Running head: GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 1 Generational Differences, Innovation Adoption Patterns and Online Library Chat Jay Jex Weber State University GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 2 Introduction With the advent of online classes and new technologies that allow students and faculty to access sources off campus, computer mediated communication (CMC) has seen tremendous growth in academic libraries around the United States. Academic librarians have been using and studying online communication methods such as online chat since at least the year 2000 (Kresh, 2000; White, Abels & Kaske, 2003). Online chat and other technologies such as e-mail, help librarians reach out to faculty, students and community members who are working at a distance or who may be uncomfortable talking to a librarian in-person. Despite CM C's growing use there has been very little research concerning how librarians communicate ideas and concepts over online chat. This means that there is a lack of understanding concerning both the effectiveness and the communication patterns that are used by librarians when answering questions over online chat. This thesis adds to the research on this topic by considering generational communication patterns and innovation adoption behaviors in online chat of the reference personnel at the Weber State University, Stewart Library. While there has been some research on generational communication differences between librarians, such as Pauk! (2004) and Young et al (2006) much of this research is not empirical and most of it relies heavily on interviews or surveys that focus on opinions and individual's recollections of their behaviors. There has been no research that looks at generational differences among librarians in the actual transcripts of online chat or CMC. It is important to expand the research in the field of generational communication because generational stereotypes are perpetuated as reality by news media, but when they are scrutinized by scholars there is very GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION little evidence to support the conclusions made by media outlets (Becton, Walker & Jones Farmer, 2014; Burke, 2013; Pankl, 2004). One item that often factors into generation stereotypes is the methods that different generations use to adopt new innovations. This paper will also look at how CMC relates to librarian's reported behavior in adopting new innovations. Specifically, this paper will seek to apply Roger's (2003) diffusion of innovations theory to explore differences in online chat. This theory concerns the patterns people follow when adopting new innovations. Both diffusion of innovations theory and generational differences are often closely connected in both scholarly research and generational stereotypes. Often those in older generations are seen as being less adaptable to new innovations, while younger generations readily accept them (Pankl, 2014). Considering both of these variables in the context of online chat will help provide more insight into specific communication patterns that are prevalent in the ways that librarians use CMC. 3 The faculty and staff at the Stewart Library who used online chat in 2015 represented all four generational cohorts including, traditionalists (born before 1945), baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1965), Generation X (born between 1966 and 1980) and Generation Y (born between 1981and2001). These individuals are also relatively spread out on the diffusion of innovations spectrum. These librarians do not provide a large sample size, but they do provide a unique perspective concerning how librarians in these different groups communicate, interact and learn from each other as they use Computer Mediated Communication. Literature Review In order to have a better understanding of generational differences, librarian culture, computer mediated communication, and diffusion of innovation theory it is pertinent to consider what has already been written about these topics. The literature on each of these topics provides GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION unique insight into communication patterns and how librarians relate to those they associate with. The use ofCMC is increasing in importance among librarians but the research on how professionals and librarians are using CMC when adopting new innovations or within their generational cohort often have inconsistent findings. Generational Differences 4 Generations of people are typically defined by the shared experiences individuals born between certain years share. These experiences can come from shared world events such as the events of September 11, 2001, which happened at a time when many in Generation Y were growing up; or they could be related to patterns in family life such as the high divorce rates faced by Generation X as they grew up. Many people have theorized that these different defining experiences might cause individuals born within a particular generation to think, act, or communicate differently from those born into another generation. As a result, many scholars have sought to understand how different generations communicate and function in an effort to build quality relations across generational boundaries (Lancaster and Tillman, 2003). Given the interest in generational communication, there is no consensus concerning what communication patterns or differences should be consistently associated with each specific generation. Pankl (2004), points this out by stating "Supposedly Baby Boomers value teamwork according to some, others ascribe this affinity to Generation Xers. Baby Boomers experimented with sex and drugs when younger, but then so have many of the (younger) Generation Xers" (p. 216). Obviously not all baby boomers or individuals in Generation X experiment with sex and drugs or put a high value on teamwork. However, this quote does illustrate that the patterns associated with each generation may be generalized to other groups or generations outside of GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION the one they are typically associated with. As Pankl points out there is no agreement between sources concerning which generation these differences belong too. 5 This inconsistency may exist in part because there is disagreement in the literature about the beginning and ending years for each generation. There are standard years that cover a specific generation, but different sources may have up to a five-year difference in the beginning or ending year for a generation. For the purposes of this thesis, we will use the years outlined in the introduction, traditionalists (born before 1945), baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1965), Generation X (born between 1966 and 1980) and Generation Y (born between 1981 and 2001 ). In order to get a better understanding of the typical communication patterns ascribed to each generation, it is applicable to go over each cohort in more detail. Traditionalists are often grouped together with baby boomers. Because this group includes individuals born before 1945 there are very few traditionalists left in the workforce. Those who remain may struggle with age discrimination. Part of this struggle is caused by the stereotype that this group is not well versed with technology (Pankl, 2004). Another perspective holds that traditionalists do not value relationships as much as the other cohorts. Instead they are often viewed as individuals who forgo getting to know their colleagues in order to get the job done (Graybill, 2014). Similar to traditionalists, baby boomers are sometimes viewed as not being adept to newer technology. However, some studies indicate that the exact opposite is true. Many studies such as Jennings and Markgraf(2010), along with Pankl (2004), argue that because the baby boomer generation has seen the adaptation of technology they have some advantages over other generations when teaching and learning new technology. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 6 Another attribute that is often associated with baby boomers is loyalty. Baby boomers are viewed as loyal to their employers. In some cases, this might cause them to stagnate in their chosen profession (Pankl, 2004). In other cases, the struggles they have faced moving up the career ladder might make some in the baby boomer generation see other generations as self­indulgent (Young, 2006). This can cause some communication strife between baby boomers and those in the younger cohorts. Generation X is often called the forgotten generation because it falls in-between the much larger baby boomer and Generation Y cohorts. Most researchers give many of the attributes of the baby boomers to Generation X and group them into similar categories. The one exception to this rule is that most of the research agrees that Generation Xers are better at using technology than their older peers because they were able to get experience using it at a younger age (Graybill, 2014; Pankl, 2004; Krohn, 2004). Young, Hernon, and Powell (2006), argue that there are some major differences in this generation that have been overlooked, in particular, many positive attributes such as their ability to work as members of a team, focus on maintaining a work/life balance, and be bastions for fairness in the workplace. Stereotypically, millennials or as they will be referred to throughout this study, Generation Y, are very good at using technology. Much of the literature argues that this group of individuals grew up with technology so they use it much more often than their older peers (Dennie, 2011; Krohn, 2004). "Millennials have some distinct differences from other generations. Millennials grew up in the information age with constant connection to social media. They are highly social and impatient, always looking for entertainment, connectivity and technology" (Burke, 2013 para 6). As this quote from Burke points out, there are many attributes that are associated with Generation Y, both good and bad that are not usually GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 7 associated with the older generations. In addition to the negative stereotypes in the above quote, others include putting virtual relationships above in-person relationships, being overly dependent on parents, being bad at writing because they don't have a need for it and being unable to accept failure (Jennings & Markgraf, 2010; Krohn, 2004; Graybill, 2014). Generational differences amongst professionals. Beyond these general descriptions of generational differences, there have been many primary and secondary studies that specifically examine generational differences among professionals in the workforce. Much of this literature contradicts the patterns usually associated with each generational cohort (described above). Some of the studies done that consider generational differences found that differences did exist but often they are less pronounced than stereotypes suggest. Other articles point out that many of the differences attributed to generational cohorts may instead be due to the natural aging process and the experience gained through working in a profession over a long period of time or raising a family. Much of the scholarly literature on generational communication differences is skeptical of the existence of these differences. Becton, Walker and Jones-Farmer (2014) considered the actuality of generational differences in workplace behavior when compared to generational stereotypes. They found that there was a statistically significant difference between the behaviors of generational cohorts when it came to things like work-life balance, working overtime, and loyalty to employers. However, the margins were very small. Because of the size of these differences Becton et al. urged caution when making decisions based upon stereotypes or perceived generational communication patterns. GENERATION AL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 8 Similarly, Lyons and Duxbury (2007), found that people generally follow the stereotypes set for their generation. However, the rate of difference between the generations they tested was only seven percent which shows that an individual's generation makes only a very small difference in overall workplace communication. Both Lyons and Dubury and Becton et al. point out a common trend in scholarly literature that there are many different factors other than generational communication patterns that affect how people communicate ideas to others. One factor that needs to be considered along with generational communication patterns is how age affects an individual's goals and behaviors in the workplace. Hansen and Leuty (2012) considered age in addition to an individual's generation over the course of 30 years. They were able to consider differences in how people age in comparison with their generation. They found that the importance of achievement and comfort were directly related to an individual's generation. The importance of an individual's status grew with age for men but was more generationally based for women. They hypothesize that the ageing process and the generation an individual belongs to only have a medium level of influence over most of the variables they studied. By disconnecting age from generation, Hansen and Leuty were able to make an important observation that the natural aging process can have as much or more of an impact on an individual than the generation they were born into. Another factor that may influence an individual's generational communication patterns is their profession. Moore, Grunberg and Krause (2015), discovered that the majority of stereotypes concerning generational differences only applied to white collar workers. Blue collar employees did not follow the stereotypes. Objectives such as a desire to climb up the career ladder and see quicker pay raises, followed generational lines. However, just like Hansen and Leuty they speculate that age may be a factor when it comes to many of these differences. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION For example, those at the beginning of their career are going to have more of a desire to improve their skills rather than those at the end. Patterns when communicating in the workplace may be generationally based. Shragay and Tziner (2011 ), considered how job involvement and job satisfaction tie into generational differences. In their study, they found that those in Generation X were more courteous or willing to interact and cooperate with individuals in the workforce when compared to the other generations. Similar to other studies, the margin of influence that generation had on communication was very small. The above mentioned difference in courtesy was only . 08 points different when compared across generations. 9 Although comfort with technology and workplace happiness may be related to generational factors, it is also possible that they could be related to age. Elias, Smith and Barney (2012) studied how the attitude employees have towards technology correlates with their age. They found that older employees who were less motivated to use technology and had lower regard for it had the lowest levels of job satisfaction. However, older employees who had positive feelings towards technology reported the highest level of job satisfaction. Although they found that the job satisfaction of those under 43 years old was less affected by technology, there was a moderate effect and less noticeable effect. From this study it could be assumed that an individual's skill with CMC is closely tied to their job satisfaction level and age or generation. In contrast to many of the above scholarly articles, in their book, Lancaster and Tillman (2003) argue that generational differences exist because individuals are shaped by the large scale societal events that they have experienced. They argue that economic events such as long periods of recession, high divorce rates and world events such as the moon landing and the GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 10 Berlin Wall coming down have made those in different generations behave differently and have different career goals. Lancaster and Tillman used surveys to back up their argument, but much of their evidence comes from personal observation. Despite their effort to argue that the generations exist, Lancaster and Tillman make the point that not everyone fits into a generational mold and that when it comes to the workplace everyone needs to be treated fairly and have their needs met. For example, in their section on rewarding employees, they make the point that employees need to receive rewards and bonuses based upon their personal needs. This contradicts many of their ideas about people having different needs and desires due to their generational cohort. Lancaster and Tillman argue that communication patterns are based on a person's generation in many cases but it is important to recognize that each individual may communicate differently. Many secondary sources agree with Lancaster and Tillman. Dohs, Landrum and Wieck (2010) point out that the four generations of employees are affected by having good managers. This article outlines typical generational stereotypes at the beginning, but then goes on to discuss communication issues that are faced by managers. Like Lancaster and Tillman, this article's strongest argument is that each individual deserves respect no matter what generation they are from and that an effective manager will be able to help the individual. In addition to general studies about generations, some of the literature covers ways that individuals may improve communication across generations. Hahn (2011) reviews communication scenarios that may happen when generations collide. This article recommends using the ACORN (Accommodate, Create, Operate, Respect, Nourish) model for overcoming differences. ACORN is a model where individuals recognize differences and then turn those differences into learning experiences or team strengths. One of the communication differences GENERATION AL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 11 mentioned in this article is the differences people have when it comes to sharing information online. Generation Y and Generation X are more likely to share personal information online that may be considered inappropriate by older generations. They also show that what is deemed appropriate to place on one medium of communication such as online by one generation may be deemed inappropriate by another. Hahn's ideas of different communication mediums being more appropriate for different types of communication ties into Gorman (2006). This article discusses how each generation in the workforce has a different way of communicating. This includes the traditionalists who prefer structured top down communication to Generation Y who use collaborative communication. Each generation also prefers different mediums of communication. Baby boomers may prefer face-to-face communication while Generation X and y employees prefer computer mediated communication. Gorman recommends that the different generations should compromise and work together to figure out communication mediums that work best for them. Although these differences pointed out by Gorman may be overstated, this article does bring up that different generations were raised with different types of technology which has shaped the way they communicate with others. Like Hahn, Taske and Plude (2011) conclude that different generations prefer different ways of communicating ideas. This article is mainly about social media, but it points out that the younger generations sees instant messaging and new forms of online communication as a replacement for e-mail which may be viewed as a new form of communication by those in the older generations. Older generations still use the Internet but they use it for a different purpose than the younger generations. Baby boomers and traditionalists use the Internet or social media GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 12 as an information gathering tool, while younger generations use it as the central hub for their communication. There are many different ways that generations try to communicate emotions over CMC. Khron (2004) discusses the basics of using emoticons over CMC. Although this article makes many points concerning the effectiveness and proper use of emoticons, it also uses many generalizations. These generalizations suffer from being overly stereotypical. For example, Krohn states that those in the traditional and baby boomer generations are less comfortable with computers when compared with those in the two younger cohorts. As other research has shown this may not be the case and it is important not to over generalize people according to their generational cohort (Pankl, 2004 ). In the end, the research on generational communication differences amongst professionals falls all over the spectrum. Many primary research articles find that generational differences do exist but they may be influenced by other factors such as age or career. Many of these studies conclude that generational factors make a negligible difference in the way people communicate. Some of the other research, specifically Lancaster and Tillman (2003) and most of the secondary sources, point to evidence that generational differences exist. With the exception of Krohn (2004), most of the research that strongly favors the existence of generational communication differences points to these differences as being positive and learning experiences for those who communicate across generational boundaries. This study will look further at generational differences and similarities by considering how generational differences related to the ways individuals communicate over online chat. Librarians and generational differences. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 13 Much of the literature on generational differences focuses on professionals as a general group but there is a small subset of literature that focuses on librarians. As librarians are the main focus of this study, it is important to consider the specific research on this profession and how generational cohorts amongst librarians differ from other professions. Jennings and Markgraf (2010), are a Generation Y (Jennings) and baby boomer (Markgraf) librarian who discuss generational differences through a series of interview questions. Their ideas are not generalizable but they give a good overview of their personal feelings about communication differences between these two groups. Jennings mentions that Generation Y librarians are often in need of feedback from others to make sure their work is on the right track. He believes that this desire for feedback comes from Generation Y being brought up with constant recognition and praise which has caused a fear of failure. Markgraf makes the point that baby boomers often raised those in Generation Y this way due to their own harsher upbringing with less praise. This article makes a strong point that often librarians in Generation Y are trained and mentored by baby boomers which means that there should be some communication patterns shared between these two cohorts. Each generation of librarians faces a different set of communication issues in the workplace. Baby Boomer librarians are no exception. This is true for both managers and front­line librarians alike. Pankl (2004), discusses some of the problems that library mangers face while dealing with baby boomer librarians. The main problem brought up in this article is the discrimination older librarians' face when they are overlooked for projects that are assigned to younger librarians who are considered more enthusiastic or skilled. Pankl points out that older librarians might be reluctant to share their knowledge and experience with others. This article goes against the stereotype that older individuals are not as good with technology. Pankl argues GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION that due to their experience living through the technological changes of the past half-century, older librarians are better able to help people who may not be as comfortable with technology. 14 Generation X is often forgotten between the much larger baby boomer and Generation Y cohorts which causes them a lot of challenges. However, they also have a lot of strengths. Young et al. (2006) studied the leadership communication attributes that a group of 10 Generation X librarians felt were important. In many cases, these librarians had differing views from those of their older collogues. This group saw the ability to embrace change, and have more open communication outside of management circles as beneficial and important. Similar to Young et al., Mosley (2003) discusses how Generation Xis changing the library workplace. As the oncoming generation when this article was written it was noted that Generation X is vastly different that the two generations before it. Generation X librarians are less focused on work and more focused on personal interests. Due to their upbringing with more technology and outside stimulation when compared to older generations they are able to complete projects in a faster and more efficient manner. Generation X is often misunderstood by older generations. This is because they are focused on a work-life balance and task completion rather than on work itself. Much of the current research on generational communication differences in libraries focuses on Generation Y. This generation was expected to bring with them both new challenges and advantages. One of the changes that Generation Y librarians bring with them is a desire to adapt new technology for libraries. Edge and Green (2011) consider these changes and the way Generation Y is making libraries Web 2.0 friendly. This generation may be better able to take on technical roles in libraries due to their upbringing. Edge and Green recommend that Generation Y help implement social media programs. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 15 Other researchers agree with Edge and Green. Emanuel (2013) survived Generation Y librarians and found that they feel comfortable with technology. At the same time, they are usually more comfortable with general office software such as Microsoft Office or course management systems than software used to create new programs. The individuals in this study felt that their older peers were not as willing to take the time to experiment with new technology and were not as versed as those in younger generations. Just like the baby boomers and Generation X, Generation Y librarians face some challenges when it comes to communicating in the workplace. Gordon (2011), notes that Generation Y librarians like to have mentoring relationships and work life balance. However, they don't appreciate being trapped into a job where they have to follow very rigid and traditional guidelines. They prefer to be treated as peers rather than trainees. With the talents and challenges that Generation Y librarians face, it is important to point out that many of the myths about them don't hold up to scrutiny. Graybill (2014), debunks the stereotype that Generation Y librarians are "always connected," "prefer online communication to personal relationships" and "are service oriented." This last point is particularly interesting as the results of this survey found that outside of mandatory school requirements most Generation Y librarians are not community service oriented. The survey also points out that Generation Y librarians often care more about relationships outside of work rather than their actual jobs. One interesting difference between the above literature on librarians and generational differences and other professionals is that there is nothing in the above literature that disproves or minimalizes generational differences in librarians. An individual studying generational differences without considering outside literature would come to the conclusion that each generation oflibrarians has very distinct communication patterns. One of the main causes for GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 16 this discrepancy is that the literature on librarians and generational differences comes from interviews and surveys. The literature surveyed above points to the need for more literature that analyzes data that does not contain personal behavior reports and opinions. The lack of analysis of actual of actual communication artifacts is a major problem for this field and one of the contributions of the current study, which looks at how librarians communicate using data gathered from online chat transcripts. The Reference Interview Although there are many different types of librarians, reference librarians have the primary responsibility of answering people's questions. An individual who is trained in reference work should be familiar with how to perform a reference interview. The reference interview is a unique form of communication and the standard used by librarians to answer questions. Since this study concerns the patterns in the way librarians communicate answers to questions over online chat, it is important to consider the specific standards and best practices unique to reference librarians that should be followed when answering a patron's question. According to the Reference and User's Service Association of the American Library Association or RUSA, the reference interview is primarily composed of five elements, approachability, interest, listening/inquiring, searching and follow-up (Brown, 2008). According to Brown, being approachable deals with behaving in a manner that shows you are not overly busy and willing to answer any questions that might be posed to you. Showing interest means that you seem genuinely interested in the question asked. Listening and inquiring deals with listening to what the person says and asking clarifying questions to figure out the root of an individual's question. Often, a patron's initial question is different from the information they are actually seeking. By performing a reference interview, a librarian is able to get to the GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 17 root of their question in an effective manner. After the initial interview, it is also good to follow up with the person and make sure they were able to find what they need. The reference interview is a vital standard for librarians to follow if they are seeking to provide good customer service. Connin and Levine (2013) discuss the importance of the reference interview as it applies to customer service. Using the same standards used by Brown, professional librarians need to focus on providing accurate answers and good customer service. If they have a desire to provide accurate answers, librarians are going to make an extended effort to make sure that the individual seeking information gets the best possible answer. Online chat provides its own set of challenges and capabilities when it comes to creating a positive experience using reference interview techniques. Harmeyer (2010), used a personal experience to discuss some of the issues that have arisen due to reference interviews being moved from face-to-face to taking place over the phone and internet. Librarians are often answering questions for individuals who live all over the world and may not even be associated with their organization. Many universities use chat consortiums that are made up oflibraries from different states. This can cause issues because the librarian may not be familiar with the collection at the university the questioner is associated with. There may be great distances between the librarian and patron but as Harmeyer mentions, through the use of telephones and online chat reference, librarians have been able to reach a much greater audience at their own organization. Schwartz (2014) discusses some of the methods that the RUSA standard can adapt for virtual reference service. The first standard, approachability, starts with the library's website. The online reference material should be easily locatable. Reference personnel should respond to GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 18 an individual's inquiry in under one minute. The reference interview should then continue using the standards outlined by the RUSA. The reference interview is a key component of how reference librarians answer questions and provide the best customer service possible. A major component of the reference interview is using communication skills to get to the root of what the library patron is asking and then giving them an answer that fits their needs. Computer mediated communication brings new challenges and opportunities for librarians doing a reference interview. The challenges include the lack of physical and verbal cues, advantages include the fact that librarians are able to communicate and answer questions with people who are in need of their services at a distant location. Librarians and Computer Mediated Communication Just like the communication patterns used when performing a reference interview, it is also important for this study to consider how librarians use computer mediated communication more generally. CMC is creating new challenges and opportunities for reference librarians. It is also changing the best practices for how reference questions are answered. For this study we will consider how librarians use online chat or messaging software. We will then take a look at texting services. Although these two services are similar, there are some differences that set them apart and make them unique. There are many communication patterns that are visible in online reference transactions. Radford (2006), studied the quality of reference transactions by analyzing transcripts from public libraries in Maryland and the Green Award, which was an award presented for quality online chat transactions. Radford found evidence for positive themes including greeting rituals, rapport building, deference, closing rituals and compensating for lack of non-verbal cues. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION Negative themes found in this study include relational disconnect or failure to build rapport, closing problems and negative closure. 19 In addition to the communication patterns found in how librarians answer online questions, CMC can be used to even out non-verbal disparities that exist in communication between librarians and patrons. Shachaf, and Oltmann (2008), considered how librarians reacted to individuals with different ethnically sounding names. They found that there was no statistical difference in the level of service provided to individuals. This contrasts with face-to-face communications, where an individual's dialect or race could lead to an increase or decrease in the level of service received. This study also points out that library users often judge the accuracy of their answers based on the approachability and friendliness of librarians. Since it is harder to judge emotions in online communication, online chat provides a good medium to study real-time communication without the non-verbal elements that influence face-to-face communication. In some cases, patrons may prefer computer mediated communication. In other cases, it may be used not by preference but because of convenience. Bedwell et al. (2008) found that many people liked face-to-face help but online reference was more convenient and saved travel time. In contrast to Bedwell et al., Chan, Ly and Meulemans (2012), found that instant messaging was a popular way for students to connect with librarians. In their study Chan, Ly and Meulemans found that the majority of students who used online chat preferred the service over other methods. It is important to note that Chan, Ly and Meulemans survey came from people who were using online chat so the preference for the service could be implied. A couple of studies looked at generational differences in how librarians used CMC. Dennie (2001 ), found that those in Generation Y were far more likely to use online chat as a GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 20 tool for instruction and outreach when compared to the older generations. They were also more likely to advertise the service during instruction sessions and classes that they were teaching. Aharony (2013), found that age and gender did not play a significant role in a librarian's ability to adapt to new technology. They theorize that this is because older librarians have been adapting to newer technology such as social networks. This makes it easier for them to adopt newer mobile technology. This literature provides a good overview of how librarians are using CMC but it doesn't look at the generational communication differences that exist while using this format. Instead it focuses mainly on patterns and what types of librarians are using CMC. In addition to general computer mediated communication, it is important to look at how librarians use texting which is also known as Short Message Service (SMS) specifically to provide reference service. Texting provides some unique challenges. Many of the services that libraries use to answer questions over online chat also provided chat using the same interface. Although the interface may be the same, the research on SMS points out that there are many differences between the types of questions asked over SMS and the ways that they are answered when compared to regular online chat. When a librarian is answering a question over SMS it is important that they adapt the reference interview to the platform. Luo (2011 ), considers the differences that happen in the reference interview when it happens over SMS. Some of the differences in text messaging reference are due to the cost involved in texting and the number of characters that individuals are able to use. There are a variety of ways that text message questions may be answered. This includes through the use of a phone or through a computer-based service such as Library H3lp, which is what the Stewart Library, currently being studied, uses. Library h3lp provides a web based interface to answer both online chat questions and SMS. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 21 The types of questions typically asked over SMS are different than what is asked over online chat or in-person. Pearce, Collard and Whatley (2010), discuss the trends they saw at New York University in text messaging reference service. In this case they relied mainly on a phone to receive and send texts. They found that reference questions made up a higher percentage, than they originally expected with 35 percent of questions being reference and 60 percent being directional. Many individuals did not seem to care about the number of texts sent or received. This was originally a concern due to the pay per text nature of messaging. Overall, computer mediated communication provides many opportunities and challenges for librarians who are striving to answer questions. Online chat and SMS are advantageous because they allow librarians to answer questions for patrons who are not physically at the library. Also, As Shachaf, and Oltmann (2008), pointed out some disparities that may exist during in-person conversations due to the gender or race of the patron don't exist online. The lack of verbal and facial cues can be a challenge because librarians may not be able to pick up on different usages of words. This study will look exclusively at librarians using online chat. As the research above notes there are some communication differences when librarians use online chat, compared to face-to-face transactions. Some of these differences should be visible in the chat transcripts that are analyzed for this study. Diffusion of Innovation Theory As this study sought to examine how individuals in various generations communicated using the growing technologies ofCMC and online chat, the differences in individual's behaviors and attitudes to adapting and learning about innovations became salient. These particular adaption behaviors might explain how librarians might use the reference interview and adopt or resist CMC. The reference interview has long been a standard or best practice for GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 22 answering library questions, the reference interview must be adapted when a question is being answered online. Diffusion oflnnovations theory seeks to explain why librarians might adopt or refuse to change the way they answer questions using relatively new technology like CMC. Diffusion oflnnovation is a theory created by Rogers (2003 ). This theory strives to prove that there are regular patterns in the way people accept new innovations based on their general attitudes and approach to new innovations. This includes new technology, and other consumer and corporate innovations that are introduced into an environment. One of the central components of this theory is that the rate at which a new innovation is adopted by people into a culture can be placed onto a bell curve, in which some people consistently adopt innovations earlier than others. This curve can be divided into five different deviations, innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards (Kardasz, 2013-2014). According to Kardask (2013-2014), innovators are people who seek out new ideas and adopt them while they are still in their introductory stage. Early adopters are individuals who wait a bit longer than the innovators but still are quick to adopt new innovations. The early majority makes up the group of individuals who are not the earliest to adopt but are still in the first soth percentile. The late majority is the group who is "pushed into using an innovation due to necessity" (Kardask, p. 47). The last group are the laggards. These are individuals who either don't adopt new innovations or are the very last to adopt them. In comparison to the other groups laggards are often very suspicious of change. Another important part of Roger's (2003) theory is that innovations are diffused as part of a social system. This means that there is a structure to the system. Individuals will be more likely to adopt innovations if people in their social system are adopting those innovations. If individuals see how others are using new innovations to achieve new goals and if they are able GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 23 to discuss these ideas, their chances of adopting go up (Kardask, 2013-2014). For librarians this would mean that they learn CMC techniques from one another through the use of social systems such as professional associations or through colleagues in the workplace. There are other theories that explain how information diffuses. Although Roger's theory is the most common the other theories also have merits. Brown, Venkatesh and Hoehl (2015) compares seven theories that consider how people adopt new innovations. They found that 24 percent of an individual's behavior when it comes to adopting an innovation can be accounted for by diffusion of innovation theory. They also found that factors such as cost, and the level of fear associated with technology were correlated with adoption behavior. Diffusion of innovation theory tries to figure out why people adopt new innovations but there is not as much research concerning why people don't adopt innovations. Claudy, Garcia and O'Driscoll (2015) consider the reasons why people do not adopt new technology. In this study they used a behavioral reasoning perspective. They looked at how people's perception of a product influenced their decision to not adopt that product. This study looks at two different samples. The first sample considered individual's attitudes towards micro wind turbines. The second considered car sharing, or a service that allows people in urban areas to drive shared vehicles. In both of these cases they found that the reasons why people didn't adopt the innovations were different. In the first case the upfront cost involved was a major factor. In the second case there were some security concerns. In both cases there was connection between an individual's behavioral reasoning and why they did not want to accept the innovation. Diffusion of innovations theory can be used to show how librarians learn from each other and share ideas about how to answer questions using CMC. This theory shows that often an idea or change should start with an innovator and diffuse from there until it is eventually GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 24 adopted by laggards (Rogers, 2003). This means that some communication techniques used by innovators or laggard librarians should not be visible amongst the middle two groups who have either not adopted the technique or have already abandoned it. Also, according to the literature on generational differences there should be some correlation between a librarian's generation and their ability and willingness to adopt new technology (Pankl, 2004). This study will look further at how diffusion of innovations differences, based on an individual's diffusion of innovations standard deviation (innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, laggards) are visible in the communication patterns librarians have over online chat. It will then consider how their comfort with adopting new innovations relates to their generation. Summary of Literature and Research Questions While there are many stereotypes that surround different generations, there is very little agreement in literature concerning ifthe attributes commonly associated with each generation truly exist. This is one of the reasons why this topic is interesting. There is also no agreement concerning the impact that an individual's generation has on their communication patterns in the workplace. The research on librarians and generational differences does point out that differences may exist. However, these differences contrast with the stereotypes that are often associated with each generation (Graybill, 2014). This is important because there is no clear conclusion about the importance of generational communication differences for librarians trying to answer questions over CMC. This study will help remedy this problem by providing primary analysis of communication patterns that does not come from surveys or interviews about what people believe about a specific generation. Roger's (2003) Diffusion of innovation theory seeks to explain patterns in adopting new innovations. Of particular interest in this theory is that people adopt innovations on a normal GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 25 bell curve that can be separated into five deviations. This is important to the study of how librarians use CMC because it can be used to see patterns in how ideas are communicated from innovators down to laggards and across social structures. The research on how librarians use CMC provides evidence that unlike other help services provided by librarians, online chat can be used to remove negative non-verbal communication (Shachaf, & Oltmann, 2008). Online chats between librarians and patrons also follow specific patterns as discussed by Radford. However, there is no research on how generational cohorts or attitudes towards adopting innovations affect the online reference interview. The reference interview is a unique form of communication that librarians use to answer questions. The interview should include the steps of approachability, interest, listening/inquiring, searching and follow-up (Brown, 2008). These steps should be adapted to fit the specific medium of communication that the librarian is using (Schwartz, 2014). At the current time there is no research concerning how librarians from different generational cohorts or different diffusion of innovation deviations approach the reference interview. The goal of this study is to find information concerning how an individual's approach to adopting new technology and their generation affect their communication patterns while using online chat. Reviewing the literature led to the following two questions. I. What generational differences are visible in the communication patterns ofreference personnel at the Stewart Library who answer questions using online chat based upon their identified generation? GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 26 2. What visible relationships exist between the connnunication patterns of the personnel at the Stewart Library who answer questions using online chat based on their location on the diffusion of innovation spectrum? The first question focuses on the patterns that are visible in chat reference. It also narrows the topic down to look at generational differences. The second question focuses on how these same communication patterns relate to where individuals fall on the diffusion of innovation spectrum. Taken together the variables of generational differences and diffusion of innovations theory can help us gain a better understanding of the relationship that exists not only between a librarian's generational cohort and diffusion of innovation behaviors independently but also how these two variables connect with each other. Methods The reference staff at the Stewart library are a unique group of individuals who, in addition to coming from multiple generations and various diffusion of innovation deviations, have unique educational backgrounds and current job responsibilities. A total of thirteen individuals were asked to volunteer for this study. This was all of the employees besides the author of this thesis and two individuals who resigned their jobs at the library who answered questions over the library's online chat system, Library H3lp between January 2015 and December 2015. Twelve individuals chose to participate in this study by filling out a short survey and by agreeing to have their Library H3lp transcripts included in this data collection. The volunteers in this study include five males and seven females. Most people who work in libraries are female, but the Stewart Library reference department is unique in that they have almost an even gender split. Out of the twelve individuals, nine have master's degrees in library science, one person has three master's degrees including their degree in library science, GENERATION AL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION three have PhD's in other fields of study. One individual is currently working on a masters in library science, one has a bachelor's degree and one is currently working on finishing their bachelors. Ages range from early 20 's to 75 years old. Experience working in a library ranges from two to 45 years. The primary data for this study came from chat transcripts from the Stewart Library's online chat program, Library H3lp. Library H3lp is a completely online service that allows 27 individuals to receive and send messages. In the case of online chat, a patron using the program is given a random identification number, which is the only method of identification the librarian has unless the person decides to disclose their name, email address or other identifying information. Text messaging uses the same interface only the identification number is the individual's phone number. All transcripts from this service are stored on a Library H3lp server. These transcripts are accessible to all faculty and staff at the Stewart Library who have a Library H3lp account. 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Librarians per generational cohort I I II Generation v Gf>npr;ition x R;ihv hoomf'r tr;irlitio;inlist Additional data were gathered by asking each participant to complete a short survey (see Appendix A). The survey functioned to help categorize each participant into a generational and diffusion of innovations group. The participants were first broken into generational cohorts. based on data self-reported on the survey. Each individual placed themselves into a specific generational group based on their year of birth. Out of the twelve participants there were a total of three Generation Y, three Generation X, five GENERATION AL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 28 baby boomers and one traditionalist. In order to protect the identity of the individual, I chose to require each group to have at least three individuals in it for reporting purposes. Because there was only one traditionalist this individual was combined into the baby boomer cohort. Second, the participants were placed into diffusion of innovation groups based upon their answers to a diffusion of innovations scale (adapted from Savery, 2005). On the aforementioned survey, each participant was given ten questions about their attitudes and behaviors toward innovations. Each item was measured using a one to five scale (see appendix A). An individual's diffusion of innovation deviation was decided based upon the average of their answers where one meant the person was an innovator and five a laggard. Questions two, three, six and seven were reversed so that a five was counted as a one and a one as a five. Each individual's category was then rounded to the nearest whole number and then they were placed into a specific named deviation. NUMBER OF LIBRARIANS PER DEVIATION 5~ 3~ 1 1 1 Innovators Early Adopters Early Majority Laggards Late Majority Eighty-three percent of the individuals in this study fell within the first 50th percentile on the diffusion of innovation spectrum. Out of the twelve individuals surveyed, there were six GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION individuals who identified themselves as early adopters, three in the early majority deviation and one individual each who fell into the innovator, late majority and laggard groups. 29 Finally, the participant's transcripts were pulled from the Library H3lp database. When it was possible, ten transcripts were chosen in a semi-random manner based upon the length of the conversation, from each of the twelve people who chose to participate in this study. There were two individuals who had fewer than ten transcripts. In these cases, as many transcripts as possible were pulled from the system. This ended up being nine in both cases. There were a total of 118 transcripts. All identifying information was removed from the transcript prior to their analysis including the name of the librarian, any information that identified their specific job duties, the number associated with the patron and any personal information such as names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers. In cases where there were spelling and grammatical errors these mistakes were left in place. The transcripts were then analyzed using qualitative research techniques and were coded using methods outlined by Saldana (2011), and Rubin and Rubin (2012). Each conversation was taken apart according to the elements that it contained and then each of the elements were placed in an appropriate category (see appendix B for an example). In total there were 365 different elements that were placed into twelve different categories, including answering questions with greetings, closing the conversation, reference interviews, showing search procedures, and technical assistance (see appendix C). These elements were compared across the various generational cohorts and diffusion of innovation deviations to find differences and similarities. Results RQl: Generational Differences GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 30 The first research question asked what generational cohort differences were visible amongst the librarians who used online chat at the Stewart Library. The results for this question were a mixture between well-defined generational differences and no visible generational differences. Well defined differences can be seen in the way librarians 1) gave greetings while answering chats, 2) performed reference interviews, 3) Explained search methods, and 4) asked follow-up questions. Yet, there were not generational differences observed in the way librarians 5) answered general questions, 6) answered questions about citing sources and 7) ended chat sessions. Greetings while Answering Chats. Some of the clearest generational differences in the chat transcripts can be seen in the way librarians gave or did not give greetings while answering chat. In general, conversations started out with the patron asking a question on the chat system. Which, is then answered by a librarian. In some cases, the librarian will give a simple greeting, while others will jump right into answering the question or go into a reference interview. All of these different ways of answering chats followed generational boundaries. In all but two cases, Individuals from Generation Y started conversations using a short greeting. Either by saying hello or by using some other method of greeting. Some examples of opening statements from Generation Y include "Hi' I'll be with you in just a moment," "Good morning," and "Hello, how may I help you today?" In the cases where Generation Y librarians jumped right into conversations they used phrases like "Ok, let me see ifl can find that." The use of a friendly greeting aligns very closely with the standards set by the RUSA for reference interviews. According to RUSA standards a librarian should seem approachable (Brown, 2008). Starting a conversation with a friendly greeting is one of the easiest and best GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 31 ways to seem approachable in an online environment. Perhaps one reason why Generation Y librarians start their conversations with a friendly greeting instead of jumping right into answering the question could be due to their more recent or current training while working on a master's in library and information science. In most cases, library science education programs focus on best practices for reference interviews which follow RUSA standards. These standards were originally created in 1996 and last updated in 2013 but many in the other generations got their degrees before these standards were implemented (Reference and User Services Association, 2013 ). Unlike Generation Y, Generation X librarians were more likely to jump right into answering the question rather than giving a statement of greeting. Although there were nine instances where a greeting was given there were more cases where a greeting wasn't used. Often the beginning of conversations for Generation X were categorized as reference interviews or search statements because there was no greeting present. The example below shows how one Generation X librarian started a conversation. Notice that there is no statement of greeting or reference interview. Instead, the librarian gets the question and jumps right into giving an answer. Patron How can I search the electronic journals by author name? Librarian I need the journal name first Librarian You will need to click on electronic journals, type in the journal title and then click on a database that indexes that journal. Then you may search by an author name. Librarian Do you have an example that you would like for me to check? The above example is from the beginning of a question, but all of the elements for starting a proper reference interview such as a greeting and the use of questions to seek clarification are missing. Instead the individual jumps right in to giving what they believe is the answer to the patron's question. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 32 In other cases, a Generation X librarian will skip the use of a greeting and go right into a reference interview. Patron Hi there. I was wondering what a good article would be to look at when pertaining to Native American traditions and culture? Librarian Where have you looked so far? Patron I honestly haven't had a clue as to where to start first. Librarian A good general database to start with might be Academic Search Premier. Do you need articles, or can you look at books or websites? Just like in the other example given above, this example is missing a greeting. However, in contrast to the first example, the librarian starts out by using clarifying questions instead of going straight for an answer. Overall, the best term to describe Generation X when opening conversations is that they appear to be context focused rather than relationship focused. In both of the above instances the conversations did not include the relationship building pleasantries that were almost always present for Generation Y. Generation X gave answers based upon the context of the question they are being asked. This creates a more direct response when questions are being asked as is shown in the following example. Text Hello, I have a question about library service Librarian Okay, what is your queston? Notice that the above text message question is answered in a way that is direct, but also lets the patron know the librarian is willing to answer their question. These examples show typical ways that Generation X librarians answered questions. It follows the guidelines for reference transactions outlined in the literature review, but it does so in a way that is direct and moves the conversation forward based on context rather than relationship building. The traditionalists and baby boomers showed a mixture of approaches when it came to answering online chats. About 25 out of the 40 total opening statements for these cohorts had GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 33 some form of a greeting. Others answered by asking open ended questions that ask for specific information but could have a variety of answers as is the case with this next example. Patron Hello I needed help on how to find a peer review article for one of my classes. Librarian Okay, couple of questions, what is your topic, and what class is this for? Patron It is for two different classes [class name] and [class name] Librarian Okay, who is the instructor for your [class name] class? Patron [professors name] I think thats how you spell it. Librarian Alright, what are you trying to find information about, that is what is your topic? Notice that in this case the baby boomer or traditionalist librarian jumped past the pleasantries into getting basic information that could be used for their search. This shows experience using reference interview techniques. Similar to the Generation X librarians, they jumped into getting information rather than saying hello, but in contrast they performed an extensive reference interview just looking for information rather than giving feedback. The above example shows the start of a reference interview but almost half of the baby boomers and traditionalists other than those who answer the question using phrases such as, "Hi, I'll be with you in just a minute" started the conversation by asking a simple question such as "What is the name of the article?" or "Sure, where have you looked so far?" These statements come off as less rushed than the Generation X statements. They also show that the person answering the question has some experience asking questions and getting clarification before jumping right in and quickly answering the questions. Librarians give greetings or start answering reference questions differently based upon their generation. The examples above show that Generation Y librarians almost always start a reference interview with a simple greeting. Those in Generation X often forgo pleasantries and instead focus on answering questions based upon the context in which the question is asked. This usually means that Generation X excludes pleasantries and either jump into asking GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 34 clarifying questions or giving what they believe is the best answer. The traditionalists and baby boomers use a mixed approach to greetings when answering a question. Sometimes they will skip pleasantries and jump into answering questions. In other situations, they will start out with a greeting. Reference Interviews. The reference interview is another area where generational differences were common among these participants. RUSA Reference interview elements should be found throughout conversations. In this particular section differences in the way clarifying questions are asked, which is perhaps the most important element of the reference interview, will be considered. Reference interviews are done to get clarifying information from a patron. This may be done at the beginning of the conversation as was common with baby boomers and traditionalists or it may take place at the middle or end of a conversation. With traditionalists and baby boomers reference interview questions were used to seek clarification on very specific information. This may have been done for something the librarian didn't understand or it was used as a way to get clarification. Patron I having trouble getting a copy of an article. when I click on find full text It brings me to a page that says 6 issues are available (like year 2001thru2010) but the one i need an e copy of is 2012? Librarian Please give me full details of the article (title, author, name of journal) and I'll check on it. Reference interviews such as this one are not long but they help the librarian get information on what the patron is seeking. In the case above a direct question was asked so that the librarian could get information that could help the patron. The other reference interviews for the traditionalists and baby boomers followed along similar lines as the one above. Questions were asked such as "What sort of topic are you GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 35 working on?" or "How many [sources] do you need?" These questions can have multiple answers, but they help the librarian get a better understanding of what the patron is looking for. Unlike with baby boomers and traditionalists, questions asked by Generation X often gave the individuals multiple choices rather than being open ended. Librarian What type of articles you do you need? Librarian For example, do they need to be scholarly? Notice that in the above example from a member of Generation X the choices are given as a way of clarifying the question. However, in some cases the multiple choice questions may be given in a way that is not meant to clarify but instead gathers information. Librarian Do you mean order from interlibrary loan? Or do you mean order for the library's collection? They may also ask if a patron truly meant to look for a specific source Librarian Do you mean the WSU clubs? Librarian Clubs and organizations: http://www.weber.edu/co Text No. For a nursing. I have an assignment to find an nursing organization Librarian Oh! Ok- what's the name? Librarian it is WSU affiliated? In both these cases the questions are not open ended but instead ask the patron to make a choice. They leave room for the patron to answer differently with another choice, but they push the patron to answer in a specific way. There was only one example of a Generation Y librarian using a reference interview in the transcripts. Patron Yes, I was wondering if you can guide me finding articles that focuses on Empowerment. I need it from journals such as Harvard Business Review, Personnel Journal, Training an development or the like. librarian O.K. Are you on campus, or do will you be accessing the library database remotely? Patron I will be accessing it remotely librarian You will need to start on the library page http://library.weber.edu/ librarian Does your article need to be in general an academic journal? GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION librarian That was typed poorly. Does your article just need to be from an academic journal? Patron the professor did not specify From this transcript it can be gleaned that when Generation Y librarians do use reference interview techniques or ask questions, they do so for the same reasons as other generations, to get information that will help them give a better answer to the patron. Other than this, it is difficult to make generalizations about this one group based off one example. For all generations the reference interview is used as a way to get clarification concerning a patron's question. For the baby boomers and traditionalists, the reference interview is usually done at the beginning of the conversations. This includes asking open-ended clarifying questions. For Generation X, clarifying questions may be skipped at the beginning of a conversation and then asked in the middle. Often Generation X will use more focused multiple answer questions. There isn't much evidence for how Generation Y uses reference interview techniques, but it can be assumed that the purpose behind why they ask clarifying questions is similar to those of other generations. Amongst all the transcripts it was common for a librarian to perform a search without asking clarifying questions. Searching. 36 After the reference interview is complete, or if a librarian believes that they have enough information, they will start searching for an answer to a patron's question. Often in the chat transcripts, librarians will give links to search results or walk individuals through how to find a source. The way librarians explain searches, the amount of detail they give, their use of links and when they started their search explanation were all based upon the individual's generation. Generation X librarians often started their conversations out by searching for information instead of through the use of some form of greeting. Unlike the other generations GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 37 Generation X often would walk patrons through the process of finding material, these librarians gave links to give a link to a specific source or database in 40 percent of the examples in this category. This is an interesting point since most of the training given in reference department meetings at the Stewart Library focuses the need to teach individuals how to find material rather than finding it for them. At the same time, it is a lot more convenient to simply give a link. librarian Ok, you have indicated that you have done some searching with canada and [sic] organazations librarian [link] librarian This is the first search for some finance info librarian Does that link help to get started? Patron Yes. Would I do the same thing for Australia and England? librarian Yes, one moment and I'll send some more librarian [link] librarian [link] In other cases, Generation X librarians provided a link and explained the search in detail. Librarian Perfect, one moment. Librarian [link] Librarian Simply go to library.weber.edu Librarian Click on Academic Search Premier Librarian click on advanced search Librarian click on the drop down menu by the search bar and change the search to AU Author Librarian They type in [professors name] into the search box and click search. Librarian You will find two articles, the first article lists your professor as working at [location]. When the Generation X librarians did not use links in their search statements the transactions were more extensive. Searching is a process and it can take a lot of steps to walk an individual through how to find something in a database. In person, one can simply show the other the steps they are going through but explaining how to get to the database and then explaining search terms can take a lot of time, trial and error. Here is an example of a search explanation from a Generation X librarian that did not use links to shorten their explanation. Librarian Ok- do you know how to get into the Academic Search Premier database? GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 38 Patron vaguely Librarian Start from the library home page (library.weber.edu) and click on Academic Search Premier Librarian once you are in ASP, click on the link that says 'choose databases' above the search screen Patron k I clicked on the link that states 'choose databases' Librarian From there, select the following from the list: Education Full Text, ERIC, Professional Development Collection, Academic Search Premier Librarian That will let you search in ASP (which is multidisciplinary) and the education databases, which have a lot on this topic. Once you have selected them hit OK Librarian You should now be back at the search screen. Select "Advanced Search" Librarian On the top line, type this in exactly: DE "GENDER inequality" Librarian On the next line type this in exactly: DE "science" OR DE "math*" OR DE "engineering" Librarian DE is the designation for 'descriptor' and I looked up to see what the official descriptors were to pull up these types of articles. You'll get about 45 articles, but there should be enough relevant stuff in there for your assignment The search process can be complex. In 40 percent of cases those in Generation X use links to shorten their explanation of searches. However, in cases where links are not used to point directly at a source conversations are more detailed and longer. Just like Generation X, Generation Y librarians used links when explaining searches in 41 percent of the total examples. However, unlike Generation X, Generation Y there were some examples where two examples where Generation Y overlooked library sources and recommended online material first. Patron do u have any vi does online? Librarian Dance videos? Nothing that would be offered from the Weber State Library directly. Is there anything specific that you are looking for? I may be able to search and find a link to something Patron just any dance video Librarian Y outube is probably your best option for something like that In the above case the librarian jumped right into recommending Y ouTube before there is any reference to checking the library collection. This shows a tendency to think of digital material before physical objects. The below example is similar. However, it depicts the idea that Generation Y lives in a digital world through the use of multiple links. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION Patron okay, thank you, do you happen to have any ideas for the cover page? Librarian I'm trying to see if I can find an image of it Patron oh thank you so much!! Librarian Here are a few items, see if any of them help you. Librarian [link] Librarian [link] 39 In the above two examples the librarian not only relies heavily on links to provide an answer to the patron's question, but they also consider online sources instead oflibrary holdings. In all the examples from Generation X librarians, online library tools such as the library catalog or subscription databases are used. In both of these cases from Generation Y, sources found through online search engines are used and considered before the library catalog or library databases are used. In many cases librarians will rely on others to help them find answers to difficult questions. This isn't exclusive to Generation Y. However, the only example of this in the transcripts was found in this cohort. Librarian The problem that myself and one of my coworkers is having is that the question is so specific that it is proving difficult to find articles for it. Sorry. In this case the librarian was given a difficult question that they were having a hard time answering. As they were searching, they sought for assistance from another librarian who was nearby. This type of situation may be common in face-to-face transactions, but this was the only example of an online transaction where getting help was mentioned. When it came to searching, traditionalists and baby boomers showed off their experience to a much greater extent than the two younger cohorts. There was only two instance of a librarian who used a link in this cohort. In both these cases links were used to give a starting place for where the patron should begin their search. Generally instead of using links, the librarian walked the patron through how to navigate to the source. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 40 Librarian This book talks about Serpentine and antigorite. It might be worth looking at. Go to Article Databases from our home page. Click on the E under Databases by Title. Librarian Click on Ebsco ebook Collection. Librarian In the search box - serpentine AND antigorite Notice that this librarian explained step-by-step how to find a specific eBook. The case below is similar, only the librarian is using Google Scholar. librarian It looks like Google Scholar has some articles, too. Do you know how to set it up so that it links you to the article if we own it? librarian I'd put the "marks to make a phrase: "three parent embryos" on Google Scholar. Patron I don't. librarian We have instructions on the library's website. Go to library.weber.edu, on the bottom of the center column, click on Google Scholar. Follow the directions. NOTE: depending on screen resolution the various links may be on side or top and, for the first link, under "More." librarian DO NOT use the search box on that page - it's not fully functional. Go to scholar.google.com to search. In both of these situations the traditionalist or baby boomer librarian did not use any links beyond the library's website or Google Scholar as a starting point. Instead they led the individual to the source and then gave them the steps necessary to find the item. Each generation uses very different techniques when searching and explaining their searches over online chat. Generation X uses links to sources as a way to shorten their search explanations. When they did not use links the conversation was extensive and gave a lot of in-depth information. Unlike the other two generations, there were some cases where librarians in Generation Y used web sources before using sources from library databases or the library catalog. Those in the baby boomer and traditionalist cohorts didn't use extensive links when answering questions. They usually gave explanations for their searches, but unlike the example from Generation X, these generations used shorter and more concise explanations. Follow-up. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 41 The category of follow-up questions includes any type of question by either the librarian or patron that is used to ask for further information. This category includes when a librarian provided follow-up information such as a phone number, e-mail address or another source to be considered. There were no examples from Generation Y librarians. But this area does show a great distinction in the way Generation X and the baby boomers or traditionalists answer follow-up questions or provide follow-up information. When it came to providing follow-up assistance, the four examples from Generation X show that they usually give follow-up information rather than providing further assistance. Although this could be construed as negative closure because they are referring the question on to someone else, in most of these cases this is done because another librarian will be able to answer the question better due to their subject experience. Librarian You should contact the subject specialist for the discipline. What subject area do the books fall under? Science, Math, Art, etc? Text I see, it is .. I don't know hmm. It is about [subject] Librarian Okay, you will need to contact [name] who is the [title] email is [email] Providing follow-up information rather than asking questions is the only type of follow-up from Generation X that was found in the chat transcripts. This is a major contrast with the traditionalist and baby-boomer cohorts who provided follow-up by answering questions or checking up with the patrons in all of the examples. Librarian How are you doing? Patron I'm not pulling up anything on nurse burn out Librarian Did you do the search in CINAHL using this exact phrase? Nurs* AND burnout. I found many articles. One unique format of following up with patrons that was only found in the baby boomer and traditionalist cohort is changing communication mediums from either online chat to phone or face-to-face. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION Librarian I'm not sure what is happening, it should work with your Weber username and password. Would it be easier if you called into the Reference Desk? Patron what number should I use Librarian [Gives Library phone number] Patron Ok I will call in This librarian switched to answering the question over the phone. However, there was also a case where the librarian decided to answer the question in person since the individual already expressed that they were in the library. librarian I'll head over. [gives way to identify librarian] There are many advantages that might be gained by switching formats. If the person is 42 having a difficult time communicating via chat, then working with the individual face-to-face or over the phone may be easier. These two incidences were from baby boomer or traditionalist librarians. It is possible that switching formats is common in other cohorts but there were no examples of this in the transcripts. An interesting side note about the two conversations above is that both of these conversations come from separate individuals who self-identified as Early Adopters. This rules out the idea that changing away from computer mediated communication can be based on someone's lack of comfort with new technology. For Generation X, the baby boomers and traditionalists, follow-up means providing two very different services. For Generation X, follow-up is exclusively giving contact information for further assistance. For the traditionalists and baby boomers, follow-up was done as a way to help the patron by providing further information. This was done either through asking them questions after their initial question is answered or by switching to a format other than online chat to better help the patron understands the explanation the librarian was trying to provide. The above sections on how librarians gave greetings while answering chats, performing reference interviews, and asking follow-up questions show that there are many generational GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 43 differences in the ways that librarians answer online chats at the Stewart Library. In most of these cases the differences are very visible. There are also some similarities that are visible in the conversations. Generational differences largely did not exist in how librarians answered general questions, explained source citations and how conversations were ended. General Questions. A general question is any question that doesn't require an extensive reference interview. These question range from directional questions such as "Where is this collection" to "What are the library's open hours." Unlike some of the other categories there were more examples of general questions from Generation Y and the traditionalists or baby boomers than there was from Generation X. With one exception general questions were answered very similarly across generations. The answers to these questions were very straight forward and succinct. In some cases, the librarians may have struggled to find an answer but overall they tried to give the shortest answer possible. General Questions answered by Generation Y librarians were an interesting mix. The librarians didn't waste time going beyond what the patron wanted answered but in many cases it took the librarian a lot of time to give a specific answer to a question. Patron Hi! I have some fines to pay, but I've lost my Wildcard and don't know how to log in and see where/how much to pay Librarian Do you know your log in information? Screen name and password you use to access portal, your weber state email, etc. Patron Yes! Librarian Ok, go to library. weber.edu Patron All right. Librarian Then on the left hand side, put your mouse on the option that says "my library account", and a little window pops up. Click on Library Payment Center Librarian It will ask for your log in information Patron It didn't ask for my login info, it just took me to a screen with a bunch of wsu logos Librarian Ok, on that page there should be options like "library fines" and "reserve fines". Do you know which type of fine you have? Was it for a regular book, or a reserve GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION item? Patron It was for [item details]. Librarian Ok, then it would be a lost damaged item or book category Librarian Do you know the barcode number associated with your wildcard? Patron No. Patron That's my problem-[gives problem details]. 44 Librarian Not a problem. You can call [phone number] and they can look up that information for you and tell you the exact amount that you owe. You can then return to that page and pay your fine online The above librarian gave a very extensive answer for a question that is relatively simple. The librarian doesn't go above and beyond what is needed to answer the question, but they tend to draw out the conversation. Seven out of the eight questions received more direct answers from the Generation Y cohort. Text Oh ok. Great thank u for ur help What r ur hours for week Librarian We close at 8pm tonight and tomorrow night, and at 6pm Friday. We are open 1-Spm Saturday and Sunday. This question doesn't require an extensive answer and the librarian didn't waste any time giving the answer requested by the patron. Other general questions followed a format very similar to this one where the librarian gave the specific information requested without wasting time. There were only two examples of general questions from the Generation X cohort. However, these examples were answered in a similar manner to Generation Y. They were answered very succinctly with solid statements. Patron Hello again. Where are the Curriculum and Young People's collections located in the Stewart Library, and what is in these collections? Librarian The curriculum and young people's collections are on the first floor of the library. Patron Perfect! Thank you. And what is in them? Librarian The curriculum collection is really designed for student teaching and so there are textbooks and teaching kits in the collection. The young people's collections has books that are appropriate for young people including fiction and non-fiction. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 45 In the above example the librarian is very straightforward in answering the question and doesn't waste time going beyond what the patron is asking. The other example has more of a reference interview because clarification is needed from the original question but the librarian still worked to give a very succinct and straightforward answer. Librarian I see your question. Do you mean to chat with librarians to get help? Librarian Or, do you mean the tool to look up the book? Patron I Patron am not sure. he says the online service i would consult to get online help with finding a book on my topic. Maybe the chat? Librarian The chat is called Ask a Librarian and the librarian would tell you to consult the Library Catalog or One Search. Maybe that would cover the whole answer to the question. Patron Okay. Thank you! In both cases the librarian answered the question in a quick manner and gave an exact answer that met the needs of the patron. Six out of the seven examples from the traditionalist or baby boomers were similar to Generations X and Y when answering general questions in that they gave very simple answers. Patron Is it possible to have a book transferred from the stewart library to the davis library so I can pick it up there? Librarian Yes it is. The information in on the library's webpage. Let me get you the link. Just a sec ... Librarian Here you go: [link] However, in one case the librarian gave an extensive answers that went well beyond the original question that was asked here is one of them. Patron If I'm doing a large poster for a research presentation, where in the library do I go for help printing that? What guidelines should I follow in designing my poster? librarian To get the poster printed, bring the information to the second floor of the library, in the reference area. You can also email the poster. librarian We suggest people use Powerpoint for the poster, or save it as a PDF. librarian If you use another format, we'll work with it, but can't guarantee to get it printed. librarian You need to check size. If you're doing the poster for a conference, they usually have size limit. If it's for a class, ask your professor. The smaller the poster, the GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION cheaper it is. the smallest we do is 22 x 36. librarian Average size is 36 x24, ifl remember correctly. librarian Sorry, that should be 36 by 42 not 24. Cost would be $15. In this case the librarian went above and beyond when answering this question. Unlike the Generation Y or X approach of simply giving a link to further information, this librarian answered the question and then went on to give the patron further details on the service they wanted information on. This would be similar to the other generations only in this case the patron had not requested anything other than where to go to get a poster printed. In most cases, all of the generations were very succinct when answering general 46 questions. They did not go above and beyond what was needed in their answers. Although there were some cases where the librarian struggled finding a specific answer to a question overall they did not deviate from this pattern. There was one exception to this where members of the traditionalists and baby boomer cohorts had a more extensive conversation. In this case the library gave further information beyond what the patron originally asked. Citation. Transcripts where librarians answered questions about citing sources provided good examples of similarities. Questions about how to cite specific sources are some of the most common found in the transcript collection. Although there were none answered by Generation Y both Generation X and the Baby Boomers/Traditionalists took very similar steps in answering these questions. The below example comes from a Generation X librarian. patron How would I in text and on resources page cite these two websites in AP A format. [gives web address] Patron Does this look correct? Faye Glenn Abdellah. (2005). Retrieved September 9, 2015, from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/l G2-3435000010.html GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION librarian One moment librarian Have you used the citations libguide? librarian http://libguides.weber.edu/citing librarian For webpages in APA: librarian You cite the author if present and this page has an author librarian The date 47 librarian The name of the webpage following APA capitalization rules but not in italics librarian The name of the site in italics librarian The words retrieved from and the URL for the page you are citing rather than the URL for the site. librarian With your citation, you have listed the entry title as the author, that is not correct librarian You have also listed the date you accessed the material and that is not required in AP A, that is required in MLA librarian Online Encyclopedias and Dictionaries Often encyclopedias and dictionaries do not provide bylines (authors' names). When no byline is present, move the entry name to the front of the citation. Provide publication dates if present or specify (n.d.) if no date is present in the entry. Feminism. (n.d.). In Encyclopredia Britannica online. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/724633/feminism librarian Use the OWL from Purdue for APA rules as linked in the citation guide as well The above example is complex. However, it shows that the librarian was trying to teach the individual how to cite rather than showing them how to do it. This next example comes from a traditionalist or baby boomer librarian. The below example does use a different source, but the steps taken and the desired outcome are very similar. Librarian Here are some instructions, for a page that doesn't have an author: [link] Librarian Although your's doesn't have a date, I'll look for how that is handled. Patron I am confused because of the copyright into at the bottom Librarian Okay, that would be the date unless there is a specific date for the page. It looks like that is the date for the entire site. I'll check. Patron Nursing Theory. (2015). Jean Watson nursing theory. Retrieved from [link] Patron Would that be how you do it Librarian I would say to go with that date at the bottom of the page. Librarian You start with the title of the page, followed by the date, then the retrieved statement. In other words, since there is no author, Jane Watson Nursing Theory would be listed first, followed by the year like you have it. Patron So no "Nursing Theory" in there? Librarian I don't see Nursing theory in there, all I see is the website. Patron Im sorry.I am so confused. Jean Watson Nursing Theory capitalized? Librarian Never mind, I see it. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 48 Librarian Y our're correct Nursing Theory is the author. Librarian Nursing Theory (2015) Jean Watson nursing theory. Retrieved from (website here) Patron Thank you. There are some differences in the two examples above because the questions asked were different. However, the similarities are greater than the differences. In both of these cases they are trying to explain to the patron how to create a citation, in the first example they do this step by step, in the second they are trying to help them correct a citation. Many of the differences that are found when librarians are explaining citations comes down to personal preferences. The following was a conversation with a traditionalist/baby boomer librarian: Librarian One moment while I check the AP A publication manual. Patron Thank you. Please clarify also, you do not cite in the paper a personal interview reference, correct? Thank you. I have looked a multiple sources and have not found consistency. Librarian On page 179 of the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition, it says that personal interviews are considered personal communications, and that these are not included in the reference list "because they do not provide recoverable data". It also says, "Cite personal communications in text only. Give the initials as well as the surname of the communicator, and provide as exact a date as possible." Here is an example: T. K. Lutes (personal communication), April 18, 2001) Patron Thats the in text citation? Patron So ... our teacher specifically wants it on the reference page. How would you do it? Librarian Yes, the example I showed you is the in-text citation. As the APA manual says, personal interviews "are not included in the reference list". Refer your instructor to page 179, section 6.20, of the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition. Librarian I'm sorry, I make a mistake in the example. There should be no closing parenthesis after "communication", only the comma. Notice that in the above conversation the librarian uses the AP A manual in contrast to the web sources used in the previous conversations. Although this doesn't give an easy to access online example for citation like a website does. It shows personal preference over an actual generational differences because others in the generational cohort are using online sources. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 49 Ending the Chat Session. Ending a chat session is a very important part of the reference interview. Librarians want to make a person feel that they can ask future questions if needed and let them feel like their question was answered fully. There are some very standard ways of ending chats. Although there were some visible generational differences in how conversations were ended these differences are subtler and cross boundaries enough that they probably come from training rather than specific generational factors. There are two common methods that individuals use to end conversations. The examples below from Generation X librarians illustrate both of these concepts. librarian You are welcome, may I help you with anything else? Patron awesome. that's everything. thanks again! librarian You are welcome, have a good day. The example above shows the typical way a library science textbook would teach how to end a chat. Notice that the librarian asks ifthe individual needs more assistance and then ends by wishing them a good day. Overall this provides a positive feel to the end of the conversation. In contrast, the ending below isn't negative but it is missing the key element of asking if they need further assistance. Patron Okay thank you very much! Librarian You're welcome! Each individual may use different renditions of these endings but the amount of usage falls along generational boundaries. Amongst Generation X librarians, 62 percent of the conversations ended with the librarian asking ifthe individual needed more assistance. In contrast to Generation X, the sample from Generation Y ended with the librarian asking ifthe patron needed more help 85 percent of the time. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 50 Traditionalists and baby boomers were similar to Generation X in that only 63 percent of the librarians ended conversations by asking ifthe patron needed more assistance. However, the older cohort had less back and forth at the end of their conversation than the other generations. Patron great! Thanks! I'll see what I can get here. Thanks for your help! Librarian You are welcome. Please chat again if you need more help. And good luck with your research project. In this case, the conversation ended with the librarian stating that they can ask again if they need more help. This was not present in either of the other two generations. Training in how to properly answer online reference questions could have a major impact on this one single aspect of the conversation. Many master's programs for library and information science that cover online reference work teach that individuals should end conversations by asking the patron if they need further assistance. The above differences show that this training and the time frame which the individual got their training in online reference interviews or reference interviews in general may have a larger impact on the way they end conversations than their generation. Negative Closure by Patrons. In library culture, negative closure is taboo. However, it is very common for a librarian to get fed up with doing many searches or answering a difficult or inappropriate question and then give up or refer the patron elsewhere. Out of all the transcripts no conversations exhibited negative closure on the side of the librarians. However, there were three cases where it appeared a patron left the conversation while the librarian was still trying to answer their question. Patron ya know i'm just gonna head over to the library! Thanks librarian Are you faculty or a student? The above example shows a patron who decided to visit the library because they gave up on trying to find an answer on chat. The below example shows a different story of a patron who got GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 51 confused and then the librarian kept answering their question even though they appear to have already left the conversation. Text I think I'm just confused now haha I'll figure it out though thank you though trying to help me I appreciate it. librarian Try [database address] librarian This has several sections on health and immigration librarian Once you get there, look on the left for a search box. Under the box look for search in this book. Then type in "illegal immigration" librarian Sorry, search box is on the right. The above two conversations were from Generation Y librarians. However, the conversation below is from a traditionalist or baby boomer. Patron I appreciate your help Librarian You are welcome. Once you have filled it out, you can fill out the information for the article. Do you have all the citation information? Librarian If you found the citation in one of our article databases, when you click on Find Full Text, you will be taken to a page that gives you the option to Request through Interlibrary Loan. Click on that to go to a sign in page for your Interlibrary Loan account. Once you log in, the information is all filled out for you and you just have to submit. First step is to get your account. In the first example, the patron simply decides to get in-person help. In the second and third examples the librarian keeps typing even though the patron makes some sort of statement that they are done with the communication. The above examples show a commonality across the generations of librarians. That they each have a desire to try and answer a question to the best of their ability. Even if a patron may feel like a question was answered appropriately if a librarian does not sense this they may go on to try and help the individual until the librarian is satisfied. The above examples show that there are some differences in the way librarians answer online chats that can be construed as generational differences. However, there are also common threads that can be seen throughout the conversations. There were many cases not show above where there were very distinct personal communication patterns that fit a specific individual GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 52 rather than a generational cohort. This data shows that there are some differences in conversational patterns, but the common mission of giving a quality answer to a patron's question often ties librarians together so that they have more in common across generations than differences. RQ2: Diffusion of Innovations Theory The second research question is what visible relationships exist between the communication patterns of the personnel at the Stewart Library who answer questions using online chat based on their location on the diffusion of innovation spectrum. The differences in communication patterns are most visible when considering 1) how librarians answer technical questions and 2) perform reference interviews. Answers to Technical Questions. According to diffusion of innovations theory, individuals learn from others in their peer groups about innovations (Rogers, 2003). It should be expected to see patterns in how librarians answer questions based on their innovation deviation. An element that is present for the innovator or early adopters may not be present for the late majority or laggards. Other elements should be present in the way laggards answer questions, but already abandoned by the first 50th percentile. Ten out of the thirty-five technical questions asked over online chat revolve around the Stewart Library's interlibrary loan system. This system is used to borrow books from other libraries. Inter-library loan questions were answered by librarians from each of the diffusion of innovations groups which makes this a good baseline for considering differences in the way librarians answer questions based on their diffusion of innovation deviation. Let's first consider GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 53 the differences between early adopters and the early majority since most of the librarians in this study fall into these two groups. The below conversations comes from an early adopter. Patron does it come electronically or do i need to pick it up at the libary? Patron library Librarian it will come electronically Patron would you mind walking me through how to do that? Librarian [link] Librarian go to this link, find the "find full text" on this page, click on that. Patron okay done Patron DO I click on "request through interlibrary loan?" Librarian yes Librarian it will ask you to either create or login to your ILL account Patron okay. I wil create a new account Librarian Okay, let me know if you need any assistance after or during this portion. Notice that the librarian gives the patron a starting link and then walks them through the process of creating an account. They should then be able to just go in and order the item with ease. In contrast to this, the below conversation from a member of the early majority covers a similar process, but goes through a much longer and more complex way of answering the question. Librarian I can give instructions on using Interlibrary Loan if you need them. Patron yes, I am a student --I do have a WSU id Librarian To order the book, go to this page, click at the bottom and fill out the form. Librarian [link] Librarian The user name and password are made up by you. They are not your official WSU usernarne and password. Patronok Librarian Let me know when you are finished and I will show you a easy way to order. Patron I am doing an essay for geology and also using the material for the ntm 1704 course Patron The sight is asking for a delivery location---I am distance ed and live outside [city]. What do I need to input? Patron i found the preferred delivery method duh! Librarian Did you get it ordered? Patron not yet---you mentioned an easy way to order Librarian Are you ready? Go to our home page and click on Library Catalogs in the purple bar on the left, then click on World Cat. You will need to sign in with your WSU username and password. Librarian Once you are in, paste [ISBN Number] in the ISBN box and click on the first result. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION Patron ok done Patron what next? I don't see this as an ebook Librarian It is not an ebook. They will mail it to you. Patron cool. 54 Librarian When you click on the first result, click on Order From Interlibrary Loan. It will take you to the form with all of the information filled in for you. Librarian The Order From Interlibrary Loan is under External Resources. Patronok Librarian Did you get there? Patron im there yes--- Patron this will be the book I need forthe first project for [professor] in [class name]. How long will it take to receive once I order? Although neither of the above methods of answering this question is wrong, the answer given by the early adopter was much shorter and achieved the same result. Other answers to technical questions follow very closely to this standard. In general, the early majority gave much longer and more process oriented answers to technical questions in contrast to the early adopters who were more likely to use links and simple explanations. The innovator answered technical questions using a combination that fell in between those used by the early adopters and early majority. Here is an example: Librarian Unfortunately, we don't have access to the article. However, you can get the article if you use Interlibrary Loan. Are you familiar with it? Patron no i'm not Patron How do I do that Librarian You will need to create a free account by going here: [link] Librarian After you do that, look up the article title on OneSearch and click the find full text link. It will take you to a page that says we don't have access to the article and you will need to click the order from interlibrary loan link. Librarian Next, you will need to login to your interlibrary loan account (using the username and password that you chose when setting it up). All of the relevant information should field for the article and you just need to hit the submit button. Patron when you say OneSearch, is that ebsco host? Patron oh .. nevermind. I found it Patron Great! I think that I figured it out. Thank you so much for your help. Patron Do you know how long until I will have access to the article? Librarian You're welcome. Let me know if you have any other questions. Librarian It takes 1-3 days usually. It can take up to 5. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 55 This conversation is more in depth than the approach used by the early adopter, but it is also simple to understand and follow which wasn't present in either of the other examples. In contrast to the first 5oth percentile, those in the late majority and laggard's deviations follow a similar approach to the one used by early adopters and the early majority. The difference is that they gave a less detailed explanation. Librarian Let me answer your second question first. To sign up for the interlibrary loan service, go to the library's home page and click on the link labeled "Interlibrary Loan". Then click on the link that says "First time user", and follow the directions from there. Librarian One moment while I do some checking on the article you want. Patron Oh I see - Thanks. Will I be able to access the articles I need immediately or do I submit a request for the article there. I really don't understand what interlibrary loan is .... Librarian Once you have set up your interlibrary loan account, all you have to do is call up and fill in the article request form. ILL will process your request immediately and you should get your article within 24 hours. Librarian The article you want is not available online or in print at our library, so you will need to use our interlibrary loan service to get it. Notice that this example from an individual in the last 50th percentile is much less detailed than those used by any of the groups in the first 5oth_ When comparing differences in how technical questions are answered by individuals across the diffusion of innovations spectrum, there are very visible differences. Those in the first 50'h percentile all answered questions about interlibrary loan differently, but they each showed their knowledge about the service when providing their answer. They also showed their comfort with using online chat through the use or lack of links in their conversation. In contrast to the first part of the spectrum, the late majority and laggards were still able to answer the same question, but they did so while providing less information and less understanding that the other deviations did. Reference Interviews. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 56 Another major difference across the diffusion of innovation spectrum is how individuals performed reference interviews and asked clarifying questions. In this case, the early adopters often performed reference interviews right at the beginning of the conversation with 4 of the 13 examples happening at the beginning of the conversation. Patron Hello I needed help on how to find a peer review article for one of my classes. Librarian Okay, couple of questions, what is your topic, and what class is this for? Patron It is for two different classes [class name] and [class name] Librarian Okay, who is the instructor for your [class name] class? Patron [professors name] I think thats how you spell it. Librarian Alright, what are you trying to find information about, that is what is your topic? Patron What is the importance of homework in secondary schools, how much it too much? Librarian Good, where have you searched? Also, the reading material can help in this area, have you read through that? Patron Yes I have but it is a little confusing, I am not very computer savvy I understand what I need to enter for the search just don't know where. I did a paper that needed 3 peer review sources 3 semesters ago Joi but its been a while. i have looked on the internet so, but it is something I am passionate In this example from an early adopter, notice that the conversation isn't very long but it helps the librarian gain a lot of information concerning the specifics of what the patron wants to find. There is a lot of detail put into the front end of this chat to find specific information that will help the librarian in their search. In contrast, the below conversation from a member of the early majority is similar but it is a lot shorter and doesn't give the same depth. Patron Hi there. I was wondering what a good article would be to look at when pertaining to Native American traditions and culture? Librarian Where have you looked so far? Patron I honestly haven't had a clue as to where to start first. Librarian A good general database to start with might be Academic Search Premier. Do you need articles, or can you look at books or websites? Patron Articles accessible through the online library. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 57 Although both conversations serve similar purposes, the extensiveness used by the early adopter can be more useful later on as they know specific information concerning where the person has already looked and why they need the information. In contrast to the early adopters and early majority, the innovators three reference interviews were much shorter than the other cohorts. As is the case below, this reference interview only used one direct question. Patron I am looking for 3 articles in peer review journals. How do I go about finding the articles? Librarian What sort of a topic are you working on? This reference interview from the innovator only has one statement, but it asks a very specific open ended question that can lead the patron to give a lot of information on what they are talking about. This does not give the depth that is found in the early adopter reference interview but it is shorter, simpler and helpful. The late majority and laggards follows a similar approach to reference interviews. Patron I am doing a research paper on healthy people 2020 and I am having a hard time getting the articles I need. Librarian OK, where have you looked for articles so far? These two conversations are almost exactly the same even though they come from individuals on opposite ends of the spectrum. In these cases, it appears that shorter one-question reference interviews are more prolific in outlying groups rather than those who fall into the two larger groups. It is interesting that the outlying groups have many similarities when it comes to performing reference interviews. This is interesting because these conversations represent polar opposite behaviors when it comes to learning about new innovations. Although the sample size for this study is too small to draw a specific conclusion, one plausible theory that could explain GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 58 these differences is that they are done for different reasons. For example, an innovator may use a short reference interview because it is all they need or the conversation, while a laggard may have a short interview simply out of convenience or due to a lack of willingness to adapt to new standards. When looking at the way different individuals across the diffusion of innovation spectrum answer technical questions and perform reference interviews, it is interesting to note how strong the differences are. When answering technical questions about inter library loan, each deviation used different techniques that fell strongly along the standard deviations outlined by Rogers. Reference interviews also followed similar patterns to answers to technical questions. Each group used different techniques. What is most interesting is that similarities do exist between those on opposite sides of the spectrum, but it is possible that these similarities exist due to very different reasons. A short reference interview for an innovator may be because that is all they need. Versus for a laggard or member of the late majority, a short reference interview could be done out of convenience. More research would be needed to study the logic behind why the outlying groups use shorter reference interviews. Discussion This study was done because there is a lack of current research that focuses on generational communication differences and innovation adoption differences amongst librarians who use CMC. In many cases the research that does exist has found very little consistent evidence or has drawn upon individual self-reports rather than actual communication transcripts. The literature on how individuals adopt new innovations provided insight into why people accept new products, but there was no literature that focused on how this relates to librarians using computer mediated communication. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION In an effort to answer the questions of how the Stewart Library, librarian's communication patterns are affected by their generation and diffusion of innovation behaviors this current study looked at chat transcripts from online library chats forthe year 2015. The librarians provided a small group of individuals to study, but there was a decent mixture of individuals in various generational and diffusion of innovation groups. 59 By looking at the online transcripts in the context of an individual's generation, there were quite a few differences. These differences include how librarians greeted individuals while answering chats, reference interview techniques, the methods used to explain searches, and the reasons why librarians asked follow-up questions. This study also found similarities between generations, these were most noticeable in the ways the librarians answered questions about citing sources and how they ended chat sessions. There were also some visible differences in the way different innovation deviations used chat. These differences were most visible in the ways that librarians answered technical related questions and how they did reference interviews. Each deviation had unique ways of communicating over CMC, but there were also shared ideas that showed how ideas started with one group and spread to another. These findings lead to a need to further explore the relationship between an individual's generation and their location on the diffusion of innovation spectrum. The Relationship Between Generations and Diffusion oflnnovation Theory GENERATION AL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 60 120% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Percentage of generation per Diffusion of Innovation Deviation .1 Innovator/Early Adopter I I Early Majority I Late Majority/Laggard • Traditioanlist/Baby Boomer • Generation X • Generation Y As this chart shows, there is an interesting correlation between those in each generational group and their location on the diffusion of innovation spectrum. Similar to the stereotypes that are prevalent about Generation Y being good with technology, all the librarians in this cohort identified as either innovators or early adopters. This means that they are more likely to accept new innovations before they infiltrate the rest of the market. Similar to Generation Y, Generation X also was on the lower end of the spectrum with 100 percent of the librarians in this generational cohort self-identifying in the first 50th percentile when it comes to adopting new innovations. However, not all the librarians in this cohort were innovators or early adopters, 33 percent identified as being in the early majority. This might hold true to the stereotype that although this generation is good with technology they are not as savvy as Generation Y. The most interesting generation cohort is the baby boomers and traditionalists. This was the largest of the cohorts but they are split equally amongst all the areas on the spectrum. This both supports and refutes the typical stereotype that these generations often lag behind the others in adopting new innovations or technologies. This is interesting because it shows that this group has the most diverse diffusion of innovation patterns. Overall there doesn't appear to be any consistent pattern between diffusion of innovation patterns and the older generations but there does appear to be one for the younger generations. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION This actually fits well with mauy of the research articles in the literature review. In Edge and Green's (2011) case there may be some truth to the idea that Generation Y brings new technology experience with them. At the same time as Pankl (2004) states, baby boomers and traditionalists cau use their experience to learn new technology aud keep up with changing trends. 61 One aspect of an individual's generation that can have a great impact on their comfort with CMC and their position on the diffusion of innovation spectrum is their previous training. When compared to older generations, individuals in Generation X and Y may have more training through university classes in the use of modern technology and more experience using online chat for personal purposes. It isn't surprising to see the connection between this group and the innovators aud early adopters. Traditionalists and baby boomers have often been in the workforce longer than their younger peers. In mauy cases they have work experience. This experience fills many of the knowledge gaps that librarians who have been out of school for a short time may have. Their experience also helps them communicate effectively over online chat even though they may not have gotten the formal training in using this medium that was received by younger cohorts. Perhaps one of the most significant findings for this study is that there appears to be a stronger connection between au individual's diffusion of innovation deviation and communication pattern thau their generation. When looking over mauy of the different chat transcripts after they were placed into categories it was easier to see patterns amongst the deviations. Interlibrary loan, which is used as an example above is a strong example of this. Each deviation used very different techniques for auswering questions. The level of detail and GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 62 the clarity of the explanation all followed along deviation boundaries. In contrast there appeared to be more similarities amongst generations in particular when looking at items like citation. Differences and Learning One noticeable outcome from both the literature reviewed and from the research is that both generational and innovation acceptance differences provide opportunities for people to learn. With generational differences it was noticeable that some mentoring could be taking place between Generation Y and their older peers. This can be seen in the form of similar communication patterns such as the way Generation Y and the baby boomers begin conversations. Individuals in the younger generations also bring with them educational experience and training that can be passed down to their older peers. This can create shared learning experiences across generational lines. A key component of diffusion of innovations theory is that people are more likely to adapt innovations if they are first adopted by others in their peer group. There appears to be some adaptation happening on online chat across deviation boundaries. The innovator and early adopters are able to pick up on new concepts and then pass them on to the majority and laggards. Some of the similarities in speech patterns are most likely due to training given at reference meetings and through seminars or webinars on how to use online chat. The influence of these trainings is most visible in the way that librarians answer conversations through the use of a greeting or by starting a reference interview. Differences in the way individuals in different generations and diffusion of innovation deviations communicate can provide teaching opportunities across these boundaries. The above research shows that none of the generations follow the RUSA reference interview of approachability, interest, listening/inquiring, searching and follow-up perfectly (Brown, 2008). GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 63 However, each generation and deviation has different skills in each of these areas. For example, Generation X could learn from the other generations how to increase online approachability through the use of a friendly greeting. The younger generations could learn how to improve their skills in asking follow-up questions from the older generations. The baby boomers could learn how to more effectively explain searches over online chat from Generation X and Y. Similarly, the late majority and laggards could learn to more effectively answer technical questions from those in the first 50th percentile. Each of these groups has room to expand their knowledge, see their differences and learn from each other. Further Research There have been quite a few studies done on how communication patterns are influenced by an individual's generation. However, this study adds to this literature by providing data analysis that is not available through other sources. This study considered visible differences through looking at online chat transcripts, which to the authors knowledge has not been done previously. In most cases studies on generational differences rely heavily on surveys or interviews. Since this study only gathered preliminary data from a short questionnaire this study could be used as a basis for further studies, specifically ones made up oflarger groups of individuals. There have been no previous studies in library science literature that look at online library chat transcripts using the same two variables of generational cohorts and diffusion of innovations deviation that this study does. This study fills this gap by providing data that is not found in other sources. This also provides a basis for further research in the field of library science on how different generations communicate and how librarians interact based on their diffusion of innovations deviation. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND INNOVATION ADOPTION 64 A future study may also want to look at online communication, diffusion of innovation theory and online library chat on its own without the generational component. Although there appears to be some connection between generational groups and diffusion of innovations deviations, there appeared to be a stronger connection between diffusion of innovation theory and communication patterns than there did with the generational cohorts. This study looked extensively at the reference interview and how it is being used online. Although that was not the primary focus of this study, one area for further research could be in methods that the reference interview could be better adopted to an online environment. The RU