Case Studies
Case Study 1
Foley, Marianne. "Instant Messaging Reference In An Academic Library: A Case Study." College & Research Libraries 63.1 (2002): 36-45. ERIC. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.
instant_messaging_reference_in_an_academic_library_a_case_study.pdf | |
File Size: | 1589 kb |
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This is an older case study (2002) but it makes the case for Instant Messaging in libraries that don't already use it. The abstract gives a good explanation of what Instant Messaging is and what it does including all the different forms that IM can take. From this article, they include: send images and video, play games, exchange files, verbal chat (Skype) and synchronize Web browsing.
At the time this article was written there were 25,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional-degree students. This study was designed to allow SUNY College's Buffalo Campus (UB) of General Libraries, which consist of Lockwood Memorial Library (for humanities and the social sciences), the Science and Engineering Library, and the Oscar A. Silverman Undergraduate Library to explore the following issues:
provide reference assistance to remote modem users without second phone lines;
enable distance education students to avoid long-distance phone charges;
assist students in crowded cybraries (library computer labs) who do not want to relinquish their seats to visit a reference desk;
make reference service more inviting to young people and others who regularly engage in real-time chat;
provide extended reference hours.
The following stakeholders were considered:
Administration
Staff
Librarians
Patrons
Many programs both paid and unpaid were considered and the decision was made to use AOL as a downloadable program and AIM as a web-based program. It was acknowledged that IM programs change and that they often disappear or lose their marketability.
The following statistics were found using a patron survey:
The majority (70%) of respondents were between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five.
More users (69%) sent their question from on-campus than from off-campus.
Of the on-campus patrons, most (25%) sent their message from a cybrary.
There were no significant differences in use by gender.
Eighty-four percent of the respondents were affiliated with UB as students, faculty, staff, or alumni.
45 percent of respondents reported being very satisfied with the service.
79 percent declared themselves satisfied or better compared to 10 percent who registered some level of dissatisfaction. Most of the unhappy patrons had tried to access the service when it was closed.
No transcripts were kept in order to keep patron privacy but a list of paraphrased questions was kept in a database.
The following quote sums up the type of questions asked. "As mentioned earlier, librarians paraphrased the questions they received during their IM shift. For evaluation purposes, the reported questions were grouped into several categories. The majority of questions received during IM reference fell into the information literacy (26%) and catalog (23%) categories. Information literacy questions required the librarian to explain the difference between the online catalog and electronic databases, to suggest a database, or to offer database search tips. The catalog category included questions about specific holdings or catalog terminology. As with exchanges at the physical reference desk, librarians found that many patrons do not understand the distinction between the Web-based catalog and electronic databases. Twelve percent of users required help navigating BISON Web pages and another 12 percent asked for specific library information such as hours, renewal policies, and so on. To a lesser extent, users requested assistance with technical troubleshooting (6%), Web navigation (5%), electronic course reserves (4%), and finding UB information (4%). Surprisingly, only five percent of users asked indepth questions about a particular subject while two percent posed short, factual questions (more had been expected). Another two percent sent inquiries about the library's IM service (41-42)"
The conclusion was that Instant Messaging met all the goals put forth for the study and that it is a valuable tool to help with reference and it will not supplant traditional reference desk services.
Based on my other readings, this conclusion still hold true today.
At the time this article was written there were 25,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional-degree students. This study was designed to allow SUNY College's Buffalo Campus (UB) of General Libraries, which consist of Lockwood Memorial Library (for humanities and the social sciences), the Science and Engineering Library, and the Oscar A. Silverman Undergraduate Library to explore the following issues:
provide reference assistance to remote modem users without second phone lines;
enable distance education students to avoid long-distance phone charges;
assist students in crowded cybraries (library computer labs) who do not want to relinquish their seats to visit a reference desk;
make reference service more inviting to young people and others who regularly engage in real-time chat;
provide extended reference hours.
The following stakeholders were considered:
Administration
Staff
Librarians
Patrons
Many programs both paid and unpaid were considered and the decision was made to use AOL as a downloadable program and AIM as a web-based program. It was acknowledged that IM programs change and that they often disappear or lose their marketability.
The following statistics were found using a patron survey:
The majority (70%) of respondents were between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five.
More users (69%) sent their question from on-campus than from off-campus.
Of the on-campus patrons, most (25%) sent their message from a cybrary.
There were no significant differences in use by gender.
Eighty-four percent of the respondents were affiliated with UB as students, faculty, staff, or alumni.
45 percent of respondents reported being very satisfied with the service.
79 percent declared themselves satisfied or better compared to 10 percent who registered some level of dissatisfaction. Most of the unhappy patrons had tried to access the service when it was closed.
No transcripts were kept in order to keep patron privacy but a list of paraphrased questions was kept in a database.
The following quote sums up the type of questions asked. "As mentioned earlier, librarians paraphrased the questions they received during their IM shift. For evaluation purposes, the reported questions were grouped into several categories. The majority of questions received during IM reference fell into the information literacy (26%) and catalog (23%) categories. Information literacy questions required the librarian to explain the difference between the online catalog and electronic databases, to suggest a database, or to offer database search tips. The catalog category included questions about specific holdings or catalog terminology. As with exchanges at the physical reference desk, librarians found that many patrons do not understand the distinction between the Web-based catalog and electronic databases. Twelve percent of users required help navigating BISON Web pages and another 12 percent asked for specific library information such as hours, renewal policies, and so on. To a lesser extent, users requested assistance with technical troubleshooting (6%), Web navigation (5%), electronic course reserves (4%), and finding UB information (4%). Surprisingly, only five percent of users asked indepth questions about a particular subject while two percent posed short, factual questions (more had been expected). Another two percent sent inquiries about the library's IM service (41-42)"
The conclusion was that Instant Messaging met all the goals put forth for the study and that it is a valuable tool to help with reference and it will not supplant traditional reference desk services.
Based on my other readings, this conclusion still hold true today.
Case Study 2
Garrett, R. Kelly and James N. Danziger.. IM=Interruption management? Instant messaging and disruption in the workplace. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 13.1 (2007): n.p. Web. 27 Nov. 2012.
im_interruption_management_instant_messaging_and_disruption_in_the_workplace.pdf | |
File Size: | 365 kb |
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This premise of this study is that Instant Messaging puts the receiver of the IM in control of his or her own time management. It is argued in the workplace that allowing users to use instantaneous messaging will disrupt their work to the point where they will no longer be productive or at least their production levels will drop drastically. This study of 912 users surveyed by telephone shows that they are in better control of their time and that their workplace disruption went down. They were able to strategically use their Instant Messaging to benefit themselves, their clients and coworkers by managing the amount of time spent on telephone conversations and drop-in clients/coworkers. In some cases, productivity went up since they didn't have to respond to every IM immediately. Telephone conversations require immediate responses or require time to listen a voice mail and respond at a later date - and hoping the caller is available to respond. It also allowed users to get information more quickly and with less outside chatter.
Each communication with clients and coworkers disrupts the thought and work processes of the worker. By managing the timing of these interruptions, less time was spent in trying to regain the momentum of the work being done.
The conclusion of the study shows "suggest that workers are developing effective strategies for using IM technologies in positive ways, even when more negative workplace impacts seem equally possible."
This study warrants further investigation but it show that Instant Messaging is a valuable workplace tool and this could easily translate into education as well. Both the library and the classroom can benefit by better communication at the student's point-of-need.
Each communication with clients and coworkers disrupts the thought and work processes of the worker. By managing the timing of these interruptions, less time was spent in trying to regain the momentum of the work being done.
The conclusion of the study shows "suggest that workers are developing effective strategies for using IM technologies in positive ways, even when more negative workplace impacts seem equally possible."
This study warrants further investigation but it show that Instant Messaging is a valuable workplace tool and this could easily translate into education as well. Both the library and the classroom can benefit by better communication at the student's point-of-need.