Virtual reference service or to serve virtual references? RBI Library experience

Ruđer Bošković Institute Library, being a part of a scientific research institute in the field of natural sciences, can be categorized as a special library. Its patrons are mainly research staff and they have specific needs. In 1994 RBI Library, as first in Croatia, launched its web pages. From the very beginning it has tried to collect for its patrons quality and reliable online information resources, covering all topics of scientific and general interest. Since then, the Library was continuously educating and encouraging its patrons to use electronic information resources of various kinds. Today they have reached the high level of information literacy and independency in information retrieval. The Library patrons are highly educated scientific staff which is used to look for information by them selves. Based on library staff experience, users don’ t prefer contacting a librarian for help. Therefore the Library took a progressive stand too meet their needs offering them in advance information resources and services which might be useful in their scientific and private life and which they can use on their own. Among others, Library’ s web site offers: - Virtual Reference Collection – collection of various information resources from the web, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, statistical sources, libraries’ OPAC’ s, maps, newspaper etc. - Science on the Internet – collected and systematized useful links related to the sciences represented in the Ruđer Bošković Institute - Search Engines – collection of the best web search engines - Center for Online Databases – portal providing access to online databases and e-journal collections available to Croatian academic and research community - PERO – search engine for e-journals available to Croatian academic and research community - SEND – online interlibrary loan service - Library’ s Blog – news service with several implemented RSS Feeds from Scopus, Library’ s account on del.icio.us and news from the science In RBI Library those selected information resources and services have the role of a virtual reference service. Comparing with that, patrons rarely use e-mail and phone contact as a virtual reference service. In the near future Library is planning to make a completely new version of its web pages which would be more user friendly and better meet our users’ needs