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Email is for Old People: Inter-generational
Disconnects in Virtual Reference Communication
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, 2008September 5, 2008
LibrariesLibraries
Provide systems and services to meet the information needs of differing groups
•Largest groups
• Baby boomers
• Cohort #1
• Cohort #2
• Millennials
• Screenagers
LibrariesLibraries
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)
Who Are They?Baby BoomersWho 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%)
Who Are They? MillennialsWho 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
ScreenagersScreenagers
Youngest members of “Millennial Generation”
Term coined in 1996 by Rushkoff
Used here for 12-18 year olds
Affinity for electronic
communication
Information Perspectives:Baby BoomersInformation Perspectives:Baby Boomers
Value authoritative information
Involved in information seeking
Value library as place
Use technology as tool
Personalized service
Information Perspectives:MillennialsInformation Perspectives:Millennials
Information is information
Media formats don’t matter
Visual learners
Process immediately
Different research skills
Information-seekers’ PreferencesInformation-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
information seekers
Baby Boomers:Convenient & AuthoritativeBaby 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…”
Baby Boomers:Did Not Use the LibraryBaby 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.”
Millennials:Convenient & QuickMillennials: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…”
Millennials:Did Not Use the LibraryMillennials: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.”
How to Communicate with Users of Different Age GroupsHow to Communicate with Users of Different Age Groups
VRS Transcript Analysis
Facilitators – DifferencesMillennials (n=296) vs. Adults (n=76)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
Facilitators – DifferencesMillennials (n=296) vs. Adults (n=76)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
Barriers – DifferencesMillennials (n=296) vs. Adults (n=76)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
Why People Use – OR Choose Not to Use – VRSWhy People Use – OR Choose Not to Use – VRS
VRS Online Survey Analysis
VRS User Demographics Online Surveys (n=137)VRS User Demographics Online Surveys (n=137)
Majority Respondents
• Female
• Caucasian
• 29-65 years old
• Suburban public libraries
VRS Users Reasons for Choosing VRS (n=137)VRS Users Reasons 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
VRS Users Other Generational DifferencesVRS 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
VRS Non-User Demographics Online Surveys (n=184)VRS Non-User Demographics Online Surveys (n=184)
Majority Respondents
• Female
• Caucasian
• 12-28 years old
• Suburban and urban public libraries
VRS Non-Users Why They Choose Among ModesVRS Non-Users Why They Choose Among Modes
Convenience, convenience, convenience
• Working from home
• At night or on weekends
• Millennials especially value convenience
VRS Non-Users Why They Choose Among ModesVRS 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
Reasons for Non-use of VRSReasons 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
Important to both VRS Users & Non-Users Important to both VRS Users & Non-Users
•Librarian Qualities
•Knowledge of sources & systems
•Positive attitude
•Good communication skills
•Accuracy of answers/information
What Did We Learn?What Did We Learn?Traditional Library Environment
Baby Boomer Preferences
Millennial Preferences
Logical, linear learning
Logical, linear learning
Multi-tasking
Largely text based Largely text based Visual, audio, multi-media
Learn from the expert Learn from the expert Figure it out for myself
Requires Patience Want it now Want it now
Metasearch Full text Full text
Complexity Simplicity Simplicity
What Did We Learn?What Did We Learn?
Communication critically important!
• Difficult process
• Generational differences add to complexity!
Need user education for more realistic expectations
What Did We Learn?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
What Did We Learn?What Did We Learn?
The image of libraries is…
BOOKS
People do not think of the library as an important source of electronic information!
What Can We Do?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
What Can We Do?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
What Can We Do?What Can We Do?
By understanding them, we can serve everyone better
Additional ResourcesAdditional 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.
Additional ResourcesAdditional 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.
Special ThanksSpecial Thanks
Rutgers University and OCLC Grant Project TeamMarie L. Radford, co-investigator
Jocelyn DeAngelis Williams
Susanna Sabolsci-Boros
Patrick Confer
Timothy J. Dickey
David Dragos
Vickie Kozo
Mary Anne Reilly
Julie Strange
OCLCJasmine de Gaia
NotesNotesThis 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/
NotesNotes
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
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