“Beyond the virtual shore”: an Australian digital reference initiative with a global dimension

This paper gives an overview of the evolution of digital reference services at the University of Technology Sydney, and the emergence of a new phase to this service as part of a planned global network of digital reference partners. Reasons for moving beyond traditional reference to networked provision are discussed, and the merits of different types of online service are sketched out. The benefits of a global consortium approach as opposed to local consortia are also described, together with the criteria for selecting suitable consortium partners. Strategies for exchange of knowledge and improving cross‐institutional awareness of each partners’ user enquiries are given, and the shape of the next collaborative phase of the service is indicated.