Motivations and Uses: An Evaluation of Users' Use of a Chat ReferenceService

摘要

This poster presents an evaluation of NCknows, a state-wide chat reference service in North Carolina, tornexplore users' motivation for using this service and how they use the information provided to them in realrnlife situations, which reflects the value of the service to them. Users were interviewed by email orrntelephone two weeks after their chat sessions with NCknows. The findings suggest that most users werernmotivated by tasks or projects with which they were involved or by some aspect of their personal life.rnOver sixty percent of users reported they used the information provided to them to fulfill the informationrnneeds that motivated them to use the service. Non-use or partial use cases were also categorized for arnbetter understanding of how the service aided users.