Learning at the moment you need it

Our study uses a simple idea, people learn best when they learn exactly when they need it. Instead of receiving training “just in case,” they seek help “just in time” at the moment a real task becomes difficult. This idea fits perfectly with virtual reference. Users rarely contact librarians out of curiosity. They contact them because something concrete is blocking their progress such as “I can’t use this tool”, “I don’t know how to search properly”, “I need to find better sources”, or “I’m worried this journal might be predatory.”

VRS in Indonesia setting

In Indonesian academic libraries, virtual reference services often grow organically. Libraries may provide official channels like institutional WhatsApp numbers, email, or chat apps but many librarians also end up supporting users through personal WhatsApp accounts, especially when consultations become complex and ongoing. In these personal channels, users may ask highly specific, deeply contextual questions about research and writing range from choosing a topic, doing a systematic literature review, selecting a journal, identifying predatory outlets, or troubleshooting technical problems such as citation and reference manager errors.

This context matters because it shows how virtual reference can become both intensely helpful and difficult to manage. When research support moves into personal messaging, the service can become more informal, less visible to institutions, and more likely to stretch beyond working hours.

What we did

We interviewed 16 academic librarians from nine Indonesian universities using Zoom and Google Meet. We then analyzed the transcripts to understand how librarians themselves define “instruction” in virtual reference and what practices they see as instructional.

A striking pattern appeared early. Many participants initially described “instruction” as something formal, scheduled information literacy classes or structured training. But as interviews progressed, they described a richer reality in which instruction also happens in everyday virtual consultations, often one-on-one, problem-driven, and shaped by the user’s immediate needs.

Six ways librarians instruction through virtual reference

We identified six interrelated dimensions of instruction in VRS. Together, they show that librarians do far more than simply answer questions.

1) Immediate problem-solving
Librarians provide focused guidance when users are “stuck” in a concrete task, such as evaluating a journal, revising a draft, or fixing a reference tool. Importantly, librarians often stay with the problem until the user can move forward.

2) Flexible, anytime–anywhere support
Instruction happens across channels, WhatsApp, chat, and video meetings, and often at unpredictable times. Librarians described how virtual reference support can match real study patterns, including evenings and weekends, and sometimes shift between online and in-person help when needed.

3) Personalised and relational instruction
Librarians adjust their language, tone, pacing, and depth depending on the user’s background and academic level. Many also described being intentionally approachable, creating a supportive atmosphere that encourages users to ask questions without fear of judgment.

4) Provision of online learning materials
Instruction is not only verbal. Librarians share and create materials users can revisit guides, manuals, FAQs, step-by-step screenshots, and short tutorials. In other words, virtual reference can produce reusable learning resources, not just one-time answers.

5) Real-world case guidance
Librarians’ instruction is often embedded in real academic work: thesis drafts, manuscript revisions, or discipline-specific research questions. This case-based approach makes instruction concrete and immediately applicable.

6) Support for lifelong learning
One of the strongest findings was that librarians often see instruction as building users’ independence and critical thinking. Rather than simply providing solutions, they aim to help users become more self-directed learners who can solve similar problems in the future.

Why this matters beyond libraries

On the surface, virtual reference may look like a simple chat service. But this study shows it functions as a learning environment often informal, sometimes invisible to institutional tracking systems, yet crucial to how people actually study, research, and write.

Recognizing virtual reference as instructional work has practical implications. Libraries may need clearer policies, training, and staffing models that reflect the real educational labor librarians provide especially when support shifts into personal messaging and after-hours communication. It also highlights why librarians remain essential in digital learning: not only for access to information, but for helping users build skills, confidence, and judgment at the moment those qualities matter most.

Article Source

Anna, N. E. V., & Kiran, K. (2026). Librarians’ understanding of instruction in virtual reference services: A just-in-time learning perspective. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 52(3), 103239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2026.103239