Thesis. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record.

This study (full-text in french) concerns collaborative virtual reference in French academic libraries. After a brief inventory of these services at the end of the year 2006, the reflexion is based on the particular project of the Paris-Sorbonne SCD (Joint Library Services, Paris-IV). A methodology is outlined for the organization of digital reference in academic context, in which collaborative work is relevant: it allows these services to achieve their development in universities.

While the racial diversity of academic library users continues to grow, research on the effects of this diversity remains scarce. This study looks at similarities and differences between non-traditional Caucasian and African American library users through content analysis of ninety-four virtual reference transactions.

This is a preprint of an article published in the Journal of Academic Librarianship 25(3), pp. 178-186. This article reviews the literature on academic library reference service, and examines changes in the traditional reference desk model. Based on the review from the perspectives of managers, librarians, and users, new research directions are proposed in which usersâ information-search processes and librariansâ intervention in reference service are integrated.

Research is divided about the potential of e-service to bridge communication gaps, particularly to diverse user groups. According to the existing body of literature, e-service may increase or decrease the quality of service received. This study analyzes the level of service received by different genders and ethnic groups when public librarians answer online reference queries. Quality of e-service was evaluated along three dimensions: responsiveness, reliability, and courtesy. This study found no significant differences among different user groups along any of these dimensions, supporting the argument that the virtual environment facilitates equitable service and may overcome some challenges of diverse user groups.

The scenario planning method is used to explore several possible futures for digital reference services. Using two dimensions - funding sources and automation - four different scenarios are developed. Common needs across all four scenarios drive a discussion of both current and future research needs, and are used to position all components from this digital reference research agenda book in a common context.

Virtual reference, which allows users to connect easily with librarians online, is becoming popular. Librarians answer thousands of questions every day over the Internet. As the service matures, professional associations publish standards that provide professional guidelines to improve the quality of the services. This article focuses attention on the quality of these e-services in light of professional and ethical standards in the field. It examines the extent to which librarians adhere to professional and ethical guidelines and the role that virtual reference plays in providing services to diverse user groups. First, it discusses adherence to the professional standards and shows that the professional behaviors of librarians vary depending on user, institution, and request types. Then, it discusses the extent to which librarians provide equitable online reference services to diverse users groups and the inconsistent findings from empirical research.

Research is divided about the potential of e-service to bridge communication gaps, particularly to diverse user groups. According to the existing body of literature, e-service may increase or decrease the quality of service received. This study analyzes the level of service received by different genders and ethnic groups when public librarians answer online reference queries. Quality of e-service was evaluated along three dimensions: responsiveness, reliability, and courtesy. This study found no significant differences among different user groups along any of these dimensions, supporting the argument that the virtual environment facilitates equitable service and may overcome some challenges of diverse user groups.

While the racial diversity of academic library users continues to grow, research on the effects of this diversity remains scarce. This study looks at similarities and differences between non-traditional Caucasian and African American library users through content analysis of ninety-four virtual reference transactions.

The attributes of education in a digital neighborhood have warranted a community of teachers on one end with shared curriculum and teaching materials and another community of students with distance and distributed learning on the other end. There is a different kind of ecology emerging and the library professionals have the opportunity to create a world without borders, making everything available to everyone anytime, anywhere. Roles of libraries have changed from being traditional to exist as hybrid or electronic libraries. In turn, the Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals have become intelligent filters of information and contribute to the libraries to emerge as â Knowledge Resource Centersâ . Creating successful e-information services for its demanding clientele has become their major challenge. One such case study of e-information services provided by the Science Campus (Guindy Campus) Li-brary of University of Madras is focused in this paper. The Campus Library caters to the re-search community of Schools of Life, Physical, Chemical, Earth Sciences and an array of re-searchers (members) from industries. Periodic discussions with experts, faculty and research scholars have necessitated the Library to enhance research with Information Gateways on spe-cific themes. Subject Gateways on Biomedical Sciences, Life, Chemical, Physical and Inter-disciplinary Sciences are compiled periodically and made available on the intranet in turn making its clientele access the sources on the internet from their desktop. They not only sup-plement research but also new popular courses introduced, thrust of the University programs and so on. The Gateway focused here is â Nutraceuticalsâ which is a component of the Gate-ways on â Biomedical Sciencesâ . The methodology of information aggregation from the Inter-net, evaluating their validity and organizing them for access, the strategies used to market the e-service, such as organizing user education and information literacy programs are discussed. Methods of evaluation of the service provided are analysed to improve the same. The chal-lenges of the career to develop essential skills to combat technology have compelled the pro-fessionals at the Library to get trained and update their technical expertise. Thus the Library tries to support the evolutionary convergence of Library Services, Technology and the Clien-tele.