Dana Smith

Reference expert systems: humanizing depersonalized service

The delivery of library reference service can be practically supplemented through the appropriate incorporation and use of software tools commonly referred to as expert systems. The level of support such systems can afford the reference service organization is dependent on the degree of complexity characteristic of the rule-based programming techniques used to develop a particular system and the size of its knowledge database. Since most expert systems are designed to simulate the process of problem-solving practiced by an expert in a given field, an expert system designed to fully emulate library reference work must have the potential to respond to a wide subject range of questions with varying degrees of response adequacy. The widespread development of expert systems with this type of potential is limited due to the tremendous personnel and hardware costs currently associated in the design and application of systems of this size. Most locations utilizing some form of reference expert system have applied...