The Evening Reference in Academic Libraries and Night-shift Librarians' Attitudes

The study investigates current evening reference practices of all university libraries in Taiwan through a nationwide questionnaire survey and in-depth face-to-face interviews, It examines night-shift academic reference librarians' attitudes towards evening reference staffing models and reward systems, and their perceptions of the impact of evening work on the individual's family/parental relationship, physical and mental health status, and learning plan. It further explores the perceived need and feasibility of using collaborative live virtual reference to supplant in-person evening reference from the librarian's perspectives. The study also identified possible barriers that could hinder the success of such collaboration without supportive changes from the administration and management