ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 / 271 C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s news Web forms Improving, expanding, and promoting remote reference services by Annette Haines and Alison Grodzinski A s library online systems grow and b e ­com e increasingly com plex, electronic reference service is becom ing increasingly popular. Now more than ever library us­ ers need som eone to help them use the resources available. Electronic reference service is currently offered via electronic mail by many insti­ tutions. The advantages o f this type o f rem ote reference service are well docu­ mented, but there are limitations. Outlined below are som e ways that an online Web form can improve upon these limitations and add value to your library’s reference service. Pro vid es re m o te a ccess Libraries now often provide access to many o f their information resources through a library hom epage on the W eb. W eb ac­ cess to reference service is a logical next step. An electronic W eb form gives users access to one o f the most valuable library resources— the reference desk— from any­ where in the world, on any day, at any time o f the day or night. Although re­ sponse time to questions is usually not in­ stantaneous, students can formulate ques­ tions as they arise instead o f having to wait until they can phone the reference desk or visit the library building. Like the standard e-mail reference ser­ vice that many libraries now offer, the Web form provides a convenient means for us­ ers to com m unicate directly with a librar­ ian from rem ote locations. This service surpasses an e-mail reference service b e ­ cause it eliminates the necessity o f access­ ing e-mail to ask a question or, for that matter, even the requirem ent o f having an e-mail account. E n h a n ce s a p p ro a c h a b ility For library users w ho are o ften ov er­ whelmed by the library experience, online access to the reference desk is invaluable. Approaching the desk can be a very in­ timidating experien ce for many students. Often they worry that they are bothering the reference librarian, or they feel their question is not worthy o f asking. Through electronic reference services, patrons now have the opportunity to say anything with­ out feelings o f embarrassment or intimi­ dation. Ju st like e-mail, the online form provides anonymity to users who perhaps have p e rso n a l q u e s tio n s , and a u ser- friendly point o f access to those who are reluctant to approach the reference desk. With the form, the librarian plays an active role in the library-patron relation­ ship. As op posed to e-m ail, w here the About the authors Annette Haines is reference librarian/access services team supervisor at Central Michigan University in M oun t Pleasant, e- mail: annette.haines@cmich.edu; Alison Grodzinski is reference librarian/health sciences bibliographer at Central Michigan University, e-mail: alison.grodzinski@cmich.edu mailto:annette.haines@cmich.edu mailto:alison.grodzinski@cmich.edu 272 / C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 patron is required to initiate the reference interaction, the form reaches out and takes the first step. An attractive fill-in-the-blank structure guides the unsure user through the reference transaction with clarity and purpose. S u p p lie s fra m e w o rk The structured format of a Web form query can be beneficial to both the library and the user. Without the possibility o f a ref­ erence interview, initial questions received online are invariably difficult to decipher. When using e-mail to submit requests, stu­ dents often omit pertinent information that may be required to answer their question effectively. A fill-in-the blank format can require students to submit information, both about themselves and their topics, that they may otherwise not think to include. Often, a librarian needs to contact the student to clarify the question or schedule an ap­ pointm ent for in-person assistance. The Web form can be designed to elicit infor­ m ation, such as the re q u esto r’s phone number, that makes the follow-up contact easier. Sample questions and guidelines can be included within the form for added immediate referral and ease of use. Fu rn ish e s s ta tis tic a l fee d b ack In addition to a simple and convenient means o f communication with a patron, the electronic form also provides a method of feedback on how patrons are using the online system. Statistics can be formulated based on the information provided on the form. Information such as department, sta­ tus, and access location can be incorpo­ rated into the form. Unlike a reference question submitted through e-mail, the li­ brary can determ ine w hat statistics to gather and design the form accordingly. The information can then be used to fine- tune, improve, or expand the service. Helps im p ro ve and expand lib ra ria n s' sk ills As electronic reference services move tra­ ditional library services into a new age, librarians need to develop new skills or at least be able to adapt traditional reference skills to new modes o f communication. An electronic Web form gives users access to one of the most valuable library resources—the reference desk—from anyw here in the w orld, on any day, at any tim e of the day or night. Even for the most know ledgeable and ex ­ perienced reference staff, responding in writing does not always com e very easily. Librarians who are used to personal inter­ action with a patron, may find it difficult to respond to vague questions without the possibility o f a reference interview. The Web form provides the librarian with much more detailed information than e-mail sub­ missions. Beyond reference skills, librarians have the opportunity to fine-tune their techni­ cal skills, from designing the form to writ­ ing the HTML and CGI script. P ro m o tes v is ib ility o f lib ra ry A library Web site may make your library more visible, but a reference Web form will enhance this visibility by promoting the services your library provides. What better way is there to give a “human touch” to your Web site than by allowing your visitors to ask a librarian a question from your front page? A Web form can provide a more personal touch than an e-mail link by allowing the inclusion of a greeting or pleasing graphics to communicate a positive impression of your library. Fu rth e r p o s s ib ilitie s Web forms expand the library reference ser­ vice geographically and are unlimited by days and hours. Beyond using the Web form as an “ask a librarian” service, libraries are now developing tutorials and instructional modules to instruct users and answer com­ monly asked questions about the library. In addition to providing users with immediate feedback, interactive, Web-based tutorials can be used in conjunction with courses and may help relieve overburdened library staff. ( c o n t in u e d on p a g e 2 9 1 ) C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 / 291 pages: the Real Regency Clothing Page, Re­ gency Fashion Plates, and the Men’s Page, which show costume images from fashion journals and plates and photographs of ac­ tual re g en cy garm ents. A c c e s s : http:// locutus.ucr.edu/~cathy/reg3. html. • T h e H isto ry o f C o stu m e. C. Otis Sweezey reproduces the plates in the “His­ tory o f Costume” or “Zur Geschichte der Kostume,” which was printed from 1871 to 1880 in Munich. These plates reproduce 500 costume designs from antiquity to the end of the 19th century. Access, http://www.siue.edu/ COSTUMES/history.html. • Godey’s Lady’s Book. There are sev­ eral sites that are in the process o f providing access to this 19th-century periodical. This im­ portant journal included fashion plates as well as poems, fiction, and advice articles. Two locations for this journal are the University of Vermont (A ccess: http://www.uvm.edu/ ~hag/godey/index.html) and the University o f Rochester (A ccess: http://www.history. rochester. edu/godeys/). Associations and organizations • Costume Society o f A m erica. Offers information on membership, symposia, ex­ hibitions, and scholarships and awards. A c­ cess: http://www.costumesocietyamerica. com/. • T h e C o s tu m e S o c ie ty (G r e a t B ritain ). Access: http://www.Bath.uk.com/ CostumeSociety/. • In ternation al C ostum er’s Guild. Pro­ vides information on this worldwide organi­ zation of costume professionals and amateurs. Access: http://www.costume.org. Newsgroups, m ail lists, chatroom s • F-C ostu m e@ lu nch .asd .sgi.com . Fo­ cuses on the design, motivation, and execu­ tion o f fantasy clothing and costume. S u b­ s c r ib e : f-costum e-req u est@ lu nch.asd .sg i. com. • H-Costume. Focuses on how to accu­ rately recreate historical costumes. Subscribe: h-costume-request@andrew.c mu.edu. • Vintage. Vintage clothing discussion list. Subscribe: listserv@brownvm.brown.edu. Note 1. Richard Martin. C on tem porary F ashio (New York: St. James Press, 1995): vii. ■ ( “W eb f o r m s ” c o n t in u e d f r o m p a g e 2 7 2 ) Forms can be used in other ways to enhance library services in general. For example, libraries can provide access to commonly used library forms, such as in­ terlibrary loan requests, requests to put library materials on reserve, or requests for extended reference assistance. As technology becom es more sophisti­ cated, libraries must use creative and pro­ active methods to maintain viability. A ref­ erence Web form is one way libraries can expand their educational and service roles and stay at the forefront o f a changing world. So u rces fo r b u ild in g a Web form • Beverly K. Duval. “Tables and feed­ back forms in Web p ages.” L ib ra ry S oft­ w a r e R eview 15 (1996): 3 1 -3 7 . Part o f the “M icrocom puter Applications in the Li­ brary” colum n looks at the design and HTML cod ing for tab le s and fe e d b ack forms. • J. Honeycutt, and Mark R. Brown. Us­ ing HTML 3 .2. 3rd ed. Indianapolis: Que, Inc., 1997. This com prehensive reference book for HTML 3.2 Web page creation in­ cludes chapters on creating online forms. • W ebR eference.com . A ccess: http:// w w w .w ebreference.com / program m ing/ forms.html. This page gives links to some excellent sites for creating forms on the Web. ■ Web forms to check out Here are some well-designed Web refer­ ence forms we recommend looking at: • Central Michigan University’s Ask Librarian Web form. Access: http://www. lib.cmich.edu/departments/reference/ askref.htm. • Ask a Librarian at the Eden-Webster Library at Webster University and Eden Theological Seminary. A ccess: http:// library.websteruniv.edu/askalibn.html. • College of Charleston Library Ask a Librarian form. Access: http://www.cofc. edu/~whitt/question. html. • Ask Zach at the Zach S. Henderson Library of Georgia Southern University. A ccess: http://www2.gasou.edu/library/ n form.html. a http://www.siue.edu/ http://www.uvm.edu/ http://www.history http://www.Bath.uk.com/ http://www.costume.org mailto:F-Costume@lunch.asd.sgi.com mailto:f-costume-request@lunch.asd.sgi mailto:listserv@brownvm.brown.edu http://www.webreference.com/programming/ http://www http://www.cofc http://www2.gasou.edu/library/