Email is for Old People: Inter-generational Disconnects in Virtual Reference Communication

1. Email is for Old People:Inter-generational Disconnects in Virtual Reference Communication Presented by Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D. Senior Research Scientist OCLC Research September 5, 2008

2. Libraries • Provide systems and services to meet the information needs of differing groups • Largest groups • Baby boomers • Cohort #1 • Cohort #2 • Millennials • Screenagers

3. Libraries • Meet the information needs of differing groups • Largest groups • Baby boomers (1945-1964) • Cohort #1 (Born 1946 – 1954) • Cohort #2 (Born 1955 – 1964) • Millennials (1979 – 1994) • Screenagers (Born 1988 -1994)

4. Who Are They?Baby Boomers • Actual “boom” in births occurred between 1946 - 1964 • 1950s - Time of prosperity • 1960s & 1970s - Time of social upheaval • Comprise largest part of workforce (45%)

5. Who Are They? Millennials • Millennials / NextGens / • EchoBoomers / Gen Y • Born 1979 - 1994 • 75 – 80 Million • Generational divide • 13-28 year olds • By 2010 will outnumber Baby Boomers

6. Screenagers • Youngest members of “Millennial Generation” • Term coined in 1996 by Rushkoff • Used here for 12-18 year olds • Affinity for electronic • communication

7. Information Perspectives:Baby Boomers • Value authoritative information • Involved in information seeking • Value library as place • Use technology as tool • Personalized service

8. Information Perspectives:Millennials • Information is information • Media formats don’t matter • Visual learners • Process immediately • Different research skills

9. Information-seekers’ Preferences • IMLS-funded projects • How individuals find information to meet their needs • Why information seekers do not choose to use library services first for their information needs • How libraries can develop services and systems to meet the needs of informationseekers

10. Baby Boomers:Convenient & Authoritative • “Yeah, well, actually I was going to be different and not say Google. I do use Google, but… [I also] use two different library homepages… and I will go into the research databases… do a search there and then I will end [up]… limiting myself to the articles that are available online.” • “[Google] is user friendly… library catalog is not.” • “I'm suspicious of people who are publishing on-line because usually the peer review is much less rigorous.” • “I'm not trust(ing) everything that's on the Internet…”

11. Baby Boomers:Did Not Use the Library • “If I have a student mention a book and I'm not familiar with that book, Amazon.com gives me a brief synopsis, … reader reviews of the book, so it's a good, interesting first source to go to for that kind of information.” • “…before I came to the library to use the MLA database, I did a Google search and it turns out that there is a professor at Berkeley who keeps a really, really nice and fully updated… page with bibliographic references.”

12. Millennials:Convenient & Quick • “Also I just go ask my dad, and he'll tell me how to put in a fence, you know? So why sort through all this material when he'll just tell me” • “…you need to know which database with abstracting, indexing… Google, I don't have to know, I go to one spot.” • “…first thing I do, is, I go to Google… I don't go into the [library] system unless I have to because there's like 15 logins, you have to get into the research databases. Then it takes you out of that to [the local consortium]…” • “I had the Google tool bar, tool bar on my browser. I don’t even have to go to a search engine anymore. I mean it is literally one tab down…”

13. Millennials:Did Not Use the Library • “The library is a good source if you have several months.” • “Hard to find things in library catalog.” • “Tried [physical] library but had to revert to online library resources.” • “Yeah, I don't step in the library anymore… better to read a 25-page article from JSTOR than 250-page book.” • “Sometimes content can be sacrificed for format.”

14. How to Communicate with Users of Different Age Groups • VRS Transcript Analysis

15. Facilitators – DifferencesMillennials (n=296) vs. Adults (n=76) • Millennials demonstrated these behaviors less often than Adults • On average(per transcript) • Thanks • Self Disclosure • Closing Ritual • On average (per occurrence) • Seeking reassurance • Polite expressions

16. Facilitators – DifferencesMillennials (n=296) vs. Adults (n=76) • Millennials demonstrated these behaviors more often than Adults • On average (per occurrence) • Agree to suggestion • Lower case • Greeting Ritual • Admit lack knowledge • Interjections/Hedges • Slang

17. Barriers – DifferencesMillennials (n=296) vs. Adults (n=76) • Millennials demonstrated these behaviors more often than Adults • On average (per transcript) • Abrupt Endings • Impatience • Rude or Insulting

18. Why People Use – OR Choose Not to Use – VRS • VRS Online Survey Analysis

19. VRS User Demographics Online Surveys(n=137) • Majority Respondents • Female • Caucasian • 29-65 years old • Suburban public libraries

20. VRS UsersReasons for Choosing VRS(n=137) • Convenience, convenience, convenience • Immediate answers • Lack of cost • Available 24/7 • Important to Screenagers • Efficiency • Enjoy medium • Millennials find much more enjoyment • Lack of intimidation

21. VRS Users Other Generational Differences • Millennials • More “desperate” needs for quick answers • Multi-tasking • Screenagers • Greater connection to the librarian • Opportunity for dialogue • Elimination of geographic boundaries • Less intimidating than the reference desk • Librarian’s reactions more clear • Easier to express thanks to a librarian

22. VRS Non-User Demographics Online Surveys(n=184) • Majority Respondents • Female • Caucasian • 12-28 years old • Suburban and urban public libraries

23. VRS Non-Users Why They Choose Among Modes • Convenience, convenience, convenience • Working from home • At night or on weekends • Millennials especially value convenience

24. VRS Non-Users Why They Choose Among Modes • Qualities of the individual librarian • Knowledge (FtF) • Trustworthy sources (FtF) • Persistence (FtF & telephone) • Friendliness (FtF & telephone) • Perception that librarian is too busy • More prevalent with Boomers

25. Reasons for Non-use of VRS • Boomers & Millennials • Do not know • Service availability • Librarian can help • 24/7 availability • Satisfied with other information sources • Boomer concerns • Their own • Computer literacy • Typing speed • Complexity of chat environment

26. Important to both VRS Users & Non-Users • Librarian Qualities • Knowledge of sources & systems • Positive attitude • Good communication skills • Accuracy of answers/information

27. What Did We Learn?

28. What Did We Learn? • Communication critically important! • Difficult process • Generational differences add to complexity! • Need user education for more realistic expectations

29. What Did We Learn? • Libraries are trusted sources of information • Search engines are trusted about the same • People care about the quantity and quality of information they find • They like convenience and speed • They do not view paid information as more accurate than free information

30. What Did We Learn? • The image of libraries is… • BOOKS • People do not think of the library as an important source of electronic information!

31. What Can We Do? • Create a library experience which matches the experience of the web • Easy search functionality • Integrated library search for all sources • Social networking software • Recommender service • Click-through to online sources • Point of need reference services • Multiple Modes • Customizable library portals

32. What Can We Do? • Encourage them to use libraries • Creative marketing • Promote full range of reference options • Reassure young people that chat is safe • Build positive relationships 1 person at a time, whether FtF, phone, or online

33. What Can We Do? • By understanding them, we can serve everyone better

34. Additional Resources • Boomer Nation: The Largest and Richest Generation Ever and how it Changed America, S. Gillon. New York: Free Press, 2004. • College Student Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources, OCLC, Dublin: OH, 2005 • Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584-2069, N. Strauss & W. Howe. New York: Morrow, 1991. • Generations at Work, S. Luck. http://dps.dgs.virginia.gov/Forum2006/Presentations/S201%20PPSluck%20Generations.ppt • Growing Up Digital, D. Tapscott. www.growingupdigital.com • Millennial Behaviors and Demographics. Sweeney,R. http://library1.njit.edu/staff-folders/sweeney/Millennials/Article-Millennial-Behaviors.doc • Millennial Net Values: Disconnects between Libraries and the Information Age Mindset, R. Mcdonald & C. Thomas. http://dscholarship.lib.fsu.edu/general/4/ • Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, W. Howe & N. Strauss. New York: Random House, 2000.

35. Additional Resources • Net Generation Students and Libraries, J. Lippincott. In Educating the Net Generation, Educause 2005. • Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources, OCLC Dublin: OH, 2005. • Playing the Future: How Kids’ Culture Can Teach Us to Thrive in an Age of Chaos, D. Rushkoff.  New York: HarperCollins, 1996. • Sense-making the Information Confluence:  The Hows and the Whys of College and University User Satisficing of Information Needs, Brenda Dervin, Ohio State University, Principal Investigator; Lynn Silipigni Connaway and Chandra Prabha, Co-Investigators. Institute for Museums and Library Services Research Grant, 2003-2005. http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/imls/default.htm • “Screenagers” and Live Chat Reference: Living Up to the Promise, M.L. Radford & L.S. Connaway. (February, 2007). Scan, 26(6), 31-39. • Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester, N. Foster & S. Gibbons. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2007.

36. Special Thanks Rutgers University and OCLC Grant Project Team Marie L. Radford, co-investigator Jocelyn DeAngelis Williams Susanna Sabolsci-Boros Patrick Confer Timothy J. Dickey David Dragos Vickie Kozo Mary Anne Reilly Julie Strange OCLC Jasmine de Gaia

37. Notes This presentation is one of the outcomes from the project “Sense-Making the Information Confluence: The Whys and Hows of College and University User Satisficing of Information Needs." Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Ohio State University, and OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., the project was implemented by Brenda Dervin (Professor of Communication and Joan N. Huber Fellow of Social & Behavioral Science, Ohio State University) as Principal Investigator; and Lynn Silipigni Connaway (Senior Research Scientist) and Chandra Prahba (Former Research Scientist), as Co-Investigators. More information can be obtained at:http://imlsosuoclcproject.jcomm.ohio-state.edu/

38. Notes This presentation is one of the outcomes from the project, “Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User, and Librarian Perspectives.” Funded by IMLS, Rutgers University, & OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., the project is being implemented by Marie L. Radford (Associate Professor, Rutgers University) and Lynn Silipigni Connaway (Senior Research Scientist, OCLC) as Principal Investigators. More information can be obtained at: http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/synchronicity/default.htm

39. Questions & Comments Lynn Silipigni Connaway connawal@oclc.org