Utilizing Soft Skills within the Virtual Reference Transaction

Michigan Virtual Reference Conference

Don’t Forget to Smile

Don BoozerKnowItNow24x7 Coordinator

support@knowitnow.org

A Brief Look at

41 public libraries24 academic libraries

18 individual volunteers

850,000+sessions

A Brief Historyof Virtual Reference

We begin 8,000 years ago...

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HardSkills

SoftSkills

HardSkills

SoftSkills

HardSkills

SoftSkills

HardSkills

SoftSkills

Guidelines for Behavioral Performance

of Reference and Information Service Providers

http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesbehavioral

"...the librarian's first step in initiating the reference transaction is to make the patron feel comfortable in a situation that can be perceived as intimidating, confusing, or overwhelming. The librarian’s initial response in any reference situation sets the tone for the entire communication process, and influences the depth and level of interaction."

Make the patron feel comfortable.

Providing library service via chat technology requires competencies in both communication skills as well as reference skills.

~ Miriam Matteson“A Systematic Review of Research on Live Chat Service.” Reference & User Services Quarterly. Winter 2011.

The positive or negative emotions evoked by the user's interaction with a service or resource may mean more to them in the long run than whether they are able to complete the task they set out to do.

~ Stephen Francoeur“Reference Back Talk: Testing,Testing:Virtual Reference UX” (Library Journal, 6/1/13)

i love when the people ask you things like "how was your day" and things like that

~ KIN24x7 patron comment

HardSkills

SoftSkills

HardSkills

SoftSkills

Guidelines for Behavioral Performance

of Reference and Information

Service Providers

ApproachabilityInterestListening/InquiringSearchingFollow-up

ApproachabilityInterestListening/InquiringSearchingFollow-up

Approachability

Interest

Listening/Inquiring

Follow-up

Quality Assurance Committee for KnowItNow24x7

QuACK

Volunteers

Relentless Reference

HMS Relentless

Relentless ReferenceOzzie@Sinclair Hi, I'm Ozzie, a librarian at Sinclair. Thanks for your question!Guest why cant i own a canadian?Ozzie@Sinclair Hi.Guest HelloOzzie@Sinclair I'm not sure I understand your question.Ozzie@Sinclair Can you tell me more?Guest I want to know why i can own a canadian slaveOzzie@Sinclair It will help me to know if this is for a class assignment. If so, which class or subject is it for?Guest social studies or some <$#%&> like thatOzzie@Sinclair I'm happy to help you, but no swearing please. Otherwise, I'll have to end the session.Ozzie@Sinclair The 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery. Here's some information on that: http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/13thamendment.htmlGuest ur that kind of librarian?? How annoying.... well <$#%&> itOzzie@Sinclair Thanks for using our service.

Thank YouSlides posted at

http://www.slideshare.net/donboozer

Don Boozerdon@cpl.org

See Also… “A Systematic Review of Research on Live Chat Service.” Reference & User Services Quarterly. Winter 2011. 172-90.“The Three R’s: Rapport, Relationship, and Reference.” Reference Librarian. Jan-Mar 2010. 45-52.“Best Practices in Chat Reference Used by Florida’s Ask a Librarian Virtual Reference Librarians.” Reference Librarian. Jan-Mar 2010. 53-68. Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User and Librarian Perspectives. http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/synchronicity.html

List of Reasons Transcripts Received Very Poor Ratingfrom KIN24x7 practicum student study

•Not conducting a reference interview

•Asking closed questions

•Not asking the right questions

•Making assumptions

•Not responding to or acknowledging questions

•Not explaining why sources were sent

•Not managing the chat and expectations

•Not explaining what information could be found

•Trying to convince patrons that they were looking for different information than they actually wanted

•Not establishing or maintaining word contact with the patron

•Not acknowledging or greeting the patron

•Not answering questions

•Not using friendly or conversational tones

•Making the patrons ask for information more than once

•Giving stipulations on how many questions you will help answer

•Telling a student that he or she could get all of the information from their class materials

•Using canned messages

•Telling the patron that they were working with another patron but not coming back to help them

•Not asking if question was completely answered

•Not asking if the patron needed help with anything else

•Not providing a referral Ignoring requests for more help

•Not providing a closing statement or saying goodbye

•Simply logging off

•Not sending any resources for the patron to consider

Image CreditsTitle page: quokka - http://www.bubblews.com/news/140007-the-animal-world039s-happiest

Relief panel from Nimrud: http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/322611

Assyrian synonym list: http://cdli.ucla.edu/P345976

City letter carrier: http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=2&cmd=1&id=194277

Alexander Graham Bell: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bellhtml/004046.html

Verirrt (Ritter fragt Reisigsammler nach dem Weg), signiert A. Friedländer: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfred_Friedl%C3%A4nder_Verirrt.jpg

Wanderer fragt nach dem Weg: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stra%C3%9Fenszene_1842_Wanderer_fragt_nach_dem_Weg.jpg

NYPL Information Desk: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nypl/3110116862

Librarian with teens: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nypl/3110133552

Lathe operator: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8623220@N02/2179234054

Quokka: http://www.arkive.org/quokka/setonix-brachyurus/image-G123089.html

Spectrum: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/clouds/color.htm

Crossword Puzzle: http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/findings/mar06/puzzle_march06.html

Ducks: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andf%C3%A5glar,_till_art,_Nordisk_familjebok.png

Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jigsaw.svg

Screaming Woman: http://numerique.bibliotheque.toulouse.fr/collect/photographiesanciennes/index/assoc//ark:/74899/B315556101_TRUC1337.dir/C0001337.JPG