The Virtual Reference Handbook: Interview and Information Delivery Techniques for the Chat and E‐mail Environments

Citation

Cybulska, G. (2007), "The Virtual Reference Handbook: Interview and Information Delivery Techniques for the Chat and E‐mail Environments", Program: electronic library and information systems, Vol. 41 No. 4, pp. 435-436. https://doi.org/10.1108/00330330710831666

This book provides advice to virtual reference librarians on the technical, reference and communication skills needed to provide a successful virtual reference service. It also provides useful references and exercises to help librarians go some way to gain or improve these skills.

The book starts by discussing the skills needed in a virtual environment and the reader is encouraged to assess their level of competency using a questionnaire. The subsequent chapters provide further detail on how the reader can expand and improve their knowledge in these areas.

The book itself is very much an introductory text – it provides a useful outline (and a refresher!) on how to conduct a reference interview and focuses on the importance of good writing skills. It centres heavily on communication tools, especially chat and instant messaging, rather than on how to use the internet or electronic databases. It does not cover setting up a virtual enquiry service.

The author has posed a number of questions about working in a virtual environment to a group of eight librarians. They discuss real‐life experiences and some of the answers are interesting, especially on how to deal with potentially inappropriate posts in the chat forum. However, the last question about the use of FAQs was not necessary considering some of the responses given.

The author also encourages the reader to carry out self‐assessments and learning exercises. The reader is directed to many references and websites to practise various skills. Examples of the practice exercises include typing skills, tutorials for good reference interviewing and looking at some consumer chat sites to gain some practice using this communication tool.

The book also has a supporting website, and the links in the learning exercises are listed on the site. However, the website does not contain additional information than what is already stated in the book.

There is an American bias to the resources mentioned, for example a site URL is provided that lists all the American public libraries that are on the reference chat service. However, the core messages in this book are applicable to any new entrants to the field.

The book is well‐laid out, each skill needed is preceded by the letter annotating the type of skill (t – technical; r ‐ reference etc.) and the learning activities are scattered throughout the text. Each chapter has a long list of references and recommended reading.

This book highlights the basic skills that all librarians should have, irrespective of whether they deal with virtual customers. The skills of being a good librarian, by knowing your sources and providing a good customer service is the most important feature, and is emphasised throughout the text. It is up to the librarian to ensure that their skills are adaptable so that they can answer enquiries in whatever format they are received, and this book goes a little way to help the librarian achieve this. The book also provides a series of questions that can help evaluate the quality of a virtual enquiry service that is being offered.

This book is targeted to new entrants in the field, or those who need some basic guidance in working in an electronic environment. However, I feel that the price of the book is too high considering it is targeted at the introductory level.