I am looking which libraries (every kind of libraries In particular university's libraries) in the world use an application for library services specially for virtual references and what their names are.
Mahboobeh Kamali
In virtual reference service, apart from helping the users in person or through telephonic ways,librarians are now developing the contents that can easily be transferable and readable in cell phones and other mobile devices to help the users at any point of time. According to (Pinto & Manso, 2012)
“Virtual Reference Services is a service that, based on the experience of traditional services developed within an information technology environment, satisfies user’s information and knowledge needs in an interactive, participative, customized, and collaborative way”.
In the end, Libraries are changing fast and constantly. Customer demands are changing, service models, access to resources, and services to the users. Library users are seeking more efficient ways of getting information.
1.Convergence of the virtual
2.Access to information anywhere
3.It is mainly driven by the heavy use of smartphones and cloud applications
Such as
Mobile Library Catalogues(Mobile OPACs)
Quick Response Code ( QR Code)
GeoTagging(Geotagging helps users to find specific information located at specific location)
Short messaging service (SMS)
User-generated content
Cloud computing
Sudam Sahu thanks to you for answer, but I know virtual reference function and definition. I need an APP in your phone or your tablet for virtual reference that it includes emails, SMS and ... .
Hi
Virtual assistants (24/7 reference, chatbots…) are an important topic for libraries, as mentioned in several „Horizon Reports“ (https://www.nmc.org/nmc-horizon/).
As an introduction you will find in the „NMC Horizon Report: 2018 Higher Education Edition“ (https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2018/8/2018horizonreport.pdf) a chapter about Artificial Intelligence (p. 44-45), there are some hints concerning chatbots in American libraries. An overview of chatbots and education is given in „6 Ways Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots Are Changing Education“ (https://chatbotsmagazine.com/six-ways-a-i-and-chatbots-are-changing-education-c22e2d319bbf). Perhaps you may also be interested in D. Griffin’s article, where he describes some chat apps:
- Griffin, Donovan: Chat Apps: Six Top Messaging Platforms Post WhatsApp. In: Information today, April 1, 2014. http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/Spotlight/Chat-Apps-Six-Top-Messaging-Platforms-Post-WhatsApp-95549.asp
Here I will give you a selection of chatbots in libraries:
- ANTswers, University of California-Irvine Libraries
https://www.lib.uci.edu/antswers (for further information please
see: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6nb789vb)
- Ask here Pa (Chatbot): http://askherepa.org/
- Libraryh3lp: https://libraryh3lp.com/
- Pixel, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
http://pixel.unl.edu/ (for further information please see:
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/07378831211213238) Best
Anne-Katharina
