Virtual Reference
A Resource List

SERVICES and SOFTWARE

Collaborative Digital Reference Service from the Library of Congress

Article by Diane Nester Kresh on how this works can be found at http://www.dlib.org/dlib/june00/kresh/06kresh.html (Offering High Quality Reference Service on the Web)

Virtual Reference Desk (VRD)

The Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) is a project dedicated to the advancement of digital reference and the successful creation and operation of human-mediated, Internet-based information services. VRD is sponsored by the United States Department of Education, with support from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Has a distinctly K-12 focus.

LSSI Virtual Reference Desk Software

- this is the software that has been demonstrated at recent conferences and mentioned on several listservs. It is the "Cadillac" of virtual reference software offering the ability to push pages on a web site so that the librarian can actually show the patron around on the web. Offers the librarian a history of sites visited during the session and then a log that can be emailed to the patron after the session.

http://smathersnt11.uflib.ufl.edu/rxevalform.html

Live Reference Page by Kathy Kerns from Stanford University

Lists sites offering live reference, listservs, and product information.

DESCRIPTION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS

Digital Reference Service Bibliography by Bernie Sloan

Very lengthy list of articles and web documents on the topic.

Establishing a Virtual Reference Service: VRD Virtual Reference Desk Training Manual by Ann Lipow and Steve Coffman

Ordering information at http://www.library-solutions.com/vrd.html expensive - $125)

Computers in Libraries

Collaborative Digital Reference Service (CDRS)

For more information on how to become a founding member in this exciting project, go to http://www.oclc.org/services/reference/cdrs.shtm or http://www.loc.gov/cdrs

FirstSearch-L@oclc.org email of 5/4/01

WHERE'S THE BEST PLACE TO GET A QUESTION ANSWERED ON THE WEB?

Wouldn't it be great if most people answered this question, "At The library!"? Services like AskJeeves, Northern Light, and Google proliferate, but how many of their users' questions are answered completely? Accurately?

Wouldn't it be great if you could participate in a pioneering collaborative service that provides quality, authoritative reference service by professional reference librarians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year? A service that will position your library as the first place your patrons turn to for quality information on the Internet.

Now you can! The Library of Congress, OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., and over 80 participating institutions are collaborating to make this vision a reality. LC and OCLC, at the forefront of library cooperation efforts for over three decades in shared cataloging and resource sharing, are now beginning a brand new era in cooperative reference services. The Collaborative Digital Reference Service (CDRS) is a pioneering new service that will provide professional reference service to researchers - anywhere, anytime - through an international, digital network of libraries and related institutions. Librarians will assist their users by connecting to the CDRS to send questions that are best answered by expert staff. A large searchable archive of previous questions and answers will also be available to CDRS users.

For more information on how to become a founding member in this exciting project, go to http://www.oclc.org/services/reference/cdrs.shtm or http://www.loc.gov/cdrs The Library of Congress and OCLC booths at ALA Annual in San Francisco will have more information about CDRS.