It's all about the chat and COVID-19: Virtual one-on-one research consultations surveyed

Abstract

This study investigates the delivery processes involved in providing videoconferencing one-on-one research consultations and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on virtual one-on-one consultation services approaching three years following the onset of the pandemic. A total of 309 academic librarians (n = 309) completed an anonymous, online survey about virtual consultation delivery processes for the time period of March 2020 through November 2022. The study found the demand for virtual consultations, at the time of the survey, to be in the range of demand for virtual consultations during the initial phase of the pandemic. The most common time of day for providing online consultations was late morning to early afternoon (n = 167, 54 %) and 78.9 % (n = 244) of librarians reported providing online consultations by appointment only. Additional survey results include 54 % (n = 169) of libraries reporting no implementation of assessment on virtual consultations. Overall, this research contributes to an understanding of the delivery processes of carrying out videoconferencing one-on-one research consultations; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on virtual consultations nearly three years following the pandemic's onset; and how academic libraries can better meet students' research needs providing individualized consultations within an online environment.