CALL FOR PROPOSALS:
Papers and Presentations

The VRD 4th Annual Digital Reference Conference
Charting the Course of Reference: Toward a Preferred Future

November 11-12, 2002
Chicago, IL

Proposals are invited for concurrent breakout session presentations at the
VRD 4th Annual Digital Reference Conference on Monday and Tuesday,
November 11-12, 2002.

This conference explores the nature of Internet-based question-and-answer
service within a broad range of contexts, including libraries and
information centers, government, business, education, and other industry
sectors or organizations, as well as the specific issues involved in
providing any type of digital reference service. The theme of this year's
conference, "Charting the Course of Reference: Toward a Preferred Future,"
emphasizes planning and direction founded upon practical experience,
research, or trend analyses. Authors are encouraged to examine issues,
identify practices, and propose organizational and technological systems,
standards, and practices that advance the state of reference librarianship
as practiced in a digital environment.
Presenters will receive free admission to the conference.

Deadlines:

        Proposals will be accepted until Wednesday, May 15, 2002 (see
proposal submission instructions below).

        Selected presenters will be notified by Monday, June 17, 2002.

        Final papers are due Friday, November 22, 2002 in order to be
considered for inclusion in the VRD Conference print proceedings.

        PowerPoint presentation slides, handouts, and other materials to
be published in the VRD electronic proceedings will be due Friday,
November 29, 2002.

CONFERENCE THEMES:

Proposal themes may include, but are not limited to, the following topics
and categories:

Technology for Digital Reference
        Real-time/live reference
        Software selection issues
        Commercial vs. "home-grown" solutions
        Standards for digital reference technology
        Tools for digital reference, including:
o       Workflow software (for question/answering)
o       Question-answer archiving tools/knowledge bases
o       Web contact center software
o       Customer relationship management software
o       Networking/routing solutions
o       Voice over IP (VoIP)
        Planning for technological evolution

Digital Reference Service Management
        Foundations for building digital reference services
        Defining service levels
        Integration of digital reference into other reference models
(service hybrids)
        Archiving/tracking questions and answers/FAQs
        Policies and standards for consortia and cooperative reference
        Evaluation approaches and quality standards
        Training solutions and models for service staff
        Models for funding/pricing
        Personnel/staffing, optimizing human resources
        Planning for equipment and space
        Marketing services to potential users
        Reference outsourcing

General Issues in Digital Reference
        Partnerships - cooperative/collaborative networks, sharing/pooling
resources
        Partnerships with vendors
        How to identify, attract, and keep patrons
        Intranets
        Commercial/fee-based services
        Question negotiation in the digital environment
        Policies and the law - privacy, ethics, copyright, licensing
        Accessibility
        Case studies (experiences from practicing digital reference
services in all contexts)
        Physical spaces for virtual services - how physical spaces are
transformed vis--vis virtual services
        Performance and evaluation measures
        Future directions of reference

Digital Reference Resources
        Search engines
        Reference meta-sites
        Collection development
        Online resources for ready reference
        Intermediary search services vs. end-user systems
        Locally-mounted digital resources vs. remote resources
        Evaluation of digital reference resources

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

Proposals should include speaker's name, job title, institution, address,
phone, fax, e-mail, brief biographical information, and a topic related
abstract of 250-500 words. Please submit your proposals via the Web form
at http://vrd.org/conferences/VRD2002/proposal_form02.shtml by May 15,
2002. Authors may also e-mail their proposals to VRD Conference at
[log in to unmask]

Print and Electronic Proceedings

Presenters are encouraged to submit papers or related materials (e.g.,
handouts, copies of slides, etc.) for publication in the conference's
print and electronic proceedings. The print proceedings will be comprised
of peer-reviewed papers from the 2002 conference, and the content will
differ from material published in the online proceedings. For more
information, contact [log in to unmask]

For more information regarding the VRD 2002 Annual Digital Reference
Conference, please contact Marilyn Schick, [log in to unmask], 800-464-9107.

DEADLINES:
Proposals Due: May 15, 2002
Notification of Acceptance: June 17, 2002
Final Papers Due for Print Proceedings Consideration: November 22, 2002
Presentations and Other Materials Due for Electronic Proceedings: November
29, 2002



Marilyn Schick
Conference & Event Specialist
Virtual Reference Desk  -  www.vrd.org
ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology
Syracuse University, 621 Skytop Road - Suite 160
Syracuse, New York   13244 - 5290
800 464 9107  -  Fax: 315 443 5448