EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND TOOLS FOR DIGITAL REFERENCE SERVICES IN THE INFORMATION AGE

Abstract

Abstract

Digital Reference Services (DRS) are highly essential in our modern society due to emerging trends with the existing Web 2.0 and social media tools. These are mediums of providing real-time personal assistance to users via web-based interactive software in order to satisfy the information need of users where the software allows for instant messaging and also allows collaborative browsing between the librarian and the user. DRS holds a lot of potential to change how people find and use reference services. Libraries can reach users who might not normally visit a desk by adding interactive help to their online information services. The major transformation witnessed in libraries and reference services is continuously developing as the library itself. This study shed light on the rising trend in DRS. This study employs a qualitative research approach to investigate how emerging technologies and tools for DRS could be a driving force in rendering effective services to the users, while inferences were drawn from other related studies. Findings from the literature reviewed maintained that DRS is significantly influencing the delivery of high-quality modern reference services. The findings provide practical implications for guiding users as well as reference librarians in reaching a compromise on how to negotiate reference queries with emerging technologies either synchronously or asynchronously.  DRS has become one of the key areas in libraries where emerging technologies are fully utilized. It was found that technologies such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Blogs, Videoconferencing, electronic mail and so on are found to be the most commonly emerging technologies and tools used for DRS. The study aims at discussing the benefits of DRS, digital reference and tools, rising trends in DRS, the use of digital libraries in the information age and challenges of DRS.