Digital Reference - American Library Association's Digital Reference Guidelines

American Library Association's Digital Reference Guidelines

The definition formulated by the American Library Association's (ALA) 2004 MARS Digital Reference Guidelines Ad Hoc Committee contains three components:

  1. "Virtual reference is reference service initiated electronically, often in real-time, where patrons employ computers or other Internet technology to communicate with reference staff, without being physically present. Communication channels used frequently in virtual reference include chat, videoconferencing, Voice over IP, co-browsing, e-mail, and instant messaging.
  2. While online sources are often utilized in provision of virtual reference, use of electronic sources in seeking answers is not of itself virtual reference.
  3. Virtual reference queries are sometimes followed-up with telephone, fax, in-person and regular mail interactions, even though these modes of communication are not considered virtual."

In January 2011 QuestionPoint and the American Library Association were in talks about offering a National Ask A Librarian service across the whole United States of America. At present the Ask services in the US are run at a local level.

Read more about this topic:  Digital Reference

Famous quotes containing the words american, library, association and/or reference:

    “Somebody said that I am the last American living the tragedy of Europe.”
    —Ezra Pound (1885–1972)

    “With sighs more lunar than bronchial,
    Howbeit eluding fallopian diagnosis,
    She simpers into the tribal library and reads
    That Keats died of tuberculosis . . .”
    —Allen Tate (1899–1979)

    “The spiritual kinship between Lincoln and Whitman was founded upon their Americanism, their essential Westernism. Whitman had grown up without much formal education; Lincoln had scarcely any education. One had become the notable poet of the day; one the orator of the Gettsyburg Address. It was inevitable that Whitman as a poet should turn with a feeling of kinship to Lincoln, and even without any association or contact feel that Lincoln was his.”
    —Edgar Lee Masters (1869–1950)

    “If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons.”
    —Winston Churchill (1874–1965)