| Nowadays, the network environment has developed quickly and improved continuously, and it makes the library get a new chance to develop, the library's patrons also more and more depend upon this kind of environment. So, we must provide top-quality digital services which can meet the patrons' needs in this information society, and the usability of these services also are noticeable, we should put more attention to it for its influence to the patrons. And only by that, can we be possible to ensure our patrons utilize the information resources that we supply for them effectively and satisfactorily. Under this kind of background, virtual reference service springs up and develops quickly. As an important composing of the library's virtual reference service system, real-time reference service incarnates the humanism idea and adopts more advanced information technology. Real-time reference software is the background system of the real-time reference service, and it always influences not only the quality of the service but the patrons' confidence in our services, so it's very necessary for us to throw more attention to it. However, regarding the research status in quo of correlative problem, there is few study on real-time reference software from the library service and the patrons' angle, especially the studies on its usability. This situation should arouse our attention.This paper's study object was real-time reference software, for affording some valuable opinions to the work of reference librarians, it considered that the patrons' needs and real-time reference software were closely interconnected. It averred that we should not talk in generalities about the patrons' need, while should put it on the top during the whole work process, including when choosing real-time reference software, we should consider the patrons' need adequately. And from the library service and the patrons' angle, this paper synthesized the correlative theories and methods of other science, by using the methods of literature analysis, statistical analysis, case analysis, it reviewed the status in quo of the real-time reference software's function and usability, and summed up the develop directions, so that people put further attention to the patrons' needs to finally make these needs into reality in the real-time reference service.This paper divided the main content into three parts:(1)It expatiated the concepts and development of virtual reference service and real-time reference software, summed up the characteristic of virtual reference service, and on the bases of the realizing technology, this paper divided virtual reference service into two kinds: asynchronous method and synchronous method, pointed outthat the study object of this paper was real-time reference software that supported to realize the synchronous service method. In this part, this paper also introduced the types of real-time reference software, and it classified it into popular one and professional one, summed up its work mechanism and characteristics;(2)This paper introduced the concepts and development of the real-time reference software's function, and it made detailed study on its intercommunication function^ the patron management function and the back management function, pointed out the function' s detail and some points needs to be noticed especially. In the end of this part, this paper compared some typical software's function such as Iivepersom LiveAssistant> LiveHelper% 24/7 Reference > "Virtual Reference Toolkits QuestionPoint;(3)It discussed the real-time reference software's usability in detail, analyzed the necessarity and feasibility of emphasizing the usability of real-time reference software, summed up its designing principal and testing methods, and with the experience of using the software, this paper analyzed the usability of OICQ> LivePerson^ 24/7 Reference > QuestionPoint, and brought forward some suggestions on how to improve the usability of the real-time reference software.(10 diagrams, 3 tables)... |
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