Meeting Information Needs: Non-Users' Behavior & Preferences

1. “I Find What I Need”Behaviors and Information-Seeking Preferences of Non-Users of Virtual Reference Marie L. Radford, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D. Senior Research Scientist, OCLC Timothy J. Dickey, Ph.D. Post Doctoral Researcher, OCLC Jocelyn A. DeAngelis Williams Ph.D. Candidate, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

2. Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User, & Librarian Perspectives • Funded by IMLS, Rutgers, OCLC • Project duration • 10/1/2005-3/30/2008 • Four phases • Focus group interviews* • Analysis of 850 QuestionPoint transcripts • 496 online surveys* • 283 telephone interviews* • * Interviews & Surveys with VRS Users, Non-users, & Librarians

3. Phase I: Focus Groups • 4 Focus Groups (40 non-users interviewed): • 3 with “Screenagers” (rural, suburban, & urban) • 1 with college students (graduate) • 2 with VRS librarians • 2 with VRS users (college students & adults)

4. 184 Online Surveys: Majority female & Caucasian Public library users outnumber school & academic library users More suburban than urban or rural Most 12-28 years old 107 Telephone Interviews: Majority female & Caucasian Public library users outnumber school & academic library users More suburban than urban or rural Most 19-28 years old Phases III & IV: Surveys & Interviews

5. Two Theoretical Perspectives • Goffman (1959, 1967) • Impression Management • Ritual nature of human interaction • Facework & Facethreat • Watzlawick, Beavin, & Jackson (1967) • Every message has dual dimensions • Content = Information (What) • Relational = Interpersonal aspects (How to interpret)

6. Libraries Today • Meet the information needs of differing groups • Largest groups: • Baby boomers (1945-1964) • Cohort #1 (Born 1946 – 1954) • Cohort #2 (Born 1955 – 1964) • Millennials (1979 – 1994) • Screenagers (Born 1988 -1994)

7. Non-user Behaviors and Information-Seeking Preferences • Research Questions: • How do non-users of VRS meet information needs? • Why do they choose resources other than VRS? • What features attract them to these other resources? • What might influence them to try VRS?

8. Major Findings • Non-user Behaviors and Information-Seeking Preferences

9. How Do Non-users of VRS Meet Information Needs? • The Internet • Google • Wikipedia

10. How Do Non-users of VRS Meet Information Needs? • People • (Phone to) Family members • Friends • Teachers/Professors • Experts in field/subject area

11. How Do Non-users of VRS Meet Information Needs? • Librarians • Value of FtF interaction • Librarians’ expertise

12. Why do Non-users Choose Resources Other than VRS? • Privacy/Security Concerns • Prefer a known librarian • Not “some psycho serial killer”

13. Why do Non-users Choose Resources Other than VRS? • Trustworthiness & Accuracy • Librarian might... • be chatting with too many people • not be a specialist • withhold information knowingly

14. Why do Non-users Choose Resources Other than VRS? • Independence • Prefer to do own search • Use the Internet • No librarian necessary

15. What Features Attract VRS Non-users to Other Resources? • Convenience, convenience, convenience • Working from home • At night or on weekends • Millennials especially value convenience

16. What Features Attract VRS Non-users to Other Resources? • Convenience & staying home • “To be honest with you, I don’t like to walk to the library.” (NTI-109)

17. What Features Attract VRS Non-users to Other Resources? • Convenience & impatience • Work under deadlines • Cannot wait

18. Reasons for Non-use of VRS • Boomers & Millennials Do not know • Service availability (the single greatest factor!) • Librarian can help • 24/7 availability Satisfied with other information sources

19. Reasons for Non-use of VRS • Boomer concerns… • Their own • Computer literacy & • Typing speed • Complexity of chat environment

20. What is Important for VRS Success? • Accuracy of answers/information • Especially value specific information requested • Librarian’s • Knowledge of sources & systems • Positive attitude • Good communication skills

21. Some Concerns with VRS • Can VRS blend convenience & quality? • Quality of interaction • Librarian’s willingness to market & help • Personalized help

22. What Might Influence Non-users to try VRS? • The Library can be Inconvenient • Limited hours • Limited collection • Depth • Breadth • Resources hard to use

23. What Might Influence Non-users to try VRS? • Libraries are associated with BOOKS • Books aren’t convenient to retrieve from the library • Libraries are QUIET • For studying

24. What Might Influence Non-users to Try VRS? • Creative marketing • Promote full range of reference options • Reassure that chat is safe • Build positive relationships 1 person at a time • Regardless of format • FtF • Phone • Online

25. Future Directions for Study • Data collection completed • Analyses nearly completed • Studying critical factors by participant’s age & other demographics • Increasing, merging, & crossing-over from one mode to another (FtF, Phone, Chat, E-mail, etc.)

26. End Notes • This is one outcome from the project, Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User, and Librarian Perspectives, Marie L. Radford & Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Co-Principal Investigators. • Funded by IMLS, Rutgers University and OCLC. Special thanks to Patrick Confer, Heather Lea Moulaison, Andrea Simzak, Jannica Heinstrom, Lisa Rose-Wiles, and David M. Dragos. • These slides available at project website: http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/synchronicity/

27. Questions & Comments • Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D. • Email: connawal@oclc.org • www.oclc.org/research/staff/connaway.htm • Marie L. Radford, Ph.D. • Email:mradford@scils.rutgers.edu • www.scils.rutgers.edu/~mradford