Vol. 6 No. 1 (2021): Journal of New Librarianship
Columns

Pandemic as Opportunity : Creating and Implementing a Live Virtual Reference Desk

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Judy MacLeod Reardon
Kennesaw State University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33011/newlibs/10/7

Published 2021-06-28

Keywords

  • reference,
  • COVID-19 response,
  • virtual reference,
  • video assisted reference,
  • Blackboard Collaborate

How to Cite

Reardon, J. M. ., Huddlestun, C. ., & Doster-Greenleaf, K. . (2021). Pandemic as Opportunity : Creating and Implementing a Live Virtual Reference Desk . Journal of New Librarianship, 6(1), 59–69. https://doi.org/10.33011/newlibs/10/7

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presented the Kennesaw State University Library System with the question, " How can the library maintain live face-to-face reference services in a manner that is safe for all involved ?" Challenges to creating a live virtual reference desk that arose included the need to serve two campuses simultaneously, librarians working from home, and using conferencing technology in unexplored ways. The resulting Virtual In-Person (VIP) Reference service was the answer to our immediate situation, yet lessons were learned for future opportunities to push our services beyond the traditional.

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