Internet Reference Support for Distance Learners

Citation

Fourie, I. (2007), "Internet Reference Support for Distance Learners", The Electronic Library, Vol. 25 No. 5, pp. 627-627. https://doi.org/10.1108/el.2007.25.5.627.1

Internet Reference Support for Distance Learners has been co‐published simultaneously as Internet Reference Services Quarterly, Vol. 9 Nos 3/4, 2004. Together with Improving Internet Reference Services to Distance Learners (simultaneously co‐published as Internet Reference Services Quarterly, Vol. 9 Nos 1/24, 2004) this publication is a must read for all distance librarians as well as librarians offering virtual reference services. In fact, anybody involved with digital library services can benefit from the publication.

It is interesting to note the editors' comments on the contributions (p. 1): “They reveal that librarians do not make a sharp distinction between reference and instruction in the distance learning context, and that there is no clear demarcation between ‘true’ distance learners and the more traditional students who might use the services designed with distance learners in mind”.

Against this background Improving Internet Reference Services to Distance Learners covers a wide spectrum of relevant topics such as a historic overview of library and information services to distance learners and a synthesis of the guidelines and standards for the provision of distant services, the variety of types of reference services for distant learners, academic library websites to support distance learners, support to web‐based courses, chat services, student support portals, and the design of software to support different virtual reference services. The need to work with faculty, open source software, the development of self‐paced tutorials, copyright, the use of Camtasia as alternative to live video and the integration of library reference services into online courses is also covered.

The editors, William Miller and Rita Pellen, are both experts in the field and did an excellent job of the publication. Improving Internet Reference Services for Distant Learners is well‐bounded and well‐written, with a detailed 12 page index.

Internet Reference Support for Distance Learners is highly recommended to practitioners in the field of distance library and information services, as well as reference librarians involved with digital libraries and virtual reference services.