   
Reference Work Discussion Group (102)Do we really serve our users ?
Marianne Hummelshoj, Associate Professor, MLI. Sci. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Information services |
2 Value-adding services |
3 Communication services |
4 Transaction services |
| Lists of links | Thematic structure(browsing facility) | Ask the librarian | Reservations |
| Search facility | Proposals for acquisition | ||
| Help facilities | Registrations of memberships, etc. | ||
| Annotations | |||
| Language versions Instruction |
Fig. 1 Model for evaluation and development of reference services on libraries' web-sites
Information services
These services are defined as services "to retrieve sorted and classified information on demand (e.g. WWW sites)" (European Commission, 1998, p. 8). As many libraries still have lists with unstructured links or any other kind of value added to the links, e.g. annotations, it appears to be more illustrative to distinguish between services, which present naked, unstructured links, and other services, which have been added various values, as seen below.Value-adding services
The model focuses on the value-adding services in order to illustrate the work or expertise of the librarians/information specialists. These services are, however, not included in the model from The European Commission, but seem relevant from the users´ point of view, and crucial if "we really want to serve our users". The value-adding is not confined to the value, which is added to the links, but includes any kind of help, explanation or instruction to support the user. The following services in this category: Structure: The information may be presented in a variety of ways. In some cases the traditional classification system, used in the physical library would be a solution, but this is normally not comprehensible to users in general. Many libraries have developed a structure based on themes, e.g. 'life circles' (community information) or virtual libraries, which are used in a number of research or academic libraries in order to meet the information need of their target groups in a more comprehensible way. This supports the browsing potentials of the service to any user, as well. Search facility: As the size of the services increases, the demand for a search facility emerges with the purpose of offering an alternative access to the information content. This should, however, be developed in relation to comprehensive indexing of the entire site. Too many libraries neglect to do so with incomprehensible search results as the consequence.Help facility: Browsing and searching facilities will normally meet the users´ demands and expectations, but help facilities for search, communication, and transaction, etc. is a necessary supplementation to unmediated services.
Annotations: Annotations added all presented information resources are traditionally a service which is most related to value-adding. Furthermore, they illustrate that the library has a policy of quality or other criteria for selection and a policy for mediation of the resources. A genuine annotation to an information resource consists of a description, an evaluation, and an instruction of use and is very resource consuming to elaborate. Cooperation between libraries (as seen in Denmark ) could be a solution.
Language versions: Even if they are not related to reference service alone, it is stressed- that any kind of service on the Internet should at least have an English version to be open to most users, but in addition it must be considered to develop more exotic language versions to meet the diversity of users in the community.
Instruction: Remote instruction of users' in the information searching process may be relevant adding to the services as a part of improvement of level of the users' ability to search and to evaluate the information resources.
Communication services
" to interact with individuals (private or corporate) or groups of people (e.g. via e-mail or discussion fora)." (European Commission, 1998, p. 8). In relation to libraries and especially reference services, the communication services represent primarily the mediated service or "ask the librarian", which it is often called and which is the essential of reference services. However, the evaluations demonstrate that many libraries think they offer this service by the e-mail address on their web-sites, but it can not be considered to be a real "ask the librarian " service without a formula for posing the question and additionally: a proper reference interview, as recommended by Abels (1996). Help facilities and an archive with answers are also recommendable and may be considered to be a useful service for the users and an effective way of promotion, as well. Some libraries have extended communication services, e.g. discussion fora, which enable individuals to discuss different subjects, which could be of interest within the local/regional community.Transaction services
"to acquire products or services on-line or to submit data (e.g. government forms, voting)" (European Commission, 1998, p. 8). Transaction services or self-services are progressing concurrently with the modernisation of public administration and private companies, as well. These services are seen in libraries, especially in research libraries, as reservations, proposals for acquisition of books and periodicals, or inclusion of links, etc. These services are saving resources and should, therefore, be considered in the further development of web-sites. In the near future libraries will probably have links to a number of transaction services from other parts of the society, e.g. elections and referenda, as well.Conclusion
Evaluations of reference services on library web-sites demonstrate the requirement for improving the quality of the majority of services, which appears low and insufficient and an impediment to promotion of the libraries in the competition with commercial information web-sites.A model for development of services on public web-sites from The European Commission is applied and extended for library use. Each type of service is explained and commented. The model has been the basis for evaluations of both public and research libraries' websites and is recommended in the continuous process of development, as well, if "we really want to serve our users".
References
Abels, Eileen (1996) - The E-mail Reference Interview. RQ, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 345-358.European Commission (1998) - Public Sector Information: A Key Resource for Europe. Green Paper on Public Sector Information in the Information Society. COM (1998) 585.
Ferguson, Chris D. and Charles A. Bunge (1997) - The Shape of Services to Come: Value-Based Reference Services for the Digital Library College and Research Libraries, vol. 58, no. 3, pp. 252-265.
Hummelshoj, Marianne (2000) - Referenceservices via Internet. En evaluerings- og udviklingsmodel. Paper presented at 'Referencearbejdet i det elektroniske miljø. Bibliotekar, bruger, betjening.' Reykjavik, Iceland 22nd-23th May, 2000. (Danish)
Hummelshoj, Marianne and Nanna Skovrup (1998) - En ny model for reference service i folkebiblioteker. Referencen, 28, no. 6, pp. 3-10. (Danish translation of paper, presented at 10th . NioD Conference, Turku, Finland, sept. 1998).
Hummelshoj, Marianne og Bo Gerner Nielsen (2000) - Folkebibliotekernes referenceservices på Internet ved starten af det nye årtusinde. Biblioteksarbejde, 20. no. 58, pp. 45-53. (Danish)
Moore, Audrey D. (1996)- Reference Librarianship: "It was the Best of Times, It Was...", Reference Librarian, no. 54, p. 3-10.
Mackenzie Owen, J.S. and A. Wiercx (1996) - Knowledge models for Networked Library Services. Final report. NBBI -Project Bureau for Information Management, Hague. . [Citation: 13.01.2000] Accessible on Internet: URL: http:www.nbbi.nl/kms/kmspage.html
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