Remote Reference Consultations Are Here to Stay

Abstract

Remote reference consultations have considerably increased due to the need to provide remote services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducting reference consultations via videoconferencing not only offers many benefits to student researchers;it also presents an opportunity for librarians to embrace a learner-centered teaching mindset when approaching remote consultations by developing consultation learning goals in alignment with the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Designing consultations to be learner-centered yields benefits for students, such as the student actively practicing their own searches as well as more thorough source evaluation. Additionally, videoconferencing technology allows for a more seamless information sharing experience and has the potential to provide a more equitable experience for students with disabilities.