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ALA Redux – Ready Reference in Chat – Not Dead Yet! PLUS 1 Foolproof Way to Increase Accuracy in Chat Reference
“I’m not dead yet!” I wanted to update the LG faithful on the 5 (5!) very different presentations I gave at ALA in Washington DC, based on the research we are doing on the Seeking Synchronicity IMLS grant studying live chat virtual reference at Rutgers University, SCILS and OCLC.
It was wonderful to speak to so many people at ALA who were eager (yes, actually eager) to hear about research in Virtual Reference! Feedback was amazingly positive and I plan to blog about each of these presentations, just to give some highlights, and to point you to the PowerPoint presentation and handouts if you want to get more information.
For the 13th RUSA New Reference Research Forum at ALA, Lynn Silipigni Connaway of OCLC and I presented “Not Dead Yet! Ready Reference in Live Chat Reference.” We had pulled a random sample from almost 500,000 QuestionPoint transcripts from 2004-2006 and done an analysis of the types of questions and an evaluation of accuracy in ready reference. We found that early reports of the death of ready reference (due to user’s ability to search Google and Wikipedia independently for factual type questions) are premature and that these types of questions surprisingly still comprise nearly 30% of chat questions. Here are some of our findings as a tease to invite you to go to the Seeking Synchronicity site for more detail:
What Types of Questions are Being Asked in Chat?
Of 915 total chat reference questions:
- 243 (27%) were Ready Reference (short, factual, questions)
- 293 (32%) were Subject Searches (largest group)
- 10 (1%) were Inappropriate (comforting in such a low number)
What Types of Libraries/Consortia are Getting more Ready Reference Questions?
Of 162 chat transcripts:
- 59% of the Ready Reference questions came from Public Libraries
- 45% from Public & Academic Consortia
- 35% from Adacemic and Law Libraries
How about Accuracy?
How accurate are chat librarians in answering ready reference questions? We used the Arnold & Kaske (2005) method to classify chat ready reference answers and found 78% (141 of 180) to be correct. 69% (125 of 180) meeting the gold standard of correct with citation.
Increase Accuracy! Our Most Important Finding!
For the 20% (35 of 180) incorrect questions, the most frequent reason was that the chat librarian sent only general information (usually a website on the topic). The general website did not contain the specific information requested.
So the “One Foolproof Way” to increase accuracy for ready reference chat questions is as follows: before you push a general information page, make sure it has the specific, exact answer to the user’s question.
Clidk here for the Not Dead Yet! PowerPoint presentation and here for the Not Dead Yet! handout that details coding procedures for type of question and accuracy.
Cited Reference: Arnold, J. & Kaske, N. (2005). Evaluating the quality of a chat cervice, portal: Libraries and the Academy, 5(2), 177-193.
Special thanks to Janet Torsney, an MLIS student at Rutgers University, SCILS, for her help in doing the accuracy analysis and Susanne Sabolcsi-Boros for intercoder check. Also thanks to Nick Belkin of SCILS for suggesting the accuracy analysis.
The "New" Librarian in the New York Times and The Sun
A couple of articles to share today, both similar, on the “new” librarians… one is in The New York Times, A Hipper Crowd of Shushers, and the other is in The Sun, For New-Look Librarians Head to Brooklyn.
What do YOU think of these takes on “us”?
True Confession of a WOHM
I got home from the ALA conference in DC last Wednesday afternoon and I have yet to fully unpack my suitcase — only the essentials have been removed and a few other items. In fact, it is unlikely that it will be fully unpacked until this coming Wednesday when I have the day off for the 4th of July. This was really bugging me this morning as I like to feel organized and on top of everything.
In my defense, I got off the train last Wednesday at 2 pm and was in the library by 5 pm to work the closing shift. I also chose to spend Thursday and Friday evening having fun with my son instead of doing laundry. What happened during the weekend you ask? We had a huge BBQ bash on Sunday in honour of Canada Day, so I spent Saturday cleaning house and grocery shopping (and having Alex help me make patriotic cookies and the special bouquet pictured here). Hence the suitcase got ignored once again.
As I dug around in my suitcase this morning trying to find my favourite black sandals (they were on the bottom, of course) I felt really down on myself for having been home nearly 5 days and still having an almost untouched suitcase on the bedroom floor… not to mention a tote bag full of flair in the family room that still needs sorting and distributing. But then I remembered the look of joy on Alex’s face as he played with his friends at the BBQ yesterday and I felt a bit better about my state of disorganization this morning.
I am often asked how I “do it all”, a question that I am never certain how to answer. Some days I feel like I really can do it all and other days I feel like I am an imposter only pretending to really have it all together. Today is an imposter day, so I am posting this as insight in to the fact that I don’t always manage to do it all and sometimes I have to choose between having clean clothes and enjoying time with family and friends.
Note: I edited the title after the caffeine kicked in. My original title of “Working Mom” is not meant to implicate that SAHMs don’t work hard, as I know many SAHMs that work very hard. WOHM is much better term.
DIY Book Scanner
A colleague sent me a link today that is too good not to share — instructions on how to build your own book scanner using Lego and a variety of other items that most geeks will have on hand or be able to get easily.
Dick Eastman found the same instructions after his return from the ALA conference earlier this week where he had watched the Kirtas APT BookScan 2400 in action, but suffered sticker shock from the $120,000 price tag.
If anyone else in libraryland gets inspired and builds their own scanner from Lego and kite string, be sure to let me know and post the pictures on flickr!
Friday Fun: Mental Floss Quiz of the Week!
I really love this magazine, Mental Floss, that we get here are the library… in fact, it says right on it… “Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix!”
Actually, my director loves it too and so do some others around here so it is quite a trick to actually get your hands on it. I think if I ever have to I will end up subscribing to it…
Anyway, they also have a mailing list and they sent out this Quiz of the Week: Discontinued Ben & Jerry’s Flavor or Band I Found on MySpace!?
It’s pretty funny and I love the way they have the answers for you after you take it, complete with links to actual bands found on MySpace! 😉
Enjoy!
I only got 5/10 though. My director got 8/10! WOW! How well can YOU do!?
Friday Fun: Your Road Trip Mix Tape
There are songs which help keep highway hypnosis at bay. The energy, the fun, the sing-along potential make them great for those long hours in the car, particularly if you are stuck in the chaos of Friday vacation traffic. Sometimes, in order to keep your sanity, it is important to have a collection of songs that will make the time fun, or at the very least, tolerable.
Here is my top 10 selection, go ahead and add your own.
On the Road Again by Willie Nelson– Mandatory, probably for any mix tape but especially this one.
The Way by Fastball– You wouldn’t think a song about packing your bags, leaving the kids behind and all responsibility behind could be so fun. 😉
Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues by Eels– It’s not the best lyrics that you’ll ever hear but it’s nearly impossible not to chime in when they sing “God damn right it’s a beautiful day!”
Crash by The Primitives– “Here you go, way too fast. Don’t look out you’re gonna craaaash.” Quite possibly the most energetic song to have sha-na-na in the lyrics.
Scar Tissue by the Red Hot Chilipeppers– You need a downtime song on the mix tape… and I gotta go with this one.
Into the Great Wide Open by Tom Petty– Is there are song about bigger possibilities!?
I Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll All Night by Kiss– This is the last resort song. If this one can’t wake you up, pull over and get some sleep.
Song 2 by Blur– Whoohoo! ‘Nuff said
Basket Case by Green Day– “Do you have the time to listen to me whine…” Hey, I’ve got as long as this trip is gonna take.
Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana– I haven’t a clue what Cobain was saying but it doesn’t stop me from screaming “Hey… wait!”
Singshot.com- Karaoke Singers Unite!
To me, Karaoke will always be known as the revolution that brought amateur singers out of their showers and into the limelight.
I’m not saying whether that was a good or bad thing… but local drinking establishments did clean up on it!
Singshot brings the karaoke movement for the glitz and glamour of your local dive-bar and onto the electrified waves of the Internet. No more smoke, no more booze, no more people to appreciate your erm… lovely voice which has yet to bring you fame or fortune. At the very least, perhaps a highlight real on American Idol’s audition episodes.
Singshot is an online community for singers who are looking for feedback from other singers. There are also groups and contests available to any member choosing to participate. The collection itself is not the best but there are literally thousands of songs to choose from and you will be able to find something in your range.
For the fun of it, I joined and tried the recording system. It was okay but could run into some serious lag issues as well; I mean, I know I wasn’t perfect, but I definitely wasn’t a whole measure out either. Once the lag was fixed though, I did post the song and got immediate feedback from people.
Uhhhh, let’s not talk about the feedback.
One of the better features on singshot is the webcam option, which has produced some rather funny vidoes. There really isn’t anything like watching the moment of a person trying to look their coolest and achieve rock-stardom… yet, completely failing to capture it.
Marie’s 8 Things
In the interest of being a member of the LG team, here goes my 8 revelations. Warning to all, the below is (almost) totally unrelated to librarianship. Abandon hope all ye who enter here!
1. If you have ever heard me speak, you may be surprised to learn that I had a bad lisp as a kid. My speech therapist advised me to take up public speaking to help overcome the lisp. Now I have a passion for public speaking and have had a career in teaching/librarianship (from Kindergarten through Doctoral courses and every grade level in between) and can’t get enough of either.
2. Following from the above, I admit that the famous YA advocate Mary K. Chelton, of Queens College, has (affectionately I hope!) dubbed me a “great big ham.” It fits.
3. After the lisp removal, I wore braces for 4 years in HS. Yuck! Today kids wear trendy colored braces in JH which are a status symbol of sorts. Not so then, when I endured being called “tin grin,” “can opener mouth,” (and worse unpleasantries that shall remain nameless). I must say, however, that this horrific experience made me a better person, especially later, when I was a school librarian with zero tolerance for vicious name calling or bullying.
4. Acting again on the advice of my speech therapist, I got involved in radio and had my own late night show for 4 years on the College of NJ (then Trenton State College) radio station, WTSR. My air name was “Me” and I played blues and rock n’ roll.
5. At WTSR (still WTSR 91.3 FM to this very day) I recollect that I once had a mad crush on another DJ whose show followed mine. I later found out he was gay (sigh). I should have known better, as his air name was “Peter Pan.” You can’t make this stuff up.
6. I am totally untalented when it comes to athletics, but I’ve been: an assistant cheerleading coach (to purge my intense dislike of cheerleaders, acquired in HS, see #3 above), a girl’s softball umpire, a scouting assistant to a HS football coach, and a choreographer for a HS production of Oklahoma.
7. I have never had the urge to do the following: ski, sky-dive, skateboard, bungee jump, or surf. But I have parasailed in Acapulco, ridden a motorcycle, refinished loads of antiques, and driven from NJ to Houston to cheer the Rutgers football team to its 1st bowl victory ever in the Texas Bowl last December.
8. I have had drinks with Umberto Eco at Erica Jong’s apartment. Read more about this story from my husband Gary’s point of view at his website (note the photo credit for the picture of Gary with Umberto!)
Back to the Future
The follow-up meeting for those who attended the Mid-Atlantic Futures Conference takes place tomorrow morning at the Princeton Public Library. I’m really looking forward to it and I’m really excited about it. No doubt Pete, myself and others will have much to say!
You can finally check out the hand-outs and materials, etc. from the conference here!
Amy’s 8 Things
(Hmmm I kinda like the sound of that)!
So I have been tagged here and on the PML blog – do I have to come up with 16 things or should I just refer you there!? 😉 EDIT: Okay I managed to come up with 8 more – if you’re really bored or interested check them out! 😉
Well, I’ll do 8 here and then see what happens:
1. I like to keep my fingernails really short because I can’t stand typing on the keyboard with long ones. I spend so much time typing that it really is an issue for me and I can now hardly stand for them to be much longer than the very end of the tips of my fingers. This is okay though because I also pretty much prefer them this way and like the way they look. I also like to paint them dark red.
2. When I was little we had a tire swing in the backyard, hanging from a very large, old tree. I used to play outside on that tire swing all by myself for hours! One thing I would do was to “broadcast” my own radio show while I swung around (weird).
3. I have worked in the following places: a 5 & 10 store; CVS; a Mail Boxes, Etc. (no, it wasn’t a UPS Store back then); a Manhattan publishing company; the Clifton (NJ) Public Library; and now at the Paterson (NJ) Free Public Library. It NEVER occurred to me to become a librarian, not even once, for one second, even though I went there ALL THE TIME, until about the year 2001.
4. I used to have a really weird habit of washing my feet before I went to bed. I just hated the idea of putting dirty feet into my bed. I don’t know why I used to do that, and I don’t really know exactly when or why I stopped doing that.
5. I don’t really like to cook. My husband doesn’t really like this fact about me.
6. I have never, ever, ever smoked a cigarette. Not even one puff once to try it. Never.
7. The first car I ever owned, which I bought myself, was a used Nissan Sentra. Stick shift. I didn’t know how to drive stick. I couldn’t even drive the car home myself. While learning to drive it, I once drove it right through the garage door! The only person who finally succeeded in teaching me how to drive that thing was a friend of my mom’s. She was also my brother’s Pre-K teacher and also then became a librarian!
8. I used to be a soccer superstar!
And, I’m not tagging anyone else. I hope that won’t bring me 8 million years of bad luck or something…!!??!?
Library Garden 