A History of the Developments in Virtual Reference Services at the College of Charleston Library

摘要

This article provides an overview of the evolution of virtual reference services at the College of Charleston. E-mail reference has been in use since the mid-1990s. Chat using QuestionPoint began in 2003,and the college joined the 24/7 Chat Reference Academic Cooperative in 2005. Instant messaging reference started the followingyear, and text messaging reference commenced in 2007. In 2008,the library decided to end participation in the 24/7 Chat Reference Academic Cooperative and to cease using QuestionPoint’s e-mail function. Emerging technologies will impact the ways andmeans ofproviding virtual reference in the future. This article will examinethe rationale driving each development and the library’s experiencesproviding service with the various platforms in the context ofthe greater world of virtual reference services.