The report presents data from a survey of 116 directors, deans and other high level officials of academic libraries about how they feel about their library’s virtual reference service. The report presents data on the type of service provided, the service provider, if applicable, library staff time expended on the service, the overall satisfaction level with the service, as well as future plans for the virtual reference service.
Data in the report is broken out by many personal and institutional characteristics of the survey participants including but not limited to college Carnegie class or type, public and private status, enrollment levels as well as for various personal characteristics such as age and gender of the survey respondent. The report includes 35 tables and10 charts or diagrams.
Just a few of the report’s many findings are that:
- 43.75% of participants with fewer than 2,000 students reported providing synchronous reference services, while that number increased to 68.75% for 2,000-4,999 students, 76.92% for 5,000-10,000 students, and 84.62% for more than 10,000 students.
- Research universities in the sample had a mean of 9.58 librarians who worked on the virtual reference service in the past year.
- Overall, the libraries in the sample spent a mean of 57.26 staff hours on the virtual reference service in the past month.
Table of Contents
1. THE QUESTIONNAIRE
2. LIST OF THE INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION OF THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
3. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SAMPLE
4. SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
- Are you currently providing any of the following types of reference services through the library? (synchronous (chat/text), asynchronous (email/submission form), virtual reference from specialized subject specialists in addition to general reference) In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, even briefly, on the virtual reference service?
- Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text, email etc.) services at your university? .
- In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on the virtual reference service?
- If you use any software or application to assess your virtual reference service which one do you use and why?
- What are your library's plans for the virtual reference service?
- How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service?
5. DATA AND COMMENTARY
- Are you currently providing any of the following types of reference services through the library? (choose all that apply)
- In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, even briefly, on the virtual reference service?
List of Tables
Table 2.1 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, evenbriefly, on the virtual reference service?
Table 2.2 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, evenbriefly, on the virtual reference service? Broken out by personal age range
Table 2.3 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, evenbriefly, on the virtual reference service? Broken out for public and privateinstitutions
Table 2.4 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, evenbriefly, on the virtual reference service? Broken out by Carnegie class ortype of college
Table 2.5 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, evenbriefly, on the virtual reference service? Broken out by enrollment .
Table 2.6 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, evenbriefly, on the virtual reference service? Broken out by tuition, $ .
Table 2.7 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, evenbriefly, on the virtual reference service? Broken out by Carnegie class ortype of college Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text, email etc.)services at your university? .
Table 3.1 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text,email etc.) services at your university?.
Table 3.2 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text,email etc.) services at your university? Broken out by personal age range
Table 3.3 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text,email etc.) services at your university? Broken out for public and privateinstitutions
Table 3.4 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text,email etc.) services at your university? Broken out by Carnegie class ortype of college
Table 3.5 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text,email etc.) services at your university? Broken out by enrollment
Table 3.6 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text,email etc.) services at your university? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 3.7 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text,email etc.) services at your university? Broken out by Carnegie class ortype of college In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on the virtualreference service? .
Table 4.1 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on thevirtual reference service?
Table 4.2 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on thevirtual reference service? Broken out by personal age range
Table 4.3 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on thevirtual reference service? Broken out for public and private institutions
Table 4.4 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on thevirtual reference service? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of college
Table 4.5 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on thevirtual reference service? Broken out by enrollment
Table 4.6 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on thevirtual reference service? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 4.7 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on thevirtual reference service? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of college How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service?
Table 5.1 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service?
Table 5.2 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service? Brokenout by personal age range
Table 5.3 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service? Brokenout for public and private institutions
Table 5.4 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service? Brokenout by Carnegie class or type of college
Table 5.5 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service? Brokenout by enrollment
Table 5.6 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service? Brokenout by tuition, $
Table 5.7 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service? Brokenout by Carnegie class or type of college
List of Charts
Chart 1.1.1 Are you currently providing synchronous (chat / text) through the library?
Chart 1.1.2 Are you currently providing synchronous (chat / text) through the library? Broken out for public and private institutions
Chart 1.1.3 Are you currently providing synchronous (chat / text) through the library? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of college
Chart 1.1.4 Are you currently providing synchronous (chat / text) through the library? Broken out by tuition, $
Chart 1.2.1 Are you currently providing asynchronous (email/submission form) through the library?
Chart 1.2.2 Are you currently providing asynchronous (email/submission form) through the library? Broken out for public and private institutions
Chart 1.2.3 Are you currently providing asynchronous (email/submission form) through the library? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of college
Chart 1.2.4 Are you currently providing asynchronous (email/submission form) through the library? Broken out by tuition, $
Chart 1.3.1 Are you currently providing virtual reference from specialized subject specialists in addition to general reference through the library?
Chart 1.3.2 Are you currently providing virtual reference from specialized subject specialists in addition to general reference through the library? Broken outfor public and private institutions
Chart 1.3.3 Are you currently providing virtual reference from specialized subjectspecialists in addition to general reference through the library? Broken outby Carnegie class or type of college
Chart 1.3.4 Are you currently providing virtual reference from specialized subjectspecialists in addition to general reference through the library? Broken outby tuition, $
Chart 2.1 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, even briefly, on the virtual reference service?
Chart 2.2 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, even briefly, on the virtual reference service? Broken out for public and privateinstitutions
Chart 2.3 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, evenbriefly, on the virtual reference service? Broken out by Carnegie class ortype of college
Chart 2.4 In the past year, approximately how many librarians have served, evenbriefly, on the virtual reference service? Broken out by tuition, $
Chart 3.1 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text, email etc.) services at your university?
Chart 3.2 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text, email etc.) services at your university? Broken out for public and privateinstitutions
Chart 3.3 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text,email etc.) services at your university? Broken out by Carnegie class ortype of college
Chart 3.4 Which software are you currently using for virtual reference (chat / text,email etc.) services at your university? Broken out by tuition, $
Chart 4.1 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on the virtual reference service?
Chart 4.2 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on the virtual reference service? Broken out for public and private institutions
Chart 4.3 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on the virtual reference service? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of college
Chart 4.4 In a typical month, how much staff time is spent, in total staff hours, on the virtual reference service? Broken out by tuition, $
Chart 5.1 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service?
Chart 5.2 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service? Broken out for public and private institutions
Chart 5.3 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of college
Chart 5.4 How satisfied are you with your library's virtual reference service? Broken out by tuition, $
Sources / Contributors
- Alvernia University
- Andrews University
- Baker University
- Binghamton University
- Biola University
- Bradley University
- Brooklyn College, CUNY
- Bryan College
- Buffalo State College
- California Institute of the Arts
- California State University Channel Islands
- Carlow University
- Central College
- Central Michigan University
- Century College
- Chicago State University
- Columbia State Community College
- Columbus College of Art and Design
- Daniel A. Reed Library at SUNY Fredonia
- Drexel University
- Eastern Arizona College
- Eastern Illinois University
- Eastern New Mexico University
- Elizabeth City State University
- Elms College
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott
- Emory and Henry College
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida National University
- Fuller Theological Seminary
- Fulton-Montgomery Community College
- Gwynedd Mercy University
- Hamilton College
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute @FAU
- Heartland Community College
- Heritage Christian University
- Howard Payne University
- Idaho State University
- Iowa Lakes Community College
- Jarvis Christian College
- John Tyler Community College
- La Roche University
- La Salle University
- LaGuardia Community College
- Lane Community College
- Lawrence Technological University
- Lee University
- Lehigh University
- Life Pacific College
- Lipscomb University
- Lyon College
- Manhattan College
- Mansfield University of PA
- Maranatha Baptist University
- Marist College
- McDaniel College
- McMurry University
- Miami University
- Middle Tennessee State University
- Molloy College
- Nash Community College
- Naugatuck Valley Community College
- New College of Florida
- Northwest Arkansas Community College
- Northwestern Health Sciences University
- Nova Southeastern University
- Oakland University
- Penfield Library, SUNY Oswego
- Pfeiffer University
- Roxbury Community College
- Rush University
- Saint Joseph Seminary College
- San Jose State University
- Seminole Public Library
- Shoreline Community College
- Siena College
- Southeast Missouri State University
- Southeastern University
- Southern Utah University
- Southwestern Adventist University
- Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
- St. Catherine University
- State Fair Community College
- SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- Thomas Jefferson University
- Toccoa Falls College
- UA Little Rock
- United Lutheran Seminary
- Universidad Adventista de las Antillas
- University at Albany/SUNYA
- University of California San Diego
- University of Hawaii at Hilo
- University of Hull
- University of Maryland Baltimore County
- University of Massachusetts Boston
- University of New England
- University of North Dakota
- University of Notre Dame
- University of South Alabama
- University of South Carolina School of Law
- University of South Carolina Upstate
- University of Texas at El Paso
- University of Texas at San Antonio
- University of Texas Permian Basin
- University of Toledo (Ohio)
- Wayne State College
- Wilkes University
- Woodbury university
- Yavapai College - Prescott Campus
- Yeshiva University
- York College of PA
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