Brown Library has ramped up its remote research assistance, and students are responding. Users can obtain help from a librarian via email and phone as usual but also in real time via chat and Zoom meetings. “Students may not be on campus as much, but classes are still going on, and the need for research help remains. We’re making sure people can get the help they need wherever they are,” says Laura Baker, Librarian for User Experience and Assessment.
Remote assistance is now over 60% of the incoming questions. Information Services maintains email and live chat help during the day and into the evenings, holds Zoom conferences for personal research consultations and as guest lecturers in classes, and will share screens during a chat to demonstrate search strategies or to troubleshoot problems on the researcher’s end. As a student remarked after attending a class with a librarian, “They are open online for us to access these online extensive resources even when we are not on campus”.
To connect with a librarian, use the Ask-a-librarian link here.