We have seen an enormous improvement in the service provided by the MCLS librarians. MCLS librarians are now taking the time to carry out a thorough reference interview with patrons, and take them to database pages and research guides when it is appropriate. They are polite and courteous, and the wait time for patrons is much shorter than it was last Spring. We have also seen a drop in the number of times that patrons disappear from sessions, and this is also encouraging.

…it is very difficult to withdraw a service from users once it has been introduced and accepted.

The usage at our institution has more than doubled, so there is definitely a demand for the service.

I think it enhances our reputation as a consortium of libraries that is service oriented.

I consider this an essential component of our service to our users and a great way to collaborate with colleagues across the country. We couldn't offer this much late night/weekend coverage any other way.

Despite the technical problems I think it is an important form of outreach that the library community should initiate.

The type of reference service that users request in an online format seems particularly suited for collaboration.

I like that we are creating an expert academic library-oriented network within the 24/7 network-that we are making standards and trying to figure out ways to hold our participants to those standards.

The library cannot be just a physical place anymore.

Most of the questions I receive are detailed reference queries and the patrons always seem very appreciate and satisfied.

If the BLC does not coordinate it, we would be forced to look elsewhere to provide this service.

I believe that it is critical for us to provide this service for our students and to participate in cooperative online reference service as professionals….We need to support our patrons who are working from remote locations and we need to provide round the clock service.

I think that the 24/7 access that comes with being part of a larger consortium is a great service to offer our patrons, even if we do have to field questions from other universities.

Getting used to and refining the interface through which we provide virtual reference is not unexpected and therefore doesn't cloud my overall positive feelings toward this program.

Extending reference interactions into the virtual and digital realm is a widespread phenomenon we can't and shouldn't shy away from. This service has allowed us to be a part of this growing movement, experience it first hand, and be a critical part of its future. In addition, we may just have helped some patrons with their reference needs in a highly convenient and accessible manner.

As we know, fewer and fewer students are actually coming to the reference desk and this is one way we can make connections with them.

I have mixed feelings about the service. I like its immediacy, and I enjoy it when able to help someone effectively, most often in the selection and improved inquiry of electronic databases. I prefer dealing with student populations known to me (BLC) and am definitely more confused and less helpful dealing with those unknown to me because I need to learn more in the reference interview

I have enjoyed working on 24/7 but I wonder whether answering policy questions for institutions in California, Utah, and Canada , etc. is an efficient use of our time.

Our users are very adept at "chatting" and multitasking, their learning curve is not as great as ours.

I think the quality of answers has gotten better since 24/7 hired academic librarians, but I feel that my own quality of answers is going down because 24/7 keeps adding new libraries to the Academic queue.

I don't use all the features I probably could or should since I don't feel comfortable with them or with what the patron is seeing at the other end.

My one concern is the frequency of technical problems. It has gotten better, but there is still room for improvement

The majority of patrons served continue to be from outside the BLC. We really think this is not a good use of our resources

I do not think the service gives our students (or anyone's students) a high quality reference interaction where their questions are attended to in detail…. I don't think I provide high quality service to a student coming from a school where I am not familiar with the faculty, the courses taught, the resources available, the library policies, and the expectations…. My own experiences in helping other patrons on 24/7 has been that half the interaction I have had have resulted in disconnects or confusion about whether the patron actually got what they were looking for.

I find that the system has crashed or acted strangely so many times that one doesn't really have any trust that any given session will go without a serious technical problem.

I question whether the time commitments by our staff, are adequately balanced by the number of questions from our students in this collaborative effort…give me something to work with that is much faster, easier to operate, and sleeker. Right now I'm on a battleship, and what I need is a schooner.

Most of the questions I've received involve answers that the students' home institutions could best answer…. in this "faster, quicker, better" culture, this service only indulges the demand for instant gratification. On a broader level, it only encourages students not to visit the library… On the continuum of ideal reference service with in-person assistance with a reference librarian at the top level, followed by telephone and email, I believe that 24/7 is barely mediocre.

It took time to get a result - especially when the Internet is slow. It can be frustrating on both sides (librarian and patron). Patron tends to disconnect when it is slow

Too often the patrons don't understand that they are not communicating with their own library

Software is clunky.

Too many features work at best only sporadically.

There is a definite problem with Macintosh compatibility on the patron side; the total incompatibility on the librarian side is difficult for us since we are a Macintosh department.

All the time and energy we expend on covering our shift I feel could be better spent improving our own services

While 24/7 claims to be working on software issues, I have not seen much progress. We are unable to take full advantage of the software due to proxy server issues.

If questions are referred through the ASK 24/7 service to the user's own library, that response can take some time. If the patron wanted or needed help sooner, they are not getting it in some cases.

Recommendations From Participating Librarians

Hire a half time administrator with a commitment to the service to oversee transaction quality, evaluate user data, maintain communication with consortium members, set up training opportunities, work on software improvements with the vendor, and promote the service through targeted marketing.

Libraries need to put the chat icon on as many library web pages as possible to make help available on the page where the patron encounters problems and to increase use.

… it may be better for BLC to 'hire' librarians for evening work, who can master the local colleges, their resources and their needs.

I wonder if having fewer people do this a lot more of the time would be a more effective overall approach

I prefer to see a much more regional service, even if the hours are shortened.

Work with 247 Reference to find the best software to support our needs….perhaps we could use the software but staff our own service. We do much better when we answer questions just for the BLC libraries.

I would much rather have BLC team-up with a West coast university or small consortium so that there is a finite number of libraries to know. Perhaps some of the quality of service issues could be solved if the Academic queue were split into smaller groupings and 24/7 librarians were assigned to monitor just one academic queue.