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Building Bridges for Collaborative Digital Reference between Libraries and Museums through an Examination of Reference in Special Collections

Lavender, Kenneth and Nicholson, Scott and Pomerantz, Jeffrey (2005) Building Bridges for Collaborative Digital Reference between Libraries and Museums through an Examination of Reference in Special Collections. Journal of Academic Librarianship.

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Abstract

While a growing number of the digital reference services in libraries have become part of collaborative reference networks, other entities that serve similar information-seeking needs such as special collections and museums have not joined these networks, even though they are answering an increasing number of questions from off-site patrons via the Internet. This article examines the differences between questions asked electronically of traditional reference services and those asked of special collections services; it further explores how a better understanding of digital reference in special collections will facilitate the development of the tools and models needed to create a bridge between digital human intermediation at general academic libraries, special collections, and museums.

EPrint Type:Journal Article (Paginated)
Keywords:Collaborative systems, Networking infrastructure, Taxonomy
Subjects:Museums
Reference Services
Libraries
ID Code:827
Deposited On:13 May 2005
Eprint Statistics:View statistics for this eprint
Tell A Colleague:Tell a colleague about it.

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33. A series of question forms have since been mounted on the SCRC Website. It will prove instructive to compare the same three-month period in 2004 with the 2003 sample. They may be accessed at: http://libwww.syr.edu/information/spcollections/contact.htm#forms.

34. Requests for classroom instruction are handled separately from reference queries and are thus not included in this analysis.

35. Exceptions are those that are transferred to individual librarians from other library departments, or that result from personal correspondence between a librarian and a user.

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