1. Marian Ramos-Eclevia
marian.eclevia@dlsu.edu.ph

2. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
1. Current Realities of Philippine DRS
2. Objectives and Limitation of the Study
3. Research Methodology
4.Results and Discussion
5. Success of Chat Reference

3. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
 356 academic libraries
 22 academic libraries
offer DRS
 E-mail reference in the
Philippines started in
early 2000s
 2008 - Ask-a-Librarian
using IM and web form
(asynchronous)

4. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
 Instant Messaging (Yahoo!
Messenger and Gtalk)
 Meebo
 Livezilla
 Web forms
 In-house developed chat
application
 Springshare LibChat

5. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Started in 2009 using Yahoo!
Messenger and Gtalk!
 Opening hours
Weekdays:
8:00AM to 12:00MN
Saturdays:
8:00AM to 5:00PM

6. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Chat Reference Transactions in UP Diliman

7. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Chat
Transactions,
2012

8. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Library Online Reference
Assistant
Launched in 2009 using
Yahoo! Messenger
 Opening hours
Monday –Saturday
7:00AM to 8:00PM

9. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
LORA Transactions in Numbers

10. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Started using Springshare
LibChat, May 2013
Chat widget – embedded in
various pages of the library
website

11. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Chat
Transactions,
January-June
2013

12. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
To understand the librarians’ perceptions of
quality chat reference services of selected
academic libraries in the Philippines.

13. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
chat reference
definition
similarities and
differences of
reference interview in
chat reference and
traditional reference
advantages and
disadvantages of chat
reference and in-
person reference
successful and less
successful experience
in chat reference
perception

14. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Critical
Incident
Technique

15. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
24 librarians and
information specialists
Questionnaires
Max for Qualitative
Data Analysis software
(MAXqda)

16. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB

17. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
20 females
4 males
13 have MLIS
units
7 MLIS
degree holder
21 licensed
librarians
2 information
specialists
1 Research
Assistant

18. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
12
spent ≤1 year
experience of
chat reference
6
1-3 years on
overall
traditional
reference desk
experience
12
spent 0-8
hours per
week
chat reference

19. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
12.44 hours
per week
average hours
chat reference
2.16 years
average
chat reference
experience
8.05 years
average
overall
traditional
reference desk
experience

20. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
4 respondents
>17 hours per
week
chat reference
All male
respondents
<1 year of chat
reference
experience
All
respondents
<1 year of chat
reference
experience
worked 0-8
hrs/week

21. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
• computer mediated
communication
45
• provide reference services via
Ask-a-Librarian
11
• online conversation between
librarians and users
8

22. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
• allows real-time interaction7
• available anywhere, anytime6
• use of Web 2.0 tools5

23. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
 Fast and convenient
 Increases comfort levels
 Eliminates shyness (user)
 Less expensive (user)
 Less time to do research (user)
 Easier to handle difficult clients

24. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
 Creates relationship with
other reference librarians
 Provides easy access
anywhere
 Allows 24/7 access
 Allows librarians without
borders

25. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Ability to save chat
transcripts
Allows serving more than
one patron at a time
Allows multitasking

26. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Less grammatical errors
because librarian have
time to edit before
sending replies
Provides instantaneous
user feedback

27. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Higher expectations from the librarians
There's a question of trust
May serve users who are not primary
clients
Anonymity of the user/"faceless" user
Time-delay problems
Dependence to electricity, devices, etc.

28. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Requires speed in typing
Drop-off calls/disconnection
problems
Bandwidth problems
Receives irrelevant and trivial
questions
Encounters joy chatters, hoax query
No verbal communication
Have time pressure

29. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
traditional reference services

30. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
traditional reference services
Serves one client at a time
Lack of anonymity
Requires user's physical presence in the
library
Includes unnecessary conversation or
topics not related to the real
information need
Noise and distraction
Librarians may have a feeling of tense
Deals with difficult clients

31. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB

32. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Successful and Unsuccessful Critical Incidents
According to Respondents’ Years of Chat Reference Experience

33. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB

34. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
1 Clarity and completeness of question
2 Ability to do multitasking
3
Knowledge and skills in using
chat facility
4
Positive attitudes of
librarians & users

35. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB

36. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
1 Miscommunication between librarians and users
2 Interruptions caused by walk-ins
3
User information privacy issues
4
Hardware and software
problems

37. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
More stable internet
connection
Staff training
More staff

38. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Libraries should
systematically and
regularly evaluate
the quality of its
services and
programs.

39. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB
Reference interview
and questions
received in chat
reference were
similar to in-person
reference.

40. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB

41. IFLA SATELLITE MEETING::15-16 AUGUST 2013::NLB