Click, Call, or Come on In! Connecting to Millennials in FtF & VR Encounters

R U Communicating? Speaking the Language of MillennialsACRL, University Library Section

ALA Annual Conference Saturday, June 28, 2008, Anaheim, CA

Marie L. Radford, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Rutgers University, SCILS

E-mail: mradford@scils.rutgers.edu www.scils.rutgers.edu/~mradford

Seeking Synchronicity:

Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User, and Librarian Perspectives

Project duration: 2 ½ Years (10/05-3/08)

Four phases:I. Focus group interviews

II. Analysis of 850 QuestionPoint live chat transcripts

III. 496 online surveys

IV. 283 telephone interviews

Interpersonal Communication in Academic Reference Encounters

Complex Interaction Reference Environment

High Tech Different Formats

(e-mail, chat, IM, phone, FtF etc.)

Rapid Change Time Constraints Diversity of Users

The Millennial Generation

May be most studied generation

4x amount of toys

than Boomers

Born digital

Can’t remember life w/o computers

Millennial Preferences & Characteristics (Sweeney, 2008)

50 focus groups,identified 24 characteristics

“The challenge to libraries…is to match services to Millennial Characteristics and needs, and not just continue old ways.”

Youngest - most likely to display Millennial characteristics

Millennials, Screenagers, Digital Natives

Implications for academic libraries?

For traditional & virtual services?

Expectations: 2 Views

Students- Short-term objective

- Immediate gratification

- Expects to use less effort than actually required

- Technological Idolatry

Librarians - Long-term objective(s)

- Creation of “Independent User”

- Instruction Opportunity

- Expects good attitude & effort

Multiple Demands on the Library (Connaway, de Gaia, & Radford, 2007)

Traditional Library Environment

Baby Boomer Preferences

Millennial Preferences

Requires patience Want it now Want it now

Metasearch Full text Full text

Complexity Simplicity Simplicity

Logical, linear learning Logical, linear learning Multi-tasking

Largely text based Largely text based Visual, audio, multi-media, online text

Learn from the expert Learn from the expert Figure it out for myself

Convenience Seekers

Major consideration in information seeking

Low tolerance for complex searching

Prefer online resources to print

Prefer click to brick

Variety of services (FtF and online)

Mobile Information Seekers

Phone major part of information behavior

Promote phone

reference

Practical

“Students do not want to learn how to use a library – they want to get their work done!”

(Robert H. Kieft, 1995)

Expect Personalization

They like interacting with a known, friendly librarian!

Seek flexibility

May prefer FtF

interaction

Independent in Information Seeking

Google & Wikipedia

Web surfing

Learn by trial & error

Impatient

Will ask family & friends

Speed concerns

Just the Facts – Info Quality Concerns

Accuracy

Subject specialist

Want specific information

Improving Communication with Millennials

Build positive interpersonal relationships 1 person at a time Whether FtF, phone, or online User may need reassurance

Promote full range of reference options

Provide support for independent learning.

More Ways…

Don’t force instruction! Try show & tell.

Market online resources as timesaving.

Outreach – FtF & Online. Encourage, mentor, & learn from them. Enjoy them!

End Notes

This is one of the outcomes from the projectSeeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference

Services from User, Non-User, and Librarian Perspectives

Funded by IMLS, Rutgers University, & OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.

Special thanks to Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Patrick Confer, Timothy Dickey, Jocelyn DeAngelis Williams, Julie Strange, & Janet Torsney.

Slides available at project web site: http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/synchronicity/

Questions?

Marie L. Radford, Ph.D. Email: mradford@scils.rutgers.edu www.scils.rutgers.edu/~mradford