Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

THE

MYSTERY OF THE DISAPPEARING REFERENCE COLLECTION

K. Jane Burpee, University of GuelphBarbara McDonald, McMaster University

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Session Outline

• Disappearing Reference Collection• Reference Service Review

• The Mac Experience• The Guelph Experience

• Reference Service Top Trends• Conclusion: Mystery Solved ?!

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Reference Collection

Space Commons

UsageGoogling

eBooks

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

The Disappearing Reference Collection

“We’re decimating the Reference Collection. And

nobody cares.” ~Librarian ~

“All you care about is computers. “

~Professor~

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

The Disappearing Reference Collection

“When it comes to academic reference, students and faculty have chosen, and the choice is

digital.”Albanese (2004).

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Reference Service Model Review: the Mac Experience

Commons:Service & Design Objectives • owned by learners • inclusive • collaborative • accommodates the social • protects the traditional • excellent customer service • learning enhanced by IT• flexibility for the future

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Reference Service Model Review: the Guelph Experience

The landscape has changed and the

maps have not yet been published.

OCLC 2003 Environmental Scan

What’s this guy got to do with it?

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Reference Service Model Review: the Guelph Experience

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Reference Service Top Trends

1. Accountability2. Space3. Staff and Staffing 4. Promotion and Marketing

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Reference

Silence is Golden

Tipping Point

Learning

CafesCommons

Web 2.0

Library 2.0!?

RenGenFolksonomies

Tagging

VR/chatMarketplace

Cluetrain ManifestoPartnerships

Federated Searching

Retail ExpectationsResearch Help

Roaming/Roving

SAILSLibQual+

Re-Branding

Stories not statsE-Books

LCSH

Users

Stats

Faculty

Monastery

Preservation

Cataloguing

Usability

Teaching

User ExperienceStudents

X

Adapted fromStephen Abram, Library 2.0,

with thanks

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Trends, Truisms….. and Fads?

Trend, n.1. A general tendency or inclination3. Current style; vogue: the latest trend in fashion

Truism. n. A self-evident truth; a statement so obviously true as not to require discussion

Fad, n. A peculiar notion as to the right way of doing something; a pet project to which exaggerated importance is attributed; a ‘craze’.

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Mystery Solved?!

Or not? – • Concluding

thoughtsContact Us!K. Jane Burpeejburpee@uoguelph.ca

Barbara McDonaldmcdonb@mcmaster.ca

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Do we need an extreme makeover?Re-designed space? Re-named service? Roving? Roaming? Triaged? Peer to Peer? By appointment only? Joined service points? 1-stop shop? Online VR or IM? 24/7?

DiscussionExtreme Makeover’sTy Pennington

Burpee/McDonald OLA2006

Mystery of The Disappearing Reference Collection….. Further Reading

• Annotated Bibliography: http://library.mcmaster.ca/staff/mcdonald/disappearing_bib_OLA-feb06.pdf

• Session Handout: http://library.mcmaster.ca/staff/mcdonald/disappearing_handout_OLA-feb06.pdf

• McMaster Commons Service Model Working Group Final Report: http://library.mcmaster.ca/mills/learningcommons/servicemodel_report.pdf