Roles in digital reference

Over the course of the past five years, researchers and practitioners have demonstrated that digital reference services can indeed work well and have developed much of the necessary technology. The next step we must take is t o figure out how to optimize the design and operation of our services. A us eful step in this direction is the development of consensus models that des cribe the digital reference process. The authors have developed a model tha t describes the various roles played by participants in this process and th e ways in which those roles interact. This model is illustrated by several case studies: the Internet Public Library, the Saskatchewan Provincial Libr ary, and the Virtual Reference Desk network. The authors hope that the mode l will facilitate further research by providing a framework and terminology for discussion about the digital reference process. Furthermore, it may be useful to practitioners in the field who are engaged in designing and eval uating policies and procedures for digital reference.