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What are Virtual Reference Services? Virtual Reference Services (VRS) is reference assistance available when you are online. It may consist of chat sessions with a librarian, email, online forms and access to online resources. The goal of Virtual Reference Services is to provide a way for librarians to help you select and learn to use the best resources for your project and information needs independent of your physical location. Why should I use Virtual Reference? Besides the "cool" factor of trying out new technology, the most obvious reason to use Virtual Reference is when you are online at home and have questions about or need assistance for your research project. If you only have one phone line in your house, you would need to drop your Internet connection to call the library reference desk for help, but with Virtual Reference Services, all you need to do is click on the Ask A Librarian button, and you can connect with a librarian while you are still online. We can help you to find the information you need, we can "push" selected web pages right to your computer, or "cobrowse" with you to teach you how to do additional research on your own. How do I use Virtual Reference? Click on the Ask A Librarian button at the top of this page, or the table below contains specific instructions for accessing Ask A Librarian chat reference services from a VRS project participant library web site. If a librarian is available online from any one of the participating libraries, you will be able to select a specific library and/or librarian in the chat services menu. If no librarians are currently online, you can send an email to a specific library reference desk. The next available librarian from that specific site will respond to your request via email. Librarians are available to assist you with your research needs,including selecting and learning to use the best resources for your project. How do I use Virtual Reference?
Do I need any special software to use Virtual Reference? The Docutek VRLplus software is Java-based. If you have a current browser, such as Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 2, or Netsape 6, you should already have a current Java plugin installed. If you are using an older browser, or do not yet have a Java plugin installed on your browser, you will most likely be prompted to go get the Java plugin the first time you click on the Virtual Reference chat button. If you have Java disabled on your browser, you will need to enable it before you can use Virtual Reference chat services. You will also need to disable any popup blockers for VRLplus to work correctly on your computer. Who can use Virtual Reference? While our Virtual Reference Services (VRS) Project is specifically focused on serving students and staff located off-campus, anyone accessing a VRS participant library web site can use our Virtual Reference services. When are Virtual Reference Services available? You may submit email reference questions any time. Virtual Reference chat services are generally available from 8am until closing Monday-Friday from at least one of the participant libraries, and with limited hours and availability on weekends Can I ask questions anonymously? At this time, you are not required to provide any personal information to use our Virtual Reference services. However, it may be difficult to provide a complete answer to your questions if you choose to remain completely anonymous, since some information provided may require authentication that you are affiliated with one of our participating institutions. We may also need to follow up with you later to provide complete information for our response your questions. "Cobrowsing" means that the librarian and patron share the same web pages, including online databases and other services that require authentication. If you are accessing our VR chat services using Internet Explorer 5.x or 6.x, the cobrowse window will open automatically when your chat session is initiated. You will be able to see the librarian enter search terms and navigate through a page, and the librarian will be able to see anything you enter or click on in that browsed window, too. This technology is still undergoing development, so please be patient while the page is loading, especially when you are using a dialup connection! Currently, VR services for Mac and non-Internet Explorer browsers are limited to "pushed" pages, but an upgrade is coming soon that will provide full cobrowse capabilities for Mac and Netscape browser users. "Pushing" means that the librarian sends a specific web page or document to your computer. This opens up a new browser window on your computer, so you can see the information we are using to help answer your questions. Can I get a transcript of my VR session? Yes, you can get a complete transcript (log) of your VRS chat reference session by providing your email address as requested when you initiate a VRS chat reference session request, then specifying that you want the transcript emailed to you when you close the chat session. Your transcript is also available for a limited time through online access. Do you collect personal information about me? At this time, you are not required to provide any personal information to use our Virtual Reference Services. However, if you would like a transcript of your Virtual Reference chat session, you will be asked to provide your email address. You may also be asked for your name, library barcode, phone number and/or email address if we need to place library materials on hold for you, send library materials to you, provide information out of our subscription databases, or follow up with to you provide additional information or assistance to meet your information needs. Do you keep personal information about me? Any personal information you have may have provided is temporarily stored in the transcript of the Virtual Reference Session. The transcript may be retained for later quality and statistical analysis, but any personal information you provided will be deleted. We will make every effort to protect your personal information, but you should always consider any Internet transaction (chat, email, etc.) susceptible to interception and/or scrutiny, since information may be stored on any server it passes through. Can you see what I'm doing on my computer? When you initiate a Virtual Reference chat reference request, the librarian receives any information you entered (name, email, status, and/or question), as well as other standard information that is automatically visible on the Internet, such as your computer operating system and what browser you are using. While you are using a cobrowsing window with a librarian, you can both see anything you enter and/or click on in that browser window. How do I enable Java on my computer? Enabling Java in Internet Explorer 5.x or 6.x
Enabling Java in Netscape 4.x
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