Cross-cultural Analysis of Virtual Reference

摘要

Virtual reference and its potential for collaboration is an emerging area of interest for both researchers and practitioners (Bao, 2003; Pomerantz et al., 2004). The potential of virtual reference in a global context for international collaboration among libraries has been discussed and is being implemented by many organizations including the Library of Congress (The Library of Congress, 2003). However, the studies in this area largely represent experiences in Anglo-American countries and are discussed and presented mainly at conferences in the United States, such as American Library Association (ALA) and Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) conferences. These studies analyzed reference transactions, policies, and types of technologies used in virtual reference, to name a few. However, the generalization of findings in these studies to other countries should be made with caution as communication is culturally embedded, and communication during the online reference transaction is no exception. Thus, virtual reference may significantly differ from one country to another.