Ian Smalley CCTP-745: Communication Technology and Organizations April 23 rd, 2009 Final...

Ian SmalleyIan Smalley

CCTP-745: Communication Technology CCTP-745: Communication Technology and Organizationsand Organizations

April 23April 23rdrd, 2009, 2009

Final PresentationFinal Presentation

Communication Communication Technology Use in Technology Use in

Library Research and Library Research and Reference AssistanceReference Assistance

The Decline of Face to Face The Decline of Face to Face InteractionInteraction

Referencing desks have declined all over the Referencing desks have declined all over the country for the last decade, by as much as ten to country for the last decade, by as much as ten to twenty percent, per year, for the last ten years. twenty percent, per year, for the last ten years. So that means that whereas in 1995 or so you So that means that whereas in 1995 or so you might have been answering 100,000 questions a might have been answering 100,000 questions a year, now we’re answering closer to 15,000 or year, now we’re answering closer to 15,000 or 30,000. And there is a whole group of libraries, 30,000. And there is a whole group of libraries, called the Association for Research Libraries, called the Association for Research Libraries, there is one hundred and thirteen of them that there is one hundred and thirteen of them that are really big libraries, and they’ve been keeping are really big libraries, and they’ve been keeping track of this for a really long time, and there has track of this for a really long time, and there has been a steady decline by at least thirty to fifty been a steady decline by at least thirty to fifty percent in every library in the last decade. - Will percent in every library in the last decade. - Will WheelerWheeler

QuestionsQuestions

How are new communication technologies How are new communication technologies changing reference and research in changing reference and research in libraries?libraries?

Are they replacing or complementing Are they replacing or complementing traditional methods?traditional methods?

Will we see a switch to all online reference Will we see a switch to all online reference help?help?

Is a combination of reference help Is a combination of reference help methods that are determined by the methods that are determined by the situation hold the key to effective and situation hold the key to effective and efficient help?efficient help?

What does the future hold?What does the future hold?

InterviewsInterviews

Martha Smalley: Special Collections Martha Smalley: Special Collections librarian at the Yale Divinity School Librarylibrarian at the Yale Divinity School Library



Nicolette Sosulski: Reference librarian for Nicolette Sosulski: Reference librarian for the Portage District Library and the Portage District Library and QuestionPoint, an online 24/7 virtual QuestionPoint, an online 24/7 virtual reference servicereference service



Nicolette Sosulski: Reference librarian for Nicolette Sosulski: Reference librarian for the Portage District Library and the Portage District Library and QuestionPoint, an online 24/7 virtual QuestionPoint, an online 24/7 virtual reference servicereference service

William Wheeler: Head of Research & William Wheeler: Head of Research & Instruction at Georgetown’s Lauinger Instruction at Georgetown’s Lauinger LibraryLibrary

Communication MediaCommunication Media StrengthsStrengths WeaknessesWeaknesses

Face to face interactionFace to face interaction - Synchronous Interaction- Synchronous Interaction- Physical Cues- Physical Cues- Rapid Feedback and Free Flowing - Rapid Feedback and Free Flowing

Idea ExchangeIdea Exchange- Useful for Understanding Complex - Useful for Understanding Complex

Issues and Clarifying ProblemsIssues and Clarifying Problems

- Time Constraints- Time Constraints- Distance Constraints- Distance Constraints

PhonePhone - Synchronous Interaction- Synchronous Interaction- Rapid Feedback- Rapid Feedback- Available Over Long Distances- Available Over Long Distances

- Lack of Visual Cues- Lack of Visual Cues- Inability to Show Visual Examples - Inability to Show Visual Examples

or Explanationsor Explanations

EmailEmail - Efficient Communication of Data- Efficient Communication of Data- Ability to Multi-Task- Ability to Multi-Task

- Asynchronous Interaction- Asynchronous Interaction- Lack of Visual Cues- Lack of Visual Cues- Inability to Show Visual Examples - Inability to Show Visual Examples

or Explanationsor Explanations

Live Chat ReferenceLive Chat Reference - Synchronous Interaction- Synchronous Interaction- Ability to Multi-task- Ability to Multi-task- Patron Anonymity (for Patron)- Patron Anonymity (for Patron)- Efficient Communication of Data- Efficient Communication of Data- Useful for Short, Simple Questions- Useful for Short, Simple Questions

- Patron Anonymity (for Reference - Patron Anonymity (for Reference Librarian)Librarian)

- Comfort with Technology- Comfort with Technology-Skill with Technology-Skill with Technology- Typing Skills- Typing Skills

Online Downloadable ContentOnline Downloadable Content - Concise, Visually Rich Data- Concise, Visually Rich Data - No Interactivity- No Interactivity

Strengths and Weaknesses of Communication Strengths and Weaknesses of Communication TechnologiesTechnologies

Face to Face vs. Mediated Face to Face vs. Mediated InteractionInteraction

[I]n the Special Collections area, [I]n the Special Collections area, where I work, I think we see more where I work, I think we see more face to face kind of people just face to face kind of people just because of the type of reference because of the type of reference questions they are asking are a little questions they are asking are a little more complicated. They need to more complicated. They need to know about the collections in a way know about the collections in a way that requires more detail so they like that requires more detail so they like to make appointments to come talk. to make appointments to come talk. – Martha Smalley– Martha Smalley

Confusion in Chat Messaging Confusion in Chat Messaging Reference HelpReference Help

If somebody gives you a… if you get this If somebody gives you a… if you get this grossly misspelled incoming message, grossly misspelled incoming message, there are five possibilities: there is a there are five possibilities: there is a brilliant person who just can’t spell; this is brilliant person who just can’t spell; this is a person who is a lousy typist; this is a a person who is a lousy typist; this is a person who is young and hasn’t learned person who is young and hasn’t learned spelling yet or is unfamiliar with spelling spelling yet or is unfamiliar with spelling conventions; or it’s an ESL person. And conventions; or it’s an ESL person. And depending on whether you get that right, depending on whether you get that right, the whole level of sources and the whole level of sources and sophistication of research that you’re sophistication of research that you’re dealing with… you can really miss the boat dealing with… you can really miss the boat if you get it wrong. – Nicolette Sosulskiif you get it wrong. – Nicolette Sosulski

Level of Comfort With the New Level of Comfort With the New Communication TechnologyCommunication Technology

We have had sporadic success with instant messaging We have had sporadic success with instant messaging reference, but part of the deal is that a lot of librarians reference, but part of the deal is that a lot of librarians are not thrilled with – because they’ve been doing are not thrilled with – because they’ve been doing reference for years – they find reference in an instant reference for years – they find reference in an instant message or chat environment a little intimidating…. Part message or chat environment a little intimidating…. Part of it I think is just less comfort with the technology. You of it I think is just less comfort with the technology. You have the technologies, plus you have the speed have the technologies, plus you have the speed pressure, and the typing, and of course the time stress…pressure, and the typing, and of course the time stress…plus everything you do is recorded. So anything you plus everything you do is recorded. So anything you mess up there is a lasting record of…. Some of my mess up there is a lasting record of…. Some of my colleagues have been librarians for twenty-five, twenty-colleagues have been librarians for twenty-five, twenty-eight, thirty-two years, so they’ve been using the other eight, thirty-two years, so they’ve been using the other modes of reference, and they don’t use chat or texting in modes of reference, and they don’t use chat or texting in a social environment. So it ends up…it’s another a social environment. So it ends up…it’s another technology to learn, with its own time pressures and its technology to learn, with its own time pressures and its own challenges. – Nicolette Sosulskiown challenges. – Nicolette Sosulski

Anonymity of Mediated InteractionAnonymity of Mediated Interaction

At NC State they would have… they started doing At NC State they would have… they started doing this online reference question answering, and this online reference question answering, and they found that there would be people in the they found that there would be people in the library, in front of the reference desk, who would library, in front of the reference desk, who would rather type in a question than come up to the rather type in a question than come up to the desk…. And there was a while in the late 90s and desk…. And there was a while in the late 90s and early 2000s where people thought, hey chat is early 2000s where people thought, hey chat is really going to catch on because people can be really going to catch on because people can be anonymous, and one of the reasons they’re not anonymous, and one of the reasons they’re not talking to people at the desk is because they’re talking to people at the desk is because they’re afraid of them, or approaching them and looking afraid of them, or approaching them and looking stupid or something. - Will Wheelerstupid or something. - Will Wheeler

Anonymity of Mediated InteractionAnonymity of Mediated Interaction

NS:NS: [Y]ou know there are time where I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, [Y]ou know there are time where I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe they asked that question’. Of course on the I can’t believe they asked that question’. Of course on the reference desk you have to have a poker face. But people, reference desk you have to have a poker face. But people, when they think they’re completely anonymous will ask when they think they’re completely anonymous will ask things on chat that they would never ask a person on a things on chat that they would never ask a person on a reference desk. Never, never, never. I get a lot of very reference desk. Never, never, never. I get a lot of very interesting how-to questions that I would not get on the interesting how-to questions that I would not get on the reference desk.reference desk.

IS: IS: Yeah, that no one would be able to ask with a straight Yeah, that no one would be able to ask with a straight face when they’re standing in front of you?face when they’re standing in front of you?

NS:NS: Um… I end up sending them to very interesting help Um… I end up sending them to very interesting help sites (laughter). Well, like for example if your personal sites (laughter). Well, like for example if your personal piercing gets infected…people are much more likely to ask piercing gets infected…people are much more likely to ask about that in an anonymity situation than they are on a about that in an anonymity situation than they are on a reference desk…. We get questions about personal reference desk…. We get questions about personal situations, you get sex questions… trying to stump the situations, you get sex questions… trying to stump the librarian (laughter). We get people who aren’t sure if they librarian (laughter). We get people who aren’t sure if they broke the law.broke the law.

Theoretical ApplicationsTheoretical Applications

Media Choice Theories: Media richness perception Media Choice Theories: Media richness perception is dynamic. Media appropriateness is best is dynamic. Media appropriateness is best determined based on the job context and determined based on the job context and situational elements.situational elements.



Channel Expansion Theory: As new communication Channel Expansion Theory: As new communication technologies are integrated into organizations technologies are integrated into organizations people are forced to adapt to them. They build people are forced to adapt to them. They build knowledge bases and eventually become more knowledge bases and eventually become more comfortable with the communication channel and comfortable with the communication channel and types of messages it can send.types of messages it can send.



Channel Expansion Theory: As new communication Channel Expansion Theory: As new communication technologies are integrated into organizations technologies are integrated into organizations people are forced to adapt to them. They build people are forced to adapt to them. They build knowledge bases and eventually become more knowledge bases and eventually become more comfortable with the communication channel and comfortable with the communication channel and types of messages it can send.types of messages it can send.

Adaptive Structuration: As the rules surrounding Adaptive Structuration: As the rules surrounding these new technologies are adopted into the these new technologies are adopted into the organization and become norms they create a re-organization and become norms they create a re-emphasizing cycle. Use of the media maintains its emphasizing cycle. Use of the media maintains its position in the structure.position in the structure.

The Future of Reference The Future of Reference Assistance in LibrariesAssistance in Libraries

People are becoming more and more People are becoming more and more comfortable with new virtual reference comfortable with new virtual reference technologies.technologies.



Creating a network of communication Creating a network of communication channels that can selected and utilized channels that can selected and utilized based on the situational factors.based on the situational factors.




An increase in participatory databases and An increase in participatory databases and user contribution.user contribution.




An increase in participatory databases and An increase in participatory databases and user contribution.user contribution.

Teaching the patrons how to help Teaching the patrons how to help themselves more effectively.themselves more effectively.

Ian Smalley CCTP-745: Communication Technology and Organizations April 23 rd, 2009 Final...

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