Cyberspace or Face-to-Face: The Teachable Moment and Changing Reference Mediums

Abstract

This article considers the teaching role of reference librarians by studying the teachable moment in reference transactions, and usersâ response to that instruction. An empirical study of instruction was conducted in both virtual and traditional reference milieus, examining three services: IM (Instant Messaging), chat, and face-to-face reference. The authors used the same criteria in separate studies of all three to determine if librarians provided analogous levels of instruction and what factors influenced the likelihood of instruction. Methodology employed transcript analysis, observation, and patron surveys. Findings indicated that patrons wanted instruction in their reference transactions, regardless of medium, and librarians provided it. However, instructional techniques used by librarians in virtual reference differ somewhat from those used at the reference desk. The authors conclude that reference transactions, in any medium, represent the patronsâ point-of-need, thereby presenting the ideal teachable moment.