The Information Challenge

2. The Information Challenge • Exponential growth of resources • New researchers with new needs • Multiple communication options • New expectations and opportunities

3. Internet Resources: Located everywhere Growth doubles each year Digital only No single search engine covers the entire Internet Short-lived Information Resources and Tools

4. Information Resources and Tools Library Resources: • “Bricks and mortar” • Continued growth • Analog and digital • Standard indexing tools • Perpetual

5. The Challenge for Researchers To retrieve information that is: • Relevant • Accurate • Authoritative • Easy to locate

6. The Challenge for Libraries • Use traditional strengths to build new programs • Leverage the community of librarians and libraries worldwide • Redefine the role of librarians and libraries in the Internet age

7. Modeling the Solution • Provide seamless access to global resources • Collect knowledge for reference access • Complement access to information on the Internet • Demonstrate flexibility in creating solutions

8. Collaborative Digital Reference Service provides professional reference service to users anywhere anytime, through an international, digital network of libraries.

9. How Does it Work?

10. Process Definitions • End User: a person who asks a question • Member: an organization or a person participating in CDRS on behalf of an end user • Service Level Agreement (SLA): an agreement describing the scope of services • Request Manager (RM): software for managing Q&A receipt and assignment, SLA compliance and administrative tasks

11. Resource Databases Member Profiles • Member features and strengths • Member representative strengths Knowledge Base of Questions and Answers • Searchable by staff, later by end users • Confidentiality, privacy, intellectual property maintained

12. Members Libraries (public, academic, special) Consortia Museums “Ask-a” Expert Services

13. Three Pilot Phases: Phase 1 (February - March 2000) • 10 members • Test member profiles • 30 questions per week • Scheduled and scripted

14. Phase 2 (June 19 - Sept. 15) • Increase to 16 members • Use and test sample Request Manager software and routing decisions • Build/test revised Member profiles • Test new Web form • Develop Service Level Agreements • Determine training requirements • Determine costs

15. Phase 3 (Oct. 17- Jan. 31, 2001) • 40+ members • Scale up to full production to test volume and speed • Investigate portal technology • Determine Governing Body membership and roles • Service Level Agreements

16. Goals of the Pilots - Summary • Q&A process, including web form • Request Manager procedures for assigning, tracking, etc. • Determine scope and capacity of researcher requests • Response time • Interoperability • Best practices

17. Modeling the Solution • Maximum flexibility • System integration • Multiple partners • Reestablish libraries as epicenters of knowledge for their communities • Internet services implement customized community library portals

18. Community Portals Provide... • Dynamic content - events, news, weather, book reviews • Useful applications - reserve a book, chat with an author, browse the catalog • CDRS Gateway - enables patrons to submit questions during off-hours without diluting local library’s brand

19. Portals Benefits • Internet services recover investment through advertising and affiliation fees (e.g., Amazon.com) • CDRS “tags along” with portal for reduced fees or for free

20. Where to Next? One stop shopping for reference and research services, including: • Locating/verifying bibliographic citations • Interlibrary Loan • Document Delivery

21. International / Universal Issues • Language & literacy • Accessibility & infrastructure • Cultural & political sensitivities • Jurisdictional & service constraints • E-commerce & trade agreements

22. http://www.loc.gov/rr/digiref/

23. Beyond CDRS: an end-to-end user service model Delivery Process : ILL ; document delivery Catalogue Process : verify ; locate Reference Process : ask ; answer