Chapter 1. Self-Assessment Activities

Chapter 2. Learning Activities

Chapter 3. Learning Activities
Learning Activity 3-1
Learning Activity 3-2
Learning Activity 3-3
Learning Activity 3-4
Learning Activity 3-5

Common Chat and E-mail  Abbreviations, Emoticons and Emoting

Chapter 4. Learning Activities

Core Reference Sources and Tools

The Virtual Reference Handbook: Interview and Information Delivery Techniques for the Chat and E-Mail Environments

Learning Activity 3-2. Practice and Observe Chat Reference

This learning activity is a role-play and observation. You are the chat reference service user. You will be observing your own and a virtual reference librarian's responses and actions. You may connect to a real virtual reference service and ask a reference question. Or you may ask a colleague to play the virtual reference librarian while you ask a reference question using Instant Messaging. This is learning activity is based partially on Hirko and Ross's "Secret Patron" activity (2004: 57)

1. Choose one of the reference questions from the list provided in the Optional Reference Questions to Use for Analyzing and Developing Search Strategies Learning Activities section below. *or* Write down a question or questions of your own. If you cannot decide, try asking "I need to know about asparagus". This will give you a wide scope for testing the reference interviewing skills of the chat reference service. Decide what your backstory will be: backyard gardener needing planting information, agriculture scientist needing latest hybrid research, cook needing recipes etc.

2. Decide if you will be a secret patron or if you will ask the virtual reference librarian if they have time to role-play with you and ask them questions about the process as you work with them. You may also choose to work with a colleague known to you through IM or local chat reference software.

3. Connect to the chat reference service that serves your academic or public library community. If you do not know if your library offers chat reference check for it in LiveRef: A Registry of Real-Time Digital Reference Services - http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/LiveRef.htm.

4. Ask your question. Identify yourself if appropriate. Self-reflect: how does the librarian interview you as a user? Does the librarian elicit the pertinent details of your information need? If you are identifying yourself, does the librarian respond positively? Does the librarian let you know if the service is too busy to accomodate your questions? If you are a secret patron, do you have to wait long for a response? How does the librarian handle your question initially? Canned message? Does the librarian identify him or her self?

5. Self-Reflect: What type of information do you the user need? Known Item or General Information? What type of question was asked? Directions, Policies, Ready Reference, Specific-Search, Research?

6. What does the virtual reference librarian ask you or otherwise respond? Does the librarian conduct a reference interview? That is does the librarian attempt to determine your real question? Is the librarian approachable? Does the librarian show interest? How? Does the librarian explain or otherwise share a search strategy with you?

7. What will you, the user, do or say in response to the virtual reference librarian? How is the reference interview concluded?

8. Other things to consider for real-life practice that you do not need to respond to for optional role-play activity:

   • How do you, the user, indicate that you are dissatisfied or satisfied with the response to your question?

   • Consider the impression - attitude, intelligence, etc. - you think you convey as a virtual reference user.

   • Describe the reference person's attitude. (e.g., friendly, forthcoming, reluctant, irritable, short, etc. ) How do you 'know'?

   • What are you impressions or feelings? Describe what you noticed.

9. Turn-about: Ask a colleague or friend to role-play and IM or Webchat with you as a user asking a question. You roleplay the part of the virtual reference librarian. Ask your colleague to critique your reference interview skills, etc.

NOTE: You may also write down questions of your own to use for these Activities. These questions are real-life questions that have been pre-researched so we know approximately what kind of answers/information will be found. Consider your backstory. Use your imagination and experience to act as a realistic user.

• Consumer Health

1. A general practitioner believes that a female patient might have cluster headaches. Where can the patient find a report on headache diagnosis and treatment?
2. A patient has heard that it is not necessary to perform a hysterectomy to remove uterine leiomyomas (fibroids). Where can she find information on the surgical or drug treatment of uterine leiomyomas on the Internet?
3. Do you have any medical books?
4. I need information about Multiple Sclerosis?
5. Do you have a book about herbal cures?
6. How can I find out if my doctor is a quack?
7. I need a book about how to tell if you're pregnant - for my friend.
8. How do I tell if my baby has lead poisoning (or arsenic, or other poison).
9. Do you have a book on alzheimers?

• Genealogy

1. A Genealogical researcher needs to know if she can get vital statistics for her state/county/country/province (pick a state/county/country/province of your choice) on the Internet, or can she order them through the Internet?
2. Can you find a Census Index, transcription, or scanned image for your state/county/country/province? (pick a state/county/country/province of your choice)
3. I need to find my grandfather's death certificate.
4. Do you have any books on <surname>?
5. Do you have any books on finding adoptive parents?
6. My family came from this county, this little books says you have the census records here at the library.
7. My grandfather was a revolutionary war hero. Do you have a book about him? (or Civil War, or WWII, or WWI).
8. My mother says the library is scanning in her diary and newspapers records. Where do you keep them?
9. Do you have the address of the Ohio Historical Society?

• Legal

1. Do you have any divorce forms? (or adoption, or lease, or bankruptcy)
2. Do I need a lawyer if I want to sue my neighbor for damages?
3. How do I incorporate?
4. What are the custody laws between New York and Ohio?
5. I need to know how to legally change my name (or adopt my spouse's children orgrandchildren)
6. Do you have a list of DUI lawyers?
7. How old do you have to be to drive a truck? a big-rig. (or limo, or taxi, or other commercial transprot)

• Business

1. Your mom, who wants to run her own quilt shop, needs information on small business loans and planning assistance. Where can she find them on the Internet?
2. I'm applying for jobs at several different companies. I have interviews with Sherwin Williams, American Electric Power,  and Timken. How can I find them on the Web  so I can learn more about each company in preparation for my interviews?
3. Do you have company history for the J.M. Smucker, Co.? (or any other Company)
4. How do I know if my business is required to pay sales taxes?
5. Do you have any books on investing?
6. I need a list of addresses for all of the companies in x county in x state.(use a county and state of your choice)
7. I read on the Internet that I can get free grants for my business here.
8. Who owns Proctor and Gamble? (or any other company)
9. Do you have books about doing business in other countries? (choose a country)

• Children's Questions

1. In my High School speech class we have to find speeches by two different people and compare and contrast them. I've been assigned: Thomas Jefferson's "Commerce between Master and Slave", and Frederick Douglass' "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" The library reserves doesn't have any more copies of the speeches I need. Where can I get copies on the Internet?
2. A teacher has assigned the history and rememberance of the Holocaust in her 6th and 7th grade Modern History class. What supporting resources for her students can you find on the Internet? What resources can you find that would talk about critical thinking in studying history? (e.g., historical revisionists)?
3. Who is the inventor of the first automatic traffic light (3rd grader)
4. What was the name of that guy who really wrote Shakespeare's Plays? (high school)
5. What does "warm-blooded" mean? (6th grader)
6. I need pictures of the Rock. (or any other celebrity who interests children ages 6-18 - Fill in the celebrity you've heard of or been asked about most often by children you work with or know)
7. I need a book on how to win the Science Fair (8th grader)
8. How do you spell circumnavigate? (4th grader)
9. Why is Columbus the capital of Ohio? (7th grader)

• Readers Advisory

1. Would I like Isaac Asimov's children's stories. (6th grader)
2. What is Danielle Steele's real name?
3. I read this book where five kids go to Europe. It was an old book. Do you have it? It was something like Salt or Pepper?
4. Who is that writer who writes all those mystery stories about an archaelogist in Egypt in the 1800's? The best character is named Peabody I think.
5. The newspaper said that there is a new book out about Alaska do you have it?
6. What does it mean when this book says its a "Caldecott Medal" winner ?(or "Newberry Honor" winner)
7. Do you have any books about how to get a teenager to abstain from pre-marital - you know, activities?

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