[Publib] ALA: 14th annual ref research forum

[Karen Schneider]

 Come see the latest in reference research at the 14th Annual New Reference
Research Forum, presented by the RUSA RSS Research and Statistics Committee.
The forum features 3 different presentations of research in progress,
focusing on topics of significance to the development of reference and user
services.



The 14th Annual New Reference Research Forum

@ALA Annual 2008 Anaheim, California

Sunday, June 29, 2008, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Where: HYATT Grand A



Presentations:



1) "The READ Scale (Reference Effort Assessment Data) Project: Qualitative
Statistics for Meaningful Reference Assessment, A Report on the National
Study"



Current methodologies for data gathering of statistics do not adequately
reflect the effort / knowledge / experience / skill / value-added service of
reference staff.  The READ Scale (Reference Effort Assessment Data) was
developed as a tool in an attempt to gather unrecorded qualitative
'value-added' data associated with the reference transaction.  A national
study was conducted to test the viability of the READ Scale as an adaptable
/ adoptable tool at diverse institutions and determine its effectiveness and
practical applications in reference librarianship, and acquire data to
support or disprove to its use in the modern context of the statistics /
assessment  / measures / recognition of value-added service related to
reference work.



Presenters:

Dr. Bella Karr Gerlich, Associate Professor, Associate University Librarian,
Library & Instructional Technology Center, Georgia College & State
University



Ms. G. Lynn Berard, Principal Librarian, Engineering and Science, Carnegie
Mellon University





2) "Does Size Matter?  Examining Trends in the Provision of Remote Reference
Services in Academic and Public Libraries"



This study examines the state of remote reference services being offered in
public and academic libraries in the United States, including the use of
technologies such as email, chat, instant messaging (IM), and Rich Site
Summary (RSS).  The results will be compared between public and academic
libraries and among size categories as well.  Data analysis is complete for
the public libraries in the sample.  Initial findings indicate significant
differences in reference media offerings based on the size of service
populations in public libraries.  The academic library data gathering has
also been completed, and data analysis is underway to determine if similar
service differences by size occur in academic libraries.



Presenters:

Eileen G. Abels, Ph.D., Associate Professor, College of Information Science
& Technology, Drexel University



Denise E. Agosto, Ph.D., Associate Professor, College of Information Science
& Technology,

Drexel University



Lorri Mon, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Florida State University, College of
Information



3) "Problems, Processes, and Judgments: User Expectations of Online
Reference Service"



If we can understand why they come to VR, then we can both hone the service
and attract additional users by more tightly targeting our service
developments.  This study triangulates three bodies of data: 5,293 selected
Internet Public Library email queries over a period of 31 months, all 402 of
an academic library's chat reference transactions over a period of five
months, and all 170 of an academic library's email reference queries over 39
months.  The queries are artifacts of user expectations; these disparate
data sources provide insight into user expectations across geographical,
chronological, and organizational boundaries. Each of these questions was
examined to identify, wherever possible, two key elements of the user's
expectation of the reference transaction: (a) characteristics of the
assistance that librarians could provide and (b) characteristics of the use
to be made of that assistance.  The analysis characterizes user expectations
in terms of the nature of the aid users expect to receive and in terms of
the kind of information problem they expect to be able to solve.



Presenter:

Lynn Westbrook, Assistant Professor, School of Information, University of
Texas
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