A Virtual Understanding: The Reference Interview and Question Negotiation in the Digital Age.

This article examines the reference interview in the digital library environment. The reference interview is clearly at the heart of the reference transaction. Electronic technologies will not change the centrality of this process for librarians and users. Some of the challenges of interviewing users in a digital world are considered in this article. The first part compares and contrasts the traditional face-to-face reference interview with the electronic interview. Next, some suggestions for effective electronic interviewing are presented and analyzed. Lasdy, conclusions are drawn about some of the skills that tie together the electronic interview process, mainly traditional letter-writing skills.