Research On Network-based Digital Reference Services In Libraries

Consultation has always been one of the kernel services of informationorganizations and libraries. Since Samuel Green (1837-1918), librarian inAmerican Wooster Public Library, first proposed to launch advisory services in thelibraries in the world in 1876. That time it was called " helping readers ". By 1883,Boston Public Library first set up the consultant and reading room in the world,which is the symbol of the beginning of the key business of the libraries. Sincethen, face-to-face consultation between consult office-staff and readers has alwaysbeen a library's leading mode. Later on, people widen their consult spaces andranges of reference services through telephone, mail, fax way. It was probably 100years later, i.e. 1984, the Health Scientific Library of U.S.A. Maryland universityutilized the E-mail to launch the advisory service of consult, made it possible forthe users to ask and receive various advisory service at home or in the office. Thishas brought consultation work into a brand-new realm. But it was the developmentof computer, communication and network technology that really brought arevolutionary change for consulting and consulting. In the 1990s, computer,communication and network got fast development and growth. What followed isthe setting-up of the work station, the development of online information retrieval,the application of the CD and WWW, LAN (local area networks), extensivepopularization of WAN (wide area networks ) , Internet ( the internet ) and Intranet(Intranets ). In offices, laboratories, dormitories, houses, information resources andinformation transmission can be realized through computer network. With thepopularity and development of network, users put new demands onto libraries. Bythe beginning of 21st century and the end of the 20th century, the figure referenceconsultation began to call close attention of more and more libraries. Librarieshave been regarding digital reference service as the new growing point of services.The digital reference service is considered to be, following digital library, anothergreat focus that the international library circle talks about and pays close attentionto and is a major developing trend for the library consults services. Digitalreference service is a kind of new method and rose rapidly of service in foreignlibrary in the middle and later periods of the 1990s. It is a succession, extensionand new development of traditional reference in web environment. Libraries in the 21st century are facing the digitized information environmentthat is popularized day by day. More and more digitization and networkedinformation resources are widely used. More and more users not only possessnetwork use ability but also depend on network for information progressively. Thisundoubtedly requires corresponding information service to realize networking and 66digitization progressively too. How should libraries be used for information? It isthe question that the library people have thought and need to answer to offernetworked information service for users all the time. The above-mentioned point is the viewpoint of my thesis. The author divides thethesis into six parts. They are Introduction, Digital reference services, Digitalreference service modes, Domestic and international digital reference service studyand comparisons, Digital reference service setting-up and putting into operation,and Conclusion. The brief explanations to these six parts of contents are asfollows: 1. The introduction part explains especially the background of digital referenceservice, the meaning of digital reference, the research contents and researchapproach of the digital reference service and research purpose, and networkenvironment. 2. In the part of digital reference service, I explain the concept, characteristic,development, and procedures of consulting the advisory services. 3. It is the part where the author applies more ink to the pape...