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Collaborative Digital Reference Service Knowledge Base

Explore the world of archiving Q&A through a digital reference service. Learn about the pros and cons of creating a knowledge base, development issues to consider, sources of KB data, workflow, and editorial guidelines.

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Collaborative Digital Reference Service Knowledge Base

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  1. Collaborative Digital Reference Service Knowledge Base: Archiving Q & A ALA Midwinter, January 2002 Abigail Grotke, Library of Congress

  2. CDRS Process Member Profile Member Profile Member Profile SEND QUESTION GET QUESTION REQUEST MANAGER Requesting Library Patron Answering Library Librarian NOTIFICATION NOTIFICATION SEND ANSWER GET ANSWER EDITED Q & A AUTOMATIC or MANUAL KB SEARCH Traditional and Online Resources: Catalogs, Web Resources, Print Resources, Subject Specialists Knowledge Base ILL, Document Delivery

  3. Why Create a KB? Cons: Concerns raised in a recent discussion on an e-ref listserv: • Diversity of questions make reuse of answers unlikely • Factual questions the exception, not the rule • Patrons merit some human contact in the information-seeking process

  4. Why Create a KB? Pros: Why not give patrons vetted Q&A related to their subject and let them decide if the information is useful? • Patrons not exactly sure what what they need or are asking for • Enjoy thrill of accidental discovery • Diminish “current events” frenzy of librarians answering the same question again and again

  5. The Work of Librarians Is Relevant If reference librarians treat the product of their work as dispensable and not worthy of archiving, how are others to find it valuable?

  6. Development Issues to Consider • What records are included? • What fields are included or omitted? • How much gets edited? • How do is information kept fresh? • How much can be automated?

  7. Sources of KB Data • Question and answer sets from CDRS • Members' ready-reference files • Databases of answered e-reference questions • Potential arrangements with publishers

  8. Knowledge Base Workflow Deleted Records CDRS or other source CDRS Members Volunteer Editor Active KB Records Editorial Guidelines End Users Inactive KB Records Q & A sets

  9. Technical Specifications • Custom-designed and built by OCLC based on CDRS requirements • Back-end database: Sybase • Keyword search applied to: Question and Answer fields Keyword fields

  10. Developing an Editorial Process • Ad-hoc editorial board: LC, OCLC, CDRS members • Draft of guidelines • Tested by volunteer editors • Issues discussed by board, guidelines revised

  11. Refining the Editorial’s Role • Level of editing required • Style guide and preferences • Importance of source citations • Review dates • Update field for additional information supplied by editors

  12. Outstanding Issues • Intellectual property • Q & A ownership • Language and cultural • Dewey vs. LC Subject class

  13. Collaborative Digital Reference Service http://www.loc.gov/cdrs/

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