Lifting the Veil: Analyzing Collaborative Virtual Reference Transcripts to Demonstrate Value and Make Recommendations for Practice

Abstract

Extended transcript analysis was used to analyze how our chat reference was being used and make recommendations for practice. Because this analysis was longitudinal (over a year, or at least several months) significant patterns were documented. Several themes were noted that emphasized the unique characteristics of the Community College population. The project documented that chat reference patrons are persistent. The questions that came up about assessing the service underlined the commonalities between virtual and face to face reference.