Reports on in-house use of online services at the Maine State Library for searches not specifically requested by client or initiated by staff member to advance job flow. Use of TALIMAINE service for interlibrary loan verification, document delivery, book selection, and staff development, and client breakdown for 1983-1984 are described. (EJS)

Discusses digital reference services, also known as virtual reference, chat reference, or online reference, based on a round table discussion at the 2002 American Library Association annual conference in Atlanta. Topics include numbers and marketing; sustainability; competition and models; evaluation methods; outsourcing; staffing and training;…

Summarizes speeches from a debate about the future of reference librarians. Highlights include a decline in traditional reference statistics; the growth of commercial online reference services; attempts to move traditional services to the Web; and users' needs for librarians to help them find authoritative, unbiased, free information. (LRW)

The second of two articles on the acquisition and implementation of a large laserdisk service at Texas A&M University covers equipment and supplies, future plans, service, staffing, training of staff and patrons, and statistics. A floor plan, user instruction sheet, and news release are included. (MES)

Offers practical tips and suggestions on how to conduct user surveys to evaluate library services. Topics include how trends, such as online services impact library reference services; incorporating survey questions into reference interviews; segmenting academic and public library users; questionnaire design; measuring value; and tabulating…

Presents steps taken by a librarian task force at Washington State University in planning, implementing, and evaluating the addition of LEXIS-NEXIS workstations; user policies; and instruction methods in an academic reference environment. Figures and tables display: workstation information including usage statistics, an outline of the Lexis-Nexis…