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Re: online ref forms



Hi Rebecca.  We use them and started doing so at my request last April/May after I participated in a CIMA session on email/web reference and somebody wonderful from another repository (can't remember who--Arizona maybe?--if anybody knows, please tell me--I owe them a thank-you batch of chocolate chip cookies) suggested it as a possibility.  We do tweak them occasionally as we find problems or people get confused.  Our two online request forms can be found at: http://www.archives.state.ut.us/referenc/question.htm and http://www.archives.state.ut.us/referenc/indexorder.htm
 
The first feeds off of almost everywhere in our webpage that is public oriented (as opposed to our agency services sections) and the second is hooked into all of our online indexes.  It's been a great thing for us.  They aren't perfect and you can't expect that, but we've cut down on our email-tag writing back and forth 18 times to get the basic pieces of information we need from the patron (who never answers all your questions the first time!)  The alternate means of contact has been especially helpful as we frequently get our return emails rejected for any number of reasons, and this way we can still contact the person.  Not everybody fills them out, but our rates of getting alternate contact info has increased exponentially from our pre-form days.
 
The index-feed one has really been useful as we don't have to write back three times to find out how much (and if) the individual is willing to pay for copies--meaning we don't have to write back with cost estimates each time, we can just make the copies, ship off, and bill.  This has become very important for us as Rootsweb.com picked up several of our online indexes last summer and incorporated them into their giant search engine--our email request levels have risen considerably since then.
I won't say that it's a cure for everyone, but given our reference procedures and standards (we do take email requests, we can't charge for reference service time, and will make limited amounts of copies for anybody who asks--for a charge, of course), it's worked quite well for us.
 
I too would be interested in hearing about any decision to not use them.
 
Arlene Schmuland
Patron Services Archivist
Utah State Archives Research Center
research@das.state.ut.us
www.archives.state.ut.us
 
 
>>> lrjm@UDEL.EDU 01/03/01 11:35AM >>>
I would appreciate hearing reactions from any who have experience with using
online reference forms to handle email queries related to their collections.

I would also welcome comments from others who have considered using online
reference forms, but decided not to pursue this action.

(I have seen and used several online reference forms, but if you wish to brag
about your own or recommend an exemplary form by another institution, please
refer.)

I'm sure the topic will be of broad interest, so I encourage responses to the
list.

Many thanks.

Rebecca Johnson Melvin
Special Collections
University of Delaware Library
Newark, DE  19717-5267
lrjm@udel.edu
(302) 831-6089
(302) 831-1046

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