When I think of "real" services, I think of interpersonal interactions, such as:
- Face-to-face encounters
- in the stacks
- at a service desk
- in a classroom
When I think of "virtual" services, I think of interactions mediated by technology, such as:
- Instant messaging
- Text messaging
- Podcasting
A False Distinction
Ultimately, any service that we provide is a "real" service.
Let's do some word association...
Some other words and phrases I think of when I think about "real" services:
- traditional
- legacy
- what we know how to do well already
- what we're comfortable with doing
And "virtual" services:
- new
- increased workload
- may require more FTE
- learning curve
- creates anxiety
- amorphous
Why does it matter?
