... reference Chat Information literacy Virtual reference University libraries Subject librarians Instruction Effective virtual reference service requires presence of mind and flexibility in a rapidly moving context. No chat provider can master even basic reference knowledge in the wide range...

... they decide whether to refer chat reference patrons to subject librarians for in-depth assistance. The initial hypothesis was that subject librarians would be more likely to refer patrons in their own areas of expertise, for several reasons: they can quickly grasp the information need and ask appropriate...