Gary Price posted the news release about two virtual reference services, OCLC QuestionPoint and 24/7 Reference, combining their services ResourceShelf.
[Via DIG_REF listserv, 11 August 2004.]
This was interesting to me because I just finished taking Library 210, Reference and Information Services, with Scott Walter. As one of our assignments, we had to ask a question of a digital reference service and then write a critical analysis about our experience. I sampled both of the above, but with different types of questions. In some ways I preferred QuestionPoint because I was given a link that I could check for the status of my answers. The bottom line though, is that the quality of the service depends on the skills of the reference librarian at the other end. Some of the class had great experiences, others were disappointed. The same happened with the face-to-face reference assignment, so it does not have to do with digital versus face-to-face.
