NAVROC 2025

Repeat use of reference services has long been used as an indicator of service quality and user satisfaction in libraries (Durrance, 1995; Lankes, Gross & McClure, 2003); however, there are few studies that examine the behaviour of repeat users of a virtual reference chat service in particular. As virtual reference services have become more ubiquitous in libraries, a closer examination of user behaviours within the context of chat reference is important to understand the changing nature of reference and inform how we adapt to user needs.

Our study uses anonymized transcript data to identify patterns in information seeking behaviour of repeat users of a consortium level chat service, with 17 partner schools across the province of Ontario. We analyzed a total of 1,180 web chat transcripts and 239 SMS transcripts from 360 unique users in the academic year 2022-2023. We defined a repeat user as anyone who used the service three or more times within that time frame. Our primary goal was to determine what types of reference transactions repeat users engage in, i.e. are they looking for citation help, research guidance, or do they have non-library questions. Our second goal was to determine if repeat users demonstrate signs of library anxiety. This lightning talk will summarize our methodology, our qualitative and quantitative findings, and the impact those findings might have on chat reference service provision.