CHATT - ETT NYTT SÄTT ATT KOMMUNICERA MED BIBLIOTEKARIEN

This thesis presents a new way of providing library users with reference services, namely chat (text based digital reference service in real time). Our research questions focus on the role of reference service, a comparison of chat reference to other reference forms, and the interest for real-time, digital reference. Our literature review covered the areas of digital reference and reference theory, the results of which showed that an ongoing debate hardly exists among Swedish librarians on the topic of reference work. We interviewed librarians from the three different Swedish chat reference projects existing at the time of our study. Most interviewees were very positive about chat reference. However, in chat reference many librarians seemed to leave out the reference interview, which is essential in reference work. It is unclear if this is because the librarians are not used to the communication pattern of chat. We also found that the chat reference projects were lacking in goal descriptions. If a library wants to make an evaluation of its chat reference trial period, it is necessary to set concrete goals. Our conclusion is that libraries and their users will benefit from chat reference, as today most information is provided by way of computers and the World Wide Web. Moreover we concluded that it is necessary for librarians to have better knowledge of communication theory, both in regular reference services and in chat reference. Chat will not replace any other form of reference service. Traditional and digital forms will continue to exist alongside each other.