level, field of study, and race or ethnicity. Conclusion – This study suggests that given the opportunity academic library users will utilize face-to-face reference service for assistance with research assignments. Academic libraries at both two-year and four-year institutions might consider assessing user views on reference modes and targeting support toward services that align with patron preferences.

Launching chat service during the pandemic: inaugurating a new public service under emergency conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emy Nelson Decker ◽  
Karen Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Academic Library ◽  
Online Chat ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Training Requirements ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Live Chat ◽  
New Public ◽  
Hand Off ◽  
Staffing Patterns

PurposeThis article details the implementation of a live online chat service which was suddenly necessitated by the worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The approaches used to train chat operators during this time inform both current and future training initiatives toward continuous improvement in this academic library setting.Design/methodology/approachChat transcripts from the period of March 2020–April 2021 serve as the dataset for this study.FindingsIn bringing a live chat service online during a global pandemic, chat transcripts from this period reveal 19.3% of all chat interactions related directly to COVID-19. The transcripts also reveal the types of questions, whether reference or directional, and these, combined with staffing patterns, indicate that staff were addressing reference questions more often than librarians. In addition, 25.2% of all transactions, whether by staff or librarians, resulted in tickets or referrals to hand off the question to a subject or functional specialist. These findings help to inform targeted face-to-face refresher training for chat operators.Originality/valueWhile bringing a live chat service online is certainly not novel, the impetus behind the quick setup was. This unusual circumstance allowed for an in-depth look at the nature of chat and its training requirements and limitations due to campus stay-at-home orders. It also provided a new understanding that influenced subsequent face-to-face trainings.

scholarly journals Online Course Enrollment in Community College and Degree Completion: The Tipping Point

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Shea ◽  
Temi Bidjerano
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Degree Completion ◽  
Tipping Point ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Course Load

Recent research indicates that certain students are at risk of lower levels of academic performance in online settings when compared to peers who study only in the classroom.  Community college students have been a population of particular concern.  In this paper, we hypothesize that online course load and institutional quality may impact outcomes for such students at risk for lower levels of degree attainment.  Using comprehensive data from the 30 community colleges (n=45,557) of the State University of New York (SUNY), we conducted a state-wide study to examine whether there is a “tipping point” at which online course load becomes problematic for community college learners seeking to attain a degree through a mix of online and face-to-face coursework. We also test the conjecture that some institutions may excel at supporting online learner success among more at risk populations who choose online study. Results indicate that community college students who take more than 40% of their courses online begin to lose the benefits of enhanced degree completion conferred through a mix of online and face-to-face enrollment. Moderating variables are also identified and discussed.

scholarly journals Do You Want to Chat? Reevaluating Organization of Virtual Reference Service at an Academic Library

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryvon Côté ◽  
Svetlana Kochkina ◽  
Tara Mawhinney
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Virtual Reference ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Reference Service ◽  
Similar Evaluation

Since their inception, virtual reference services have evolved considerably and are now a significant component of library services in many types of library environments. The current paper reports on a study undertaken at a research-intensive academic library that analyzed and evaluated a decade-old virtual reference service. The main goal of the study was to obtain a broad and comprehensive picture of the current service, grounded in the actual day-to-day provision, usage, and organization of the service. The group of librarians involved in the study developed a feasible, efficient, and adaptable methodology for assessing and evaluating a virtual reference service. The developed methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative methods can be used and applied for a similar evaluation of the service in any type of library environment.

scholarly journals Analysis of Question Type Can Help Inform Chat Staffing Decisions

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-158
Author(s):  
Heather MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Question Type ◽  
General Reference ◽  
Online Chat ◽  
Chat Reference ◽  
Reference Service ◽  
High Level

A Review of: Meert-Williston, D., & Sandieson, R. (2019). Online Chat Reference: Question Type and the Implication for Staffing in a Large Academic Library. The Reference Librarian, 60(1), 51-61. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02763877.2018.1515688 Abstract Objective – Determine the type of online chat questions to help inform staffing decisions for chat reference service considering their library’s service mandate. Design – Content analysis of consortial online chat questions. Setting – Large academic library in Canada. Subjects – Analysis included 2,734 chat question transcripts. Methods – The authors analyzed chat question transcripts from patrons at the institution for the period of time from September 2013 to August 2014.  The authors coded transcripts by question type using a coding tool created by the authors. For transcripts that fit more than one question type, the authors chose the most prominent type. Main Results – The authors coded the chat questions as follows: service (51%), reference (25%), citation (9%), technology (7%), and miscellaneous (8%). The majority of service questions were informational, followed by account related questions.  Most of the reference chat questions were ready reference with only 16% (4% of the total number of chat questions) being in-depth. After removing miscellaneous questions, those that required a high level of expertise (in-depth reference, instructional, copyright, or citation) equaled 19%. Conclusion – At this institution, one in five chat questions needed a high level of expertise.  Library assistants with sufficient expertise could effectively answer circulation and general reference questions.  With training they could triage complex questions.  

scholarly journals Effects of Online Course Load on Degree Completion, Transfer, and Dropout among Community College Students of the State University of New York

2019 ◽  
pp. 291-300
Author(s):  
Peter Shea ◽  
Temi Bidjerano
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
At Risk ◽  
New York ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Degree Completion ◽  
Online Course ◽  
State University ◽  
Course Load

Past research suggests that some students are at risk of lower levels of academic performance when studying online compared to students who take coursework only in the classroom. Community college students appear to be among those that struggle in online settings. In this paper, we hypothesize that online course load may influence outcomes for such students, especially those at risk for lower levels of degree attainment. To examine this, we conducted a state-wide study using data from the 30 community colleges (n = 45,557) of the State University of New York, to understand online course-load effects on degree completion, transfer, and dropout. We conclude that when controlling for covariates known to impact degree completion, community college students who successfully complete online courses nearly double their chances (odds ratio = 1.72) of earning a degree or transferring to a 4 year college. However, racial minorities had reduced outcomes and additional research is warranted.Post-secondary completion is a significant predictor of a host of individual and societal benefits. Online education has increased access to post-secondary credentials for millions of people. (Allen Siemen, 2016). Community colleges enrol a higher proportion of online students than other institution types (NCES, 2017). However, concerns exist about outcomes for community college students who take online coursework, especially the effect of higher online course loads. The next section briefly summarizes relevant literature reflecting those concerns.

scholarly journals A Usability Evaluation of Academic Virtual Reference Services

2014 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony S. Chow ◽  
Rebecca A. Croxton
Keyword(s):  
Text Messaging ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
User Preference ◽  
Online Chat ◽  
Virtual Reference ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Instant Messenger ◽  
Reference Service ◽  
Usability Metrics ◽  
Highly Correlated

This study examined the usability of five virtual reference services—instant messenger chat, e-mail, telephone, text messaging, and Skype videoconferencing—by having 31 undergraduate and graduate students evaluate the usability of the virtual reference services of two different universities. The study’s results suggest that user preference and satisfaction for virtual reference service are highly correlated with the service’s overall usability in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. Online chat was rated highest across all measures including satisfaction and seven different usability factors. Major implications of the study suggest that online chat is the virtual reference of choice for university students and that usability metrics are a good predictor of user preferences centered on high return on investment, speed of transaction, convenience, and minimal effort.

scholarly journals Shall we chat? A statistical case study of chat reference utilization

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-184
Author(s):  
Jiebei Luo
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Chat Reference ◽  
Reference Service ◽  
The Difference

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the performance of a chat reference service implemented at an academic library in a private liberal arts college by gauging its impact on other forms of reference service in terms of usage volume, with a focus on research-related face-to-face reference questions. Design/methodology/approach Two statistical methods are used, namely, the difference-in-differences method and a simple moving average time series analysis, to analyze both the short-term and long-term impact brought by chat reference. Findings This study finds that the usage volume of the traditional face-to-face reference is significantly affected by chat reference in its first service year. The long-term analysis suggests that chat reference volume displays a significant declining trend (−2.06 per cent academic month) since its implementation. Yet, its usage volume relative to other reference services remains stable over time. Originality/value The findings in this case study will be of value to libraries with similar scale and institutional features that are also interested in assessing their chat reference service. In addition, this paper is the first to apply the difference-in-differences approach in the field of library science, and the two statistical methods adopted in this case study can be readily adapted and applied to other similar volume-based library assessment projects.

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