UC Best Practices in Instruction & Reference for Digital Resources

Email Reference, 24-Hour Turnaround
Assisting Remote Users of Reference and Databases

Environment | Clients | Deliverables | Guidelines | Staff | Procedures | E-Form | Next

The Rosenfeld Library provides a 24-hour turnaround Email Reference service to a highly computer literate clientele of MBA students. What is promised is a research strategy, recommending relevant databases, e-texts, and print sources. Additionally, database tutorials, sample retrieved articles, pdf files, and other deliverables often are included. Three reference librarians staff this operation.


THE ENVIRONMENT

The UCLA Rosenfeld Management Library is the information partner of The Anderson School, which offers MBA programs, both full-time and part-time, M.S. and Ph.D. programs, and short-term Executive Education programs. Key Enviroment Considerations:
  • The Laptop Requirement - all Anderson students are required to own and use laptop computers
  • Pervasive Connectivity - network ports connect every seat in classrooms, library, the Complex
  • Remote Access - a must for Executive MBAs -- same is true for the entire Internet generation
  • "24/7" Service Expectations - computer literacy is above average; timely delivery is a priority
Among the products and services that the Library offers in this "24/7" remote access laptop connected environment:
  • remote access to all databases via its Database Selection Tool
    Gateway to over 50 business databases, with search & selection aids --
    includes their High-Medium-Low ratings in 10 business information categories.
  • remote selection assistance via its Reference Decision Tools
    Expert advice detailing the critical steps in selecting the best source.
    See examples for a better understanding.
  • remote research strategties via its Research Strategies
    Customized research strategies for course projects and assignments.
    These are each developed in collaboration with the instructor.
  • remotely consult a librarian via Email Reference Service
    Research strategies -- includes best sources to use; if databases, includes brief tutorial.
    If unknown source is ID'ed, may include document delivery. 24-hour turnaround.

PRIMARY CLIENTELE

The Anderson School has 134 faculty members who serve over 600 full-time MBA students, approximately 400 fully employed MBA students, nearly 140 executive MBA students, and 65 Ph.D. students.

Special Remote-Access Considerations:

  • MBA students participate in exchange programs where they spend an academic quarter at another leading B-School abroad, and expect their usual access to information resources.
  • FEMBA and EMBA students' thesis-equivalent project is a two-academic-quarter international field study that involves extensive travel, and information needs to back up recommendations.
DELIVERABLES

The primary (promised) deliverable is a research strategy, within 24 hours, except weekends and holidays. The research strategy is often an interpretation of what is requested in light of available information -- librarian's best judgement. Re-emails for clarification are almost never necessary; responses to our answers are usually "thank-you's" or new questions, spurred by the successful handling of the first inquiry.

We email samples or the requested results from online searches if that seems the best way to deal with a specific request. Although there is a fair amount of document delivery in our process (and we are looking to partnering to pick up some of the load), since these are not simple or known citation in all cases, the reference librarian's involvement is a must.

We take our role as a teaching library seriously, so we provide search command syntax with every database recommendation, and explain the reasons behind our selection of reference and research strategies. We also recognize that the information-gathering stage, in most cases, is just a step toward further analysis by our users, and we are open to delivering the information as requested for timely problem-solving and decision-making.

SERVICE GUIDELINES

The intent is to provide students and others with sources and strategies to assist them in answering their information needs.
  • Pre-Test - To this end it is understood that some pre-testing, especially with online databases and Web sites, is often necessary to ensure that a recommended strategy will in fact work in a particular database in a given case.
  • Don't "Exhaust the Possibilities" - Exploring every possible nuance to answer a query is not required.
  • Don't Overlook Print Sources - If there are very appropriate print sources that will best answer a question, these should be mentioned, especially if it means that a lot of difficult digging into databases to find an acceptable alternative can be avoided.
  • Suggest Local Resources - In order to assist F/EMBA students in particular (when we know we have a query from a student in that group), it is acceptable to suggest libraries nearer to them as options for using suggested print sources. We should always make it clear that the Rosenfeld Library has the recommended source available for consultation, but that other libraries also may have the source if that's a more convenient option for the student.
  • Multi-Part Questions - For those multipart questions that often come through, if it is not possible to deal with all parts in one day, it is appropriate to provide a response for specific parts of the question and to let the requestor know that other parts to the question will be dealt with as quickly as possible.
  • Deliver via Email - Although the primary deliverable is a research strategy, it is appropriate to email results from online searches if that seems the best way to deal with a specific request.
  • 24-Hour Response Time is Important - It is important to adhere to our response time standard, which is a 24 hour turnaround response, not counting weekends or University holidays. This does not mean that every part of a question must be fully answered within 24 hours. It does mean that a requestor has heard back from us with some information by way of an answer with an indication that more is to come if that's necessary as a way of managing the query (this is mainly as a way to manage the multipart questions that require more time).
STAFF

Three reference librarians in the Rosenfeld Management Library respond to the reference inquiries as
"Rosenfeld Library Reference Librarians":
  • Eloisa Gomez Borah
  • M. Rita Costello
  • Michael Oppenheim
(Same librarians staff reference desk, telephone reference, and course project drop-in hours, as well as provide instructional & research support, and other librarian duties).

PROCEDURES [see also Service Guidelines, above]

Rather than link the opening of the Reference Desk to handling the reference emails in the queue (as these were previously handled), we make assignments for this activity independently of Reference Desk hours.

FIVE SHIFT ASSIGNMENTS:

Day/Hours [read: Friday 16:00 (4:00pm) ... ]
Shifts & Coverage [read: MMMM = Monday shift, ... ]

F 16 20 S 4 8 12 16 20 N 4 8 12 16 20 M 4 8 12 16 20 T 4 8 12 16 20 W 4 8 12 16 20 R 4 8 12 16 20 F 4 8 12 16
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMTTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
The consensus is that Monday is the heaviest day in terms of reference email requests and that Friday usually is the lightest day. The following schedule has been developed with this in mind.

For the Monday assignment, request to be answered should be those in the queue from 4:00 p.m. and later from the previous Friday until Monday at noon.
For Tuesday, requests to be answered should be those in the queue from Monday at noon until Tuesday at noon.
For Wednesday, requests to be answered should be those in the queue from Tuesday noon until Wednesday at noon.
For Thursday, requests to be answered should be those in the queue from Wednesday noon until Thursday at noon.
For Friday, requests to be answered should be those in the queue from Thursday noon until Friday at 4:00 p.m.
(The rationale for the longer time on Friday is because that day typically is lighter; it helps get responses to users prior to the weekend; and it ensures that only weekend requests are in the queue for Monday).

Since assignments at the Reference Desk will be split from the email reference assignments, trading Desk hours carries no implication that the email reference work is being traded as well.

BACK-UP ASSIGNMENTS:

Since this is a "fixed assignment" we need to have back-up coverage for each person for days when someone is absent
DAY PRIMARY BACK-UP
Monday Eloisa Michael
Tuesday Rita Eloisa
Wednesday Michael Eloisa
Thursday Rita Michael
Friday Michael Rita

SHARED WORKSPACE PROTOCOL:

All reference librarians have access, by login and password, to the Email Reference email account, library@anderson.ucla.edu, individually and simultaneously.

When checking the inbox, the person responsible for that day's queries should move new ones within their shift assignment out of the inbox queue into an "in-progress" folder that has their name attached to it, e.g. InProcessEGB, InProcessMRC, InProcessMO. This will clear the inbox queue of requests that are not meant to be dealt with by the next person whose turn it is to answer reference emails.

When the question is completed, it can be filed in the Inquiries folder, and the answer -- or answers, if multi-part -- can be filed in the Replies folder.

REFERENCE E-FORM

To consult a librarian via this Email Reference service, users may click on the form link which appears on all research strategies and other reference Web pages. Email reminders are also sent several times during the academic year to remind them that the Reference Desk is as close as email. Course number and instructor information gives us a better understanding of context -- re-emails for clarification are almost never necessary. Completed forms are transmitted to the reference desk email account - library@anderson.ucla.edu. Questions received are typically multi-part and very involved -- see question examples below.

Consult A Librarian Online

This service is designed to provide convenient and timely support for the course assignment needs of the students, faculty & staff of the Anderson School at UCLA. Recommended research strategies are emailed back within 24 hours (weekends and holidays excepted).

Anderson Course Number: Course Instructor:

Your Name:

Email Address:

Status:

Information Needed:


We regret that staffing constraints limit our ability to respond to requests from Internet users at large.



TYPICAL QUESTIONS (We receive about 4-7 per day).

I'm doing research on the TV landscape in the following countries/regions: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Benelux and Scandinavia (minus Finland). Basically I am looking for the major players: (1) main broadcasters, (2) highest-rated shows, (3) main production companies and what they are producing and for whom, and (4) broadcasters/production companies' ties to big conglomerates. Any help in that direction would be greatly appreciated!
I'm looking for an expanded catalog of "analogous" products and their associated diffusion coefficinets (p & q) that can be used with the Bass diffusion of innovation model. I am also looking for a reference that describes extensions to the Bass diffusion of innovation model, specifically in extensions that extend the model to account for: (1) repeat or replacement purchases, and (2) growth of market size/potential. Thanks!
My group is working with our host company to define our project, but we are headed toward an investigation of applying options pricing and other creative forms of finance to risky, expensive high tech projects. To help us formulate the problem, we'd like to review any materials you can dig up on financing of the following six areas of industrial purchases: ... Any assistance will be appreciated.
Data and projections on the commercial availability of new internet radio devices (car radios, PDAs, cell phones, walkman, etc.); projected listening time share of each device; projected adoption rates and market size over time; projected value of advertising in the internet radio market space; any other measures that would help us determine the profitability of a company which inserts demographically targeted ads in streaming audio.
I have some questions about SUN, and I am not sure if they are too specific for you to drill down to. If so, and you want to direct me to a resource, that's fine. Regarding SUN's hardware, e.g. servcers, workstations, and storage products, I believe their competitors are HP, DEC, and IBM; EMC for storage -- are there any others? How do these companies compare with regard to price comparable equipment? With regard to reliability? Compatibility and expandability? If a company has many servers and wants to replace one, must it be of the same brand or can another brand be substituted? Delivery time? Regarding SUN's software, e.g. JAVA and JINI -- Who/What is the competition? How much is the licensing fee? How much is generated from support/upgrades? Many thanks.
Dear Library, Attached is a spreadsheet with the parameters for which our field study team would like to obtain data. ... We would really appreciate your advice on how best to proceed! In particular, any strategy you can propose to help us identify how to "divide and conquer" among our team members would be very much appreciated! ... THANKS!


WHAT'S NEXT?

  • Build a database of past reference inquiries and responses.
  • Increase skill sets or partner for pdf file creation, fax modem delivery, etc.
  • Enhance remote reference tools at Web site (E-Texts, more Decision Tools)
  • Provide some real time access to a reference librarian via LivePerson or a similar program.
  • Possible partnering with b-schools in other global time zones to offer 24/7 live reference service.

BIBLIOGRAPHY


Presented by Eloisa Gomez Borah, Head of Public Services/Reference, UCLA Rosenfeld Management Library, at the
UC Best Practices in Instruction & Reference for Digital Resources Workshop, Los Angeles Hilton, June 23, 2000.

Copyright © 2000 UCLA Rosenfeld Library. All Rights Reserved.