AskWHO? The Life and Times of Virtual Reference Services in Washington State Ahniwa Ferrari –– Ask-WA Coordinator, Washington State Library

1. The Life and Times of Virtual Reference
Services in Washington State
Ahniwa Ferrari – Ask‐WA Coordinator
Washington State Library
aferrari@secstate.wa.gov |360‐570‐5587

2. • Grant cycles for VR as far back as 2001
Grant cycles for VR as far back as 2001
• QuestionPoint and 24/7 merge in 2005;
QuestionPoint and 24/7 merge in 2005;
Washington becomes a “cooperative”
• Washington CTCs join the cooperative as a
group in 2008, greatly increasing the number
i 2008 l i i h b
of participating institutions.

3. • 25 libraries participating at start of 2008
25 libraries participating at start of 2008
• 55 libraries at start of 2009
• 59 libraries participating NOW
9 lib i i i i O
• CTCs were a huge part of that growth!

4. • QuestionPoint is an OCLC product (since 2005)
p ( )
• We pay yearly (Jan‐Dec) for use of the software and for
the 24/7 cooperative backup
• Costs are subsidized through the WSL using LSTA funds
(federal grant money); remaining costs are split among
participating libraries by the statewide coordinator
participating libraries by the statewide coordinator
• The SBCTC covered all related CTC costs for 2009; the
WSL hopes to FULLY subsidize all costs in 2010
• The biggest investment made by participating libraries
is in the staff time spent providing coverage

5. • Cooperation means libraries have each others
Cooperation means libraries have each others’
backs
• Questions can be referred to experts without
Questions can be referred to experts without
the questioner having to go anywhere
• C ll b
Collaborating, we increase our pool of
i i l f
expertise exponentially; plus we got to work
together
h

6. • Statewide:
– Access to Spanish‐language chat for all WA libs
– VR portal to access service @ ask wa gov
VR portal to access service @ ask.wa.gov
– More training, more marketing, more support
–MMore buy‐in from more libraries; VR ubiquity
b i f lib i VR bi it
– A Washington Reference Summit? (or WA/OR?)

7. • 2008 (January – April)
2008 (January
– 93 email questions ; 388 chat questions
– 393 chat sessions answered by WA libraries
393 chat sessions answered by WA libraries
• 2009 (January April)
2009 (January –
– 301 email questions ; 1370 chat questions
– 1609 h t
1609 chat sessions answered by WA libraries
i d b WA lib i

8. • With proper marketing and buy in from
With proper marketing and buy‐in from
stakeholders and librarians, 2010 could look
like this:
like this:
– 5000+ email questions asked;
– 40 000+ chat questions asked;
40,000+ chat questions asked;
– 30,000+ answers provided.

9. • All libraries should have received some basic
All libraries should have received some basic
training by now (more is always available)
• Some libraries still getting up and running (or
waiting for summer)
waiting for summer)
• M k i
Marketing efforts in full force for Fall?
ff i f ll f f F ll?

10. • I can t do as good a job “virtually”
I can’t do as good a job virtually
• Other libraries can’t help my users
• VR isn’t appropriate for X type of question …
i ’ i f f i
• I’m already overworked, I can’t start
something new!
• VR is just the next new thing, a fad …
j g,

11. • Benefit to cost ratio is very high
Benefit to cost ratio is very high
• All your statistics are built‐in
• VR better for ESL and “anxious” users
b f S d“ i ”
• Two words: Distance Education
• Staff development / better “reference” q’s
• It s collaborative and improves cooperation
It’s collaborative and improves cooperation

12. • You re providing chat reference, but are you
You’re providing chat reference but are you
whole‐heartedly involved?
– Don’t hide access to your chat links (and don’t let
Don t hide access to your chat links (and don t let
your institution hide access either);
– Don’t limit the service or deter its use;
Don t limit the service or deter its use;
– Find/create/share your success stories!
– Communicate with other VR libraries share best
Communicate with other VR libraries, share best
practices (and your blunders too!)

13. Francoeur, Stephen. “My Workshop on Effective Chat Reference.”
http://www.teachinglibrarian.org/weblog/2009/04/my‐workshop‐on‐
http //www teachinglibrarian org/weblog/2009/04/my workshop on
effective‐chat‐reference.html.
Hirko, Buff, and Mary Bucher Ross. “Virtual Reference Training: The Complete
Guide to Providing Anytime, Anywhere Answers.” Chicago: American
Library Association, 2004.
b
Kern, M. Kathleen. “Virtual Reference Best Practices.” Chicago: American
Library Association, 2008.
Lankes, R. David. New Concepts in Digital Reference. San Rafael CA: Morgan
Lankes R David “New Concepts in Digital Reference ” San Rafael, CA: Morgan
& Claypool, 2009.
Various Authors. “Reference Renaissance: Current and Future Trends.”
Speaker’s Presentations.
http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/presentations.html.
http://www bcr org/referencerenaissance/presentations html
Lots more via Marie Radford’s “Virtual Reference Bibliography @ Rutgers:
http://vrbib.rutgers.edu/.

14. The Life and Times of Virtual Reference
Services in Washington State
Ahniwa Ferrari – Ask‐WA Coordinator
Washington State Library
aferrari@secstate.wa.gov |360‐570‐5587