In need of support: the academic help desk Available to Purchase

The help desk and user support industry has, over the last ten years, risen to prominence as one of the most important areas of the IT and customer services industry. However, it has also become clear that not all help desks have the same requirements, and help desks operating in academic environments find themselves with distinct circumstances and problems. Drawing on research published by the author, and a comprehensive review of recent literature and input from practitioners, addresses these issues which distinguish the help desk in academia. Also finds that it often suffers from difficulty in defining its role and obtaining resources, examines how some institutions have successfully tackled these problems and offers some suggestions for strategies, future developments and sources of expert advice.