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It is reasonable to assume the existence of a new “dynamic” that influences how to measure reference services in libraries and how we evaluate the reference librarians who provide those services. Traditional, face-to-face delivery of reference services is reported to be declining, and there is myriad evidence, albeit largely uncollated and little evaluated, which suggests reference librarians are delivering significant and increasing amounts of the services they render in network environments. These trends raise questions, in turn, about how well we understand the current state of affairs in reference services, particularly where the management and evaluation of reference services in network environments are concerned.

The purpose of this study is to investigate relevant circumstances and conditions bearing – directly and indirectly – on changes in the nature, form, substance, and effects of reference services – through the reference librarian experience. Specifically, this attitudinal study will account for and assess changes in reference services (in the context of a medium-sized private university with a national reputation for successfully integrating information technologies into the educational process), with the further aim of developing an understanding of how to capture statistics and evaluate reference services and personnel in this dynamic environment. Reference librarians at a second mid-sized public university library were also interviewed for comparative data analysis in this study. Select portions of this paper have appeared in other publications in shorter, focused, introductory articles.

The purpose of this paper is to describe how the authors gained a better understanding of the variety of library users' data needs, and how gradually some new data services were established based on current capabilities.

This paper uses a case study of the new data services at the John Cotton Dana Library, at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark campus, to demonstrate the possible ways to extend data reference services and provide data computing services. A content analysis of services records shows how each user group falls into the multiple data services levels and subcategories.

Library users can be classified into many different categories, and each of these may have different needs. Research centers might have big projects involving data gathering and applications where a librarian can mainly provide consultation; while an individual faculty member or student might need the librarians as research partners, with help for their specific problems. Computing data services can involve group training and statistical analysis assistance, where researchers need emergent help. Data librarians can take various opportunities for data management education, thereby gradually raising awareness and cultivating better research habits among researchers.

Library data computing services can make unique contributions to faculty and students' research and study. Institution, library and users' interaction determines the levels and extent of data services and is generalized from the description and analysis of typical data service examples. Classic concept of data services levels is applied to a concrete case of data services program, and sub‐categories of each data services level and user types are developed based on the authors' services record.

Librarians play a critical role in curating, organizing and facilitating access to open data (OD) resources, supporting research, learning and information dissemination. This study aims to explore the use of OD for reference services delivery in academic libraries. It is believed that the concept of OD in librarianship refers to the practice of making publicly available data freely accessible, usable and shareable by anyone.

This research examined how the utilization of OD may affect library services and operations. This paper used the systematic review of literature to answer the research questions; hence, it was a desk study.

Given that there has been recently a research shift in linking OD to library metadata, this study revealed some interesting findings. More specifically, it discovered that incorporating OD into reference services can provide several benefits and enhance the quality and relevance of the information provided to library users. In addition, this paper reported that OD enriches reference services by providing comprehensive, current and interdisciplinary information, supporting evidence-based research, enabling data visualization and analysis, fostering community engagement and promoting innovation.

This paper proposes that libraries that possess extensive collections are in a favorable position to embrace the shift toward becoming OD and open big data libraries. It is also believed that academic libraries, through reference services, meet the challenge of providing access to their institutional repositories by holding many sets of data in various formats and providing various interfaces, developing metadata systems for various data streams, supporting all ecosystems of software and data products for reformatting and reusing large and complex data, and support for data sets identifiers. By actively engaging with OD, librarians can play a vital role in facilitating access to information and promoting the use of open knowledge for academic pursuits.

The Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University has created a working electronic library and has made significant changes in services and staff responsibilities to address users' evolving needs. This article presents an overview of these changes, after discussing the development of electronic libraries at Mann and elsewhere. The increased usage that Mann's collections have received as the electronic library has been developed is also described.

This paper aims to find the current situation of research data services by academic libraries and summarize some strategies for university libraries to reference. Recent years have seen an increasing number of university libraries extended their traditional roles and provided research data services.

This paper selected 87 libraries of the top 100 universities listed in the World’s Best Universities released by the USA News in October 2012 as samples and conducted a Web site investigation to check if there were any research data services provided. In addition, it made an interview with the Wuhan University Library’s Research Data Service Workgroup to understand the procedure, difficulties and experiences of their research data service. Based on the survey and interview, it analyzed the current status and difficulties of research data services in university libraries and proposed some strategies for others to reference.

Of the 87 university libraries investigated, 50 libraries have offered research data services. Most of the services can be divided into six aspects: research data introduction, data management guideline, data curation and storage service, data management training, data management reference and resource recommendation. Among these services, research data introduction is the most frequently provided (47.13 per cent), followed by data curation and storage services (43.68 per cent), data management guideline (42.53 per cent), data management reference (41.38 per cent), resource recommendation (41.38 per cent) and data management training (24.14 per cent). The difficulties met by research data service of Chinese academic libraries are also concluded.

Through Web site investigation and interview with the Wuhan University Library’s Research Data Service, this paper presented an overall picture of research data services in university libraries and identified the difficulties and experiences of research data services of the Wuhan University Library. Based on some successful examples, it put forward some strategies for university libraries to reference. This study is very useful for academic libraries to promote their research data services.

This paper seeks to create an empirical framework for SMS reference services so that libraries may develop a greater understanding of how this service operates and how it may be improved.

The paper conducted a quantitative analysis of 577 SMS transactions, representing 628 reference questions, received during the 2008‐2009 academic year. Each transaction was coded by type of question, transaction length in messages or “events,” and transaction duration in time.

SMS transactions exhibit a higher than expected degree of variability in total number of events, duration and content. Overall, duration of transaction averaged 4.34 hours, and number of events per transaction averaged 3.79. Calculating separately for those transactions that contained a reference query – which comprises 40 percent of the total questions received – noticeably altered the results. The duration of reference queries averaged 4.85 hours, while the number of events averaged 4.65. Where reference queries occurred there was a high incidence of user expressions of gratitude, regardless of duration or number of events exchanged. These results support the conclusion that users do not expect a purely synchronous service, though faster response time and thoroughness of answer do show a relationship with higher user satisfaction.

Many of the findings of the study challenge currently held assumptions and impressions regarding the nature and potential of SMS reference services in academic libraries.

This case study was conducted to assess and make changes to the consortial virtual reference service for the remainder of the period of fully virtual reference (campus closure); a second objective was to consider implications for service design and delivery upon the eventual return to the physical campus.

This paper begins by introducing the institution, reference practices prior to the pandemic and the changes to reference service necessitated by the campus closure. After a literature review of material related to reference and the pandemic, several years of virtual reference service data are analyzed.

The use of consortial virtual reference service has significantly increased in the pandemic, as demonstrated by questions asked by users and questions answered by librarians. Changes to work practices based on these data have been made.

This work is original in that it relates to the physical closure of the campus due to the pandemic, about which, to date, little has been published specifically concerning the design and delivery of reference services.

This study aims to investigate the reference and public service models used at academic libraries in the California State University system.

This exploratory study used a qualitative mixed methods design with an online survey and follow-up interviews with public services librarians.

The majority of the libraries in this study continue to use a traditional reference model with a physical desk staffed by librarians. Some libraries have moved to tiered or on-call reference using students and staff to triage patron questions. The majority of libraries’ public service points also follow a traditional configuration with separate service points for reference and other library public services.

As this research is limited to one public university system, the results may not be generalizable to all academic libraries. Replicating this research in other systems would increase the generalizability of the results and allow for the generation of potential best practices for reference models and public service point configurations.

Librarians who are considering changes to their reference models and service point layouts can use the results as a starting point for conversations about the benefits and challenges of various models as well provide support to create an environment where changes to the models can be successfully implemented.

This study is one of the few to investigate multiple academic libraries’ approaches to reference and public services in the research literature. As such, it addresses a gap in the literature that case studies alone cannot fill.

This case study evaluated a real‐time online interactive reference service. Three data gathering methods were used. First, general usage statistics were generated electronically from the service provider. Second, patron evaluations were collected electronically. Third, questionnaires were mailed to the librarians who provided the service. The general usage statistics revealed an overall pattern of growth in the number of participating libraries, the number of patrons, the number of questions and the total time spent answering them in minutes. Patron evaluations of the service were positive, most of the patrons' questions were answered. They all liked the service and intended to use it again. The librarians' responses were also positive. Most of the librarians were able to find quality Internet Web sites containing the answers to their patrons' questions and when they could not, they often found the answers in a print resource. This finding suggested that regardless of the setting, print resources still had an important role to play in the provision of reference service.

The authors discuss the challenges and successes in implementing a peer reference service model in a community college library.

The authors present a case study about the development of a peer reference service at a community college library. The article includes a chronological overview of the program, a brief literature review, the authors’ own observations, interviews with student employees, comments from librarians working with the students and reference service data. They reviewed local reference service data, conducted a limited review of the literature, interviewed librarians at a university with a peer reference assistance program and incorporated their own observations to create the Pellissippi Ambassadors for Library Success program.

Findings suggest that peer reference services benefit student employees, student researchers and librarians.

The article does not include a comprehensive literature review.

The study discusses peer reference services in a community college library setting and can be of use to librarians implementing peer reference services.