Investigating Proactive Chat: Exploring Potential Users and Accessibility

Abstract

While libraries have long offered virtual reference chat as part of a diversified reference model, the
COVID-19 pandemic made this service the primary way for users to connect with many libraries.1
Proactive chat is an option for virtual reference service (VRS) that pops up in the user’s browser
after a set amount of time. In contrast to static chat widgets, the proactive chat widget uses a
pop-up action to invite the user to chat with a librarian rather than relying on the user to initiate
the chat from a static page. Proactive chat can help drive use of library VRS, but at the University
of Minnesota and in other libraries, concerns around volume, desirability, and accessibility
prevent implementation of this VRS function