CPS Reference Services
In Person Reference
Chat/IM Reference
CPS units provide leadership and management of the University of Illinois digital reference
services in the following ways:
- Providing training and researching and implementing best practices for digital reference
service
- Writing and revising documentation on both software for chat as well as standard reference and
instruction techniques in the online environemnt
- Funding, creating, and maintaining software used for chat reference
- Providing core support for all University of Illinois librarians interested in providing chat
reference
- Collaborating with library IT and campus units such as CITES on chat software development and
implementation
- Conducting service assessment and service quality studies on char reference
- Staffing the service all hours it is open, including 9am-Midnight most days, and until 10pm on
Friday and Saturday nights
- Answering 1200 questions/month on average during classes (from Fall 2008 statistics)
Phone Reference
- Main Reference - 333-2290
- Undergraduate Library - 333-8589
Email Reference
