No map, no compass, no hope for survival? Repurposing our online reference collection Wendy Rodgers :: University of Guelph Deborah Wills :: Wilfrid Laurier.

No map, no compass, no hope for survival?Repurposing our online reference collection

Wendy Rodgers :: University of GuelphDeborah Wills :: Wilfrid Laurier University

OLA Super Conference :: Toronto :: Feb. 2, 2006

What is an e-reference collection?

A page or set of pages with links tofree web resources, or to a mix of free and subscription resources.

Changing environment More subscription tools available

Campus portals, Web CT/Blackboard

User behaviour• Start at search engine, not library• Often choose search over navigation• Want/expect to be self-sufficient

What are libraries doing now?Examined 200 academic library web

sites

Nearly 80% have e-ref; 90% Canadian

Over 60% link from home page

Most names include “Reference”

Variety rules

Signs of neglect . . .

Benefits

Browsable, vetted resources

Highlight “hidden” subscription resources

Content tailored to local needs

Can be presented at point-of-need

Challenges

Time-consuming

Hard to package and label

Hard to control

Is anyone using it?

A word about Google . . .

It may have the right answer, but you have to ask the right question

Maintain list of sources, or teach them how to search Google better, or both?

Survey

121 libraries

Canada/U.S. response rate: 57%

Summertime in Australia: 13% response

How old is your collection?

7 years or older – 37%

4 to 6 years – 33%

4 years or younger – 25%

Have you done usability testing?

Yes – 12%

Examples: Finding encyclopedia article• Nebraska• Memorial

Rochester on usability

Do you keep use statistics?

Yes – 41%

Just over half of 41% have analyzed them• Use increased – 25%• Use stayed same – 2%• Use decreased – 0%

Example: Washington

Do you have a marketing strategy?

Yes – 25%

Examples: User groups• Reference staff: Purdue• Administrators: Minnesota• Alumni: Purdue• Faculty: St. Ambrose• Students: various

How has your collection changed? Content increased – 71%

Content decreased – 6%

Collection more prominent – 41%

Collection less prominent – 8%

Listings moved/copied:• Subject/course guides – 31%• Library catalogue – 12%

What’s in a name?

Name has changed – 31%

“Virtual reference” has new meaning

Reference Desks changing names

Usability studies and “reference”

Do you use a database?

Yes – 16%

Approaches Back to the catalogue (Kansas)

Vendor (Pittsburgh)

Subject/course integration (Ohio, Sask.)

Blogging (Kansas City Public)

Social tagging (Pennsylvania)

Audience

“We have created and organized our ready reference pages in our own image. . .”

- Theresa Mudrock

Front-end recommendations Avoid jargon (Reference?)

Annotate listings

Diversify access points

Add search box/metadata

Contextualize

Highlight

Back-end recommendations Use a database

Use the database: Catalogue

Keep and analyze use statistics

Weed as well as add: Quick reference

Run link-checking software

Use staff Intranet

Marketing Spotlight resources/categories

Package/position for audiences

Make it new

Make it relevant

Advertise, advertise, advertise

American thanksgivingBarbara Alvarez, U. Rochester Tara Baillargeon, Kansas State U.Mary Barton, U. Nebraska, Kearney Tom Diamond, Louisiana State U. Vicki Glasgow, U. Minnesota Stella Herzig, St. Ambrose U. John Hubbard, U. Wisconsin, MilwaukeeErik Kraft, U. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Gretchen Stephens, Purdue U.Sarah Wenzel, Columbia U.

Canadian thanksgivingSusan Beatty, U. CalgaryGillian Byrne, Memorial U. NewfoundlandValerie Gibbons, Lakehead U.Genevieve Gore, McGill U.Rae Hazelwood, U. LethbridgeCharlotte Innerd, Nipissing U.Kay Johnson, Athabasca U.Heather Sanderson, St. Mary’s UJudy Senecal, Carleton U.Doug Suarez, Brock U.

Australia: Chris Taylor, U of Queensland

No map, no compass, no hope for survival?Repurposing our online reference collection

Wendy Rodgers :: University of GuelphDeborah Wills :: Wilfrid Laurier University

OLA Super Conference :: Toronto :: Feb. 2, 2006