Has the role of the traditional librarian become obsolete? It’s a question U of T libraries are grappling with right now. But don’t panic, the answer, for now at least, is still “no.”
But with so many students choosing to work from home and accessing U of T’s library catalogues online, the number actually making personal visits to a library reference desk is in steep decline.
“With fewer students actually in the library, there is less demand for library staff to be on-hand to personally assist students with advice on locating materials and research,” said Jeff Newman, a reference librarian at Robarts Library.
With the popularity of the “cyber library” continuing to grow, a coalition of six U of T libraries have responded by introducing a new breed of “cyber-librarian” to the world wide web through its new LiveHelp service.
“LiveHelp connects library staff with students seeking assistance over an internet connection, enabling the student and staff to chat one on one in real time,” said Newman in an interview-offline. “It allows the librarian to aid the student in locating specific materials, or direct the student to a certain area if the student is unsure of what to look for, or is just beginning his or her research.”
Students seeking aid traditionally contact the reference desk via telephone, and thus embark on a frequently difficult and disappointing process in which the librarian attempts to guide the student to a set of materials verbally.
“With Live Help however,” said Newman, “the librarian and student share a single web browser, so when the librarian clicks a link, the page opens on both sides.” The student can be physically shown where to locate materials, saving time and energy for both parties.
By putting the library back into direct contact with the student, librarians hope, LiveHelp enables library staff to better assess students’ needs.
“With fewer students coming into the library we were unable to determine what the students were actually using the library for,” said Newman. “The staff was forced to try to make sense of complicated data involving search logs and click-counters from the online catalogue.” LiveHelp, however, “allows us to see where student interests lie and directly observe what areas of the library students are using. The library can then address those areas and build better collections accordingly.” Newman thus believes that the benefits of the service are not limited only to those students seeking help with material location, but serves the library as well.
Launched in March of 2003, U of T’s free service is not the first of its kind in Canada, but is on the leading edge. The summer-run “met with much success” according to Newman, and plans are in the works to extend the service’s current Monday to Friday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. availability later into the evening.
If you care to try the “cyber-librarian” service, you can do so through the web at http://utoronto.cb.docutek.com/vrlplus.
