Virtual Reference Training Queue

For role as "library user" during this assignment, you will engage in TWO virtual reference interactions - one via live chat and one via email.  You will complete both tasks using the chat widget located in the left-side menu (below "For Library Users"). 

Please note - the chat widget will only be active and available when a member of this queue (i.e. you and/or your fellow students) are online, so it's important to schedule a time when both you and your partner will be available in order to be able to complete your assignment.

• Ideally, you should complete your live chat first, then once finished, use the Email Widget to submit your email request.  And please use your preferred first/last name and school email in the widget so that your partner will be able to distinguish your chat from your classmates' chats.

• Your questions, when you’re playing the library user, should NOT be ready reference questions. Ready-reference questions can be answered fairly quickly and don’t require much negotiation or interaction - so using those kinds of questions will not provide a good-enough reference encounter for you to use as a base for your assignments.

• Please don’t try to deliberately stump your librarian. It might sound like a great tactic – and will definitely lead to a longer reference interaction, but it’s not really fair to your partner – and isn’t likely to result in a good reference encounter.

• Take notes while you’re having your reference encounter AND get a copy of your chat transcript.  This will give you the raw material you will need to write your assignments.

• Your grades for this assignment are NOT necessarily tied to your partner’s grades, as you will both have different experiences. The only element that will link your two assignments together are your questions – as those will give each of you the material for your assignments. 

• If any of you have any issues whatsoever with this assignment, please let me know as soon as possible.

• Have a bit of fun with this!

• Once you've entered your information and question into the chat widget, locate and click on the envelope icon at the top of the widget.

• If you forget - there's also an option to request a transcript once the chat has completed (but while it's still up on the screen).