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Any service being offered by the libraries should have well-defined and documented service policy with clearly articulated guidelines. The requirement of such a comprehensive service guidelines become more crucial in case the service is comparatively newer and the professionals as-well-as the users are not accustomed with such kind of information service. Virtual Reference Service/Digital Reference Service (VRS/DRS) is one such innovative service which calls for framing of such guidelines for providing effective VRS. This paper does the content analysis of the two very significant VRS guidelines stipulated by The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and Reference & User Services Association (RUSA) respectively. The paper attempts to analyse, synthesise and consolidate the major outcomes of these two guidelines and presents the lucid explanation of the same in coherent and cohesive manner. The discussion is structured aptly under 15 sections for easy adoption by the Indian libraries that are planning to launch VRS in future. A brief snapshot of growth of literature pertaining to the VRS/DRS guidelines has also been incorporated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference transaction statistics give insight into the needs of library users and help libraries prove their value within their institution. Collecting this data has long been an important aspect of librarianship. Historically, most libraries use paper tally sheets where librarians indicated each question asked with a mark. While paper systems are easy to implement, they provide little information about the nature of questions asked by library users. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Edith Garland Dupré Library replaced their traditional paper recording method with web-based statistics tracker Gimlet in 2016. Gimlet data reports for reference transactions occurring at the library's reference desk and those via instant message from June 2015 to June 2018 are presented and analyzed. In addition, a newly developed coding scheme was applied to transactions to ensure the accuracy of information. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this change, innovations in reporting reference transactions in the Reference and Research Services department, and topics for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Virtual reference is a part of the services offered at academic and other types of libraries. This paper discusses humanistic perspectives that merit consideration in the provision of virtual reference (VR), including mindfulness, authenticity, emotional intelligence (EI) and counseling. This study aims to make these perspectives become a part of the language and practice of virtual reference through this discussion.Design/methodology/approach The paper establishes a framework for the VR perspectives it discusses by examining relevant literature for background information and practical applications.Findings VR has the potential to benefit from the interrelated humanistic perspectives of mindfulness, authenticity, EI and counseling. It is through the counseling perspective that mindfulness, authenticity and EI are embodied to offer a more transformational and less transactional experience for both librarians and users.Research limitations/implications While the paper provides examples of language used by the author to illustrate the counseling perspective, a future study, whereby virtual reference transcripts are formally analyzed, may be beneficial to determine other expressions of counseling and its related perspectives of mindfulness, authenticity and EI.Practical implications This paper provides a resource especially helpful to individuals new to VR or who seek opportunities for growth in providing VR.Originality/value In addition to taking a multifaceted view of VR through the humanistic perspectives presented, this paper also offers a multidisciplinary approach in its discussion, drawing from areas such as business and medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education in the twenty-first century globally has been characterized and driven on business ethos. The institutions are faced with stiff competition in an attempt to increase their student enrolment, attract international students and faculty, pioneer centres of excellence, showcase outstanding research output, produce astute graduates and get listed in top ranking league tables. The paper therefore examined the effects of leveraging on value-added services to academic library users through competitive intelligence as a predictor of competitive advantage among tertiary institutions. It identified value-added personnel, collection, processing of materials and dissemination of information as constituting specific target selling points to be enriched with the concept. It however noted and x-rayed the concept of competitive intelligence as a critical precondition for achieving effective value-added service delivery in academic libraries. The paper concluded that robust collection coupled with technology-driven retrieval system as well as digital reference services would lead to greater user satisfaction and enhanced patronage of library services. It recommended among other factors the need to benchmark competitor institutions to gain competitive advantage over the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several institutions have developed image feature extraction software to compute quantitative descriptors of medical images for radiomics analyses. With radiomics increasingly proposed for use in research and clinical contexts, new techniques are necessary for standardizing and replicating radiomics findings across software implementations. We have developed a software toolkit for the creation of 3D digital reference objects with customizable size, shape, intensity, texture, and margin sharpness values. Using user-supplied input parameters, these objects are defined mathematically as continuous functions, discretized, and then saved as DICOM objects. Here, we present the definition of these objects, parameterized derivations of a subset of their radiomics values, computer code for object generation, example use cases, and a user-downloadable sample collection used for the examples cited in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries have long experimented with how to staff the reference desk. Recent trends at college and university libraries indicate a shift toward a tiered staffing model, relying on a mix of professional librarians, library paraprofessional staff and often graduate students when available. Fewer academic libraries employ undergraduate students to work at the reference desk. This paper examines the use of undergraduate library assistants specifically to staff chat reference services at an academic library. It analyzes chat transcripts for content and comparative quality between different types of answerers: professional librarians, paraprofessional staff, and undergraduate students. Our analysis of 451 chat reference transcripts determined that undergraduate students can indeed provide satisfactory chat reference services, comparable in quality and content to that of paraprofessional staff and professional librarians. The data suggests that having well-trained undergraduate students staff chat reference is a viable, and even desirable, option for academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Librarians need feedback from users to improve library services. On the other hand, users need assistance from librarians in order to gain a better understanding of library services. This paper focuses on how Chinese students use U.S. academic libraries' virtual reference services (VRS), and how academic librarians use VRS. By collecting data from Chinese students and librarians, this paper hopes to create a better understanding of these two factors in order to improve VRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital reference service refers to the task of providing assistance to the library users in fulfilling their various information needs. The digital reference services has become an important part and parcel of the library services in the changing technological environment. The paper is an attempt to provide an overview of the digital reference services in libraries in the present day world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since their inception, virtual reference services have evolved considerably and are now a significant component of library services in many types of library environments. The current paper reports on a study undertaken at a research-intensive academic library that analyzed and evaluated a decade-old virtual reference service. The main goal of the study was to obtain a broad and comprehensive picture of the current service, grounded in the actual day-to-day provision, usage, and organization of the service. The group of librarians involved in the study developed a feasible, efficient, and adaptable methodology for assessing and evaluating a virtual reference service. The developed methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative methods can be used and applied for a similar evaluation of the service in any type of library environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reference services (VRS) and social question and answer (SQA) are two different platforms that share many facets of their functionality, leading to an opportunity to create synergic solutions by bringing complimentary aspects of these services together. This article describes the use of participatory design, a method commonly used in human-computer interaction (HCI), for investigating design and deployment challenges to create a new hybrid question-answer (Q&A) system. A set of three design sessions was conducted with 17 experts from academia and industry. These semi-guided discussions asked the experts for their opinions and suggestions on various issues concerning what a potential hybrid Q&A system could look like. In addition, the participants were encouraged to provide design and implementation ideas based on expertise in their relative fields. The suggestions, comments, and ideas resulted in the development of 11 themes within three categories: (1) provision of more information; (2) provision of control; and (3) focus on user-friendly design. This paper provides details of the method, the sessions, and the design suggestions including the 11 themes and three broad categories. The paper provides a synthesis of the implications of the findings for virtual reference and social Q&A service providers and system designers. Finally, the participatory design method is compared to other methods, and implications for its use in library and information science are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced technology nodes, 10 nm and beyond, employing multipatterning techniques for pitch reduction pose new process and metrology challenges in maintaining consistent positioning of structural features. A self-aligned quadruple patterning (SAQP) process is used to create the fins in FinFET devices with pitch values well below optical lithography limits. The SAQP process bears the compounding effects from successive reactive ion etch and spacer depositions. These processes induce a shift in the pitch value from one fin compared to another neighboring fin. This is known as pitch walking. Pitch walking affects device performance as well as later processes, which work on an assumption that there is consistent spacing between fins. In SAQP, there are three pitch walking parameters of interest, each linked to specific process steps in the flow. These pitch walking parameters are difficult to discriminate at a specific process step by singular evaluation technique or even with reference metrology, such as transmission electron microscopy. We will utilize a virtual reference to generate a scatterometry model to measure pitch walk for SAQP process flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper highlights on virtual reference service (VRS) in academic libraries. It is a new face of reference which is known as virtual reference rendering through online that enables library patrons to ask reference questions through a library's website. It gives greater opportunities to user, who can access services at home, in office, at school, or in a library. Investigative survey method has been applied into the state of VRS in the libraries of IIT's in India. The study reveals that a remarkable advancement in the electronic access to information has been achieved in these libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This multimethod study investigates differences in question complexity and type between live chat, email, and texting by comparing findings from user interviews and virtual reference transcripts, with the goal of better understanding how different delivery methods can meet user needs in the context of an academic library. Findings reveal dissonance between perceptions and use of chat and email. Interviews suggest users consider chat to be for basic queries whereas transcripts coded using the READ Scale, a well-known reference assessment tool, show question complexity to be highest in chat. Our analysis also found statistically significant differences in the presence of reference interviews and instruction for chat, email, and texting. Rebranding chat more explicitly for intermediate and advanced queries may succeed in attracting users who consider chat only for basic queries, thus narrowing the gap between user perceptions and actual use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For librarians to continually demonstrate superior and high-quality service, they must meet the needs of current and potential users. One way that librarians have met the needs of users is by expanding their service offerings online via virtual reference services (VRS). This expansion is particularly critical in the current time of COVID-19. To provide high-quality VRS service, librarians can learn from social question-answering (SQA) sites, whose popularity reflect changing user expectations, motivations, use, and assessment of information. Informed by interviews with 51 users and potential users of both platforms this research examines how strengths from SQA can be leveraged in VRS, and what can be learned from SQA practices to reach potential library users. This study represents one of the few comparisons between VRS and SQA that exist in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional indoor location technologies such as infrared technology and ultrasonic technology are complex, expensive, or having unsatisfactory location accuracy. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies are very popular in many areas since their costs are very low. The tag in such technologies acts as the transmitter, and the radio signal strength indicator (RSSI) information is measured at the reader. However, RSSI information suffers strictly from the multipath circumstance and circumferential elements. Therefore, the localization accuracy of the boundary will be affected severely. In order to solve this problem, we introduce the boundary virtual reference label (BVIRE) algorithm to well utilize RFID techniques for locating the tracking object, which inserts some virtual reference tags on the boundary by establishing a linear regression model that eliminates unwanted tag information from the estimation procedure. The positioning accuracy of the boundary tags and stability have been improved significantly, at least 78%, without adding extra reference tags or radio frequency interference. Also, the estimation errors of our improved BVIRE are much smaller compared to the virtual reference label, location identification based on the dynamic active RFID calibration (LANDMARC), ultrawide band, RADAR, and PinPoint algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are the benefits derived from ICT based reference and information service worth the financial and other commitments devoted to it? In an attempt to answer this, this study delved into finding out the perceived benefits; the rational for ICT based reference services in Nigerian university libraries. The main objectives were to find out the purposes for using ICT facilities in reference services delivery and the perceived benefits derived from using ICT resources in reference and information services. Being a survey, questionnaire was used to collect data from the librarians of twelve (12) universities; two (2) each sampled from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Data was analyzed using frequencies, mean scores and standard deviations. ANOVA statistical analysis was used to test the hypothesis of no significance difference in the benefits derived from ICT based reference services using p-value of 0.05 to calculate the level of significance. Findings showed that librarians and library users made use of ICT facilities for different reference purposes especially to obtain information they need using the internet. Other reference needs for which patrons used the ICT facilities included: - access to current e-books and e - journals, user education and access to global information in other libraries. Provision of current awareness services (CAS) and selective dissemination of information services (SDI), on-line searching using workstations in the library, provision of on-line public access catalogue (OPAC) services, keeping statistics of users of the reference section and compilation of bibliographies. Further findings showed that the librarians and library users derive a lot of benefits from their use of ICT facilities in reference services. The results showed that easy retrieval and dissemination of information to patrons were ranked highest by the librarians amongst others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analytical study aims to highlight and evaluate the 'most recent trends' in the deliverance of reference service by the Pakistani university libraries. Recent years have seen a large-scale proliferation of the internet and social media in Pakistan. Hence, it is essential to determine how these 'constantly changing inquiries are handed through technology' and which has altered the dynamics of traditional reference service model. A quantitative survey method was used. The population of this study was central libraries of universities situated in the Punjab province, the most populated province of the country. A questionnaire was designed to collect data, The questionnaire was sent to reference section librarians. Findings of this study reveal that gradually the frequency of reference questions through DRS is increasing, and practicing librarians agree that DRS offers ease in answering reference questions. Regarding the medium of DRS*the most common and likelihood medium was e-mail. However, other mediums like chat service, instant messaging, use of social media gradually getting popularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including preference of students towards video streaming video in education, benefits of interlibrary loan (ILL) software to academic libraries, and use of virtual reference in academic libraries.

Purpose – The purpose of this article was to present the results of a quantitative analysis that compared usage levels between an e-reference collection that has experienced continual updated content and growth and an e-reference collection that has not experienced any recent changes. The aim of the study was to determine quantitatively if e-reference collections with dynamic content experience greater levels of usage compared to e-reference collections that are static in both size and content. Design/methodology/approach – E-reference data were separated into a dynamic collection and a static collection. Usage for e-reference belonging to the dynamic collection was compared to usage of e-reference belonging to the static collection. The number of e-reference was obtained by simple count. Additional statistics tracked include the number of viewings. A linear regression analysis was used to determine the strength of the linear relationship between collection size and usage. Findings – Results indicate that e-reference collections that continue to grow in both size and content also continue to experience year-to-year increases in usage. E-reference collections that remain static in size and content experienced a decline in usage. A linear regression analysis indicates the existence of an extremely strong linear relationship between dynamic content and usage. A weaker linear relationship was calculated for static content. Originality/value – To this author’s knowledge, this research is the first to systematically and quantitatively compare usage levels between e-reference titles from growing collections to collections that have not had any new titles added recently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Book art collections are often hidden, and browsing catalogs for artists' books can be frustrating to researchers due to cataloging inconsistencies. Artists' Books DC is a regional solution to these problems. This grant-funded digital reference tool serves as a comprehensive guide to researching artists' book collections in the Washington, DC, area. The author describes the process of building, funding, and publicizing this resource, and provides suggestions for producing effective digital reference tools, creating social media campaigns, and transforming the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. In recent years, the introduction of social question and answer services and other Internet tools have expanded the ways in which people have their questions answered. There has been speculation and debate over whether such services and other Internet tools are replacing library virtual reference services. Method. Most previous research on the comparison between social question and answer services and virtual reference has been conducted from the perspectives of libraries or library users, and research based on social question and answer services users' viewpoints has not yet been explored. This study surveyed Yahoo! Answers users on their awareness, use, and evaluation of the social question and answer services site and virtual reference. Analysis. The survey data from multiple-choice questions, fill-in, and open-ended questions were analysed using SPSS for a quantitative summary. Results. The findings of this study show that social question and answer services and virtual reference have their own strengths and weaknesses in serving various user needs and in meeting the expectations of an online or virtual service, based on important user-identified considerations. Conclusions. The notion that social question and answer services will take over virtual reference is not supported. As they stand, virtual reference and social question and answer services have great potential for collaboration in meeting user information needs. The practical implications of the findings to virtual reference are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing popularity of Social Questions and Answers (SQA) sites among Chinese information seekers, there has been little previous exploration of this specific topic as it relates to library reference services. This study seeks an understanding of users' choices in using SQA sites and library virtual reference (VR) service in meeting their information needs. It also aims to address some gaps in user evaluation and in the comparison of SQA and VR in previous research among information seekers in general, and among Chinese information seekers in particular. The study involved users of the largest Chinese SQA site, Baidu Knows. The results indicate that while SQA outperforms VR in most aspects - as evaluated by Chinese information seekers - VR stands out in two key areas of a virtual information service: quality and trust. Overall, while both SQA and VR have been utilized for various purposes and queries, each has been used more specifically for certain types of questions, and users choose between the two based on the information needs they have at hand. Finally, there is a discussion of the implications of the findings pertaining to libraries and reference services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]