Using HorizonLive to deliver library instruction to distance and online students

With the move from satellite to Web‐based course delivery systems, librarians have greater opportunities, as well as greater challenges, regarding the best way to deliver information literacy instruction to distance students. Providing distance education through course delivery software like WebCT and HorizonLive is a growing trend in higher education. In addition, the opportunity to provide “real time” reference service to these distance students is afforded by the availability of live chat software. Librarians at California State University, Chico, decided to collaborate with distance education professors to use HorizonLive and chat reference to provide traditional library instruction, albeit in an untraditional format, to distance students. This article details the project and reports on its success.