IFLA – Reference Work Section Berlin - Aug. 6th 2003
Digital Reference in Germany
An Overview and Experiences
on the Need for Qualifications
Hermann Rösch
Institut for Information Science
University of Applied Sciences Cologne
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Structure/Outline
1. Reference in German Libraries
2. Digital Reference in Germany
3. Communicative Competencies of Digital
Reference Librarians
4. Proposal on Next Steps
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Reference in German libraries (1)
Reference Service appeared as topic in the late 1960s
In practice little changed till the end of the 1990s
Apart from few exceptions German libraries remained
collection centered
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Reference in German libraries (2)
Dale Askey put down the superiority of American
libraries to the following two facts:
„The first of these is the lack, in Germany, of
reference librarians of the type commonly found
in the United States.“
„...American libraries are service-oriented, while
German libraries are collection-centered.”
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Digital Reference in Germany (1)
Forms of Digital Reference:
E-Mail-Reference
Web Forms
Chat/Live-Reference
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
Video Conferencing
Web Contact Center
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Digital Reference in Germany (2)
Development in short:
a. German libraries began using e-mail in the mid 90s,
finding that it was useful not only for improving
communication among librarians, but also to facilitate
contact between librarians and patrons.
b. Public libraries in cities and university libraries
gradually created Web sites and provided e-mail as
contact addresses. But the potential for an e-mail
service wasn’t exploited.
c. E-Mail-Reference:
Some public libraries, mainly in big cities, and some
university libraries now offer organized and wellplanned digital reference services via e-mail. That is,
the library publicizes an e-mail address that is
dedicated to reference purposes only.
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Digital Reference in Germany (3)
d. Web forms:
Some libraries added
service via Web form,
in which users are
invited to phrase their
questions in a more
structured way and to
give additional
information.
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Digital Reference in Germany (4)
e. Chat Services:
Chat service is still in its
early development. Six
university libraries have
launched chat services
within the last 2 years:
Dortmund
TU Hamburg-Harburg
Bundeswehr Hamburg
BIS Oldenburg
Trier
Wuppertal
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Digital Reference in Germany (5)
Two projects related to the development of
digital reference in Germany have to be
mentioned:
• the discussion list RABE
• German Internet Library
(Deutsche Internetbibliothek)
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Digital Reference in Germany (6)
RABE
Acronym for “Search and
Reference in Libraries”
• Discussion list for
reference librarians
only
• Established in 1998
• Modeled after the
American StumpersList
 Plays an important role
in improving the quality
of reference services in
German Libraries
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Digital Reference in Germany (7)
German Internet Library
• Initiated by the Bertelsmann Foundation in
cooperation with the German Library Association
• Began operations in early 2002 and is aimed
exclusively at Public Libraries
Member libraries work cooperatively in two ways:
• They create and maintain a Web catalogue that is
tailored to the specific information needs of public
library users
• They form an e-mail reference consortium with more
than 70 public libraries involved
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Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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New competencies required
Digital Reference Librarians Competencies
• Knowledge of electronic resources
• Skilled in searching the complex landscape of
information resources
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively
• Proficient in use of language(s)
• Comfortable using a variety of computer
applications
• Competent manager
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Communicative Competencies (1)
1. E-mail and web forms aggravate the reference
interview; only certain questions factual ones in
particular can actually be answered by this complex
method.
2. To conduct a reference interview by chat the typical
jargon and chat behaviour must be mastered.
3. People using chat are impatient; to avoid the
phenomenon of disappearing questioners reference
librarians have to keep their chat patrons active and
interested.
4. Reference librarians must be able to prepare
themselves for new user groups with little or no
library experience at all.
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Communicative Competencies (2)
5. Reference librarians must be flexible and able to
decide when the communication channel chosen by
the user is overtaxed and a change is to be
recommended
6. Reference librarians have to know which
communication channels are particularly suitable
for which question types
7. Reference librarians must recognize whether the first
question asked by a patron is a so-called probe
query. Users often ask an initial simple, vague query
at first, and upon receiving a response then proceed
to ask much more detailed questions
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Proposal on Next Steps
• Establishment of a discussion list modelled
after DigRef or LiveReference
• Organization of conferences in which those
who are already providing reference in any of
the digital forms could exchange experiences
• Statistical evaluation of all reference sessions
• Enumeration of benefits and shortcomings of
the various digital reference modes and
technologies
• Analysis of the competencies required
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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Thank you very much
for your Time and Patience!
Contact:
hermann.roesch@fh-koeln.de
Hermann Rösch: Digital Reference in Germany
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