The Guichet du Savoir of Lyon's Public Library launched in 2004 with the goals of focusing on content and serving remote users. It provides free virtual reference services via email, answering over 50,000 questions from over 32,000 registered users in its first decade. However, the number of questions declined in 2009. In 2011, the website and services were improved with a new interface and features like social media integration. A 2014 survey found the audience was fairly evenly split between men and women, with over half aged 30-59. Younger users are declining as an area of focus, so engaging more on social networks is seen as a way to reach younger audiences.

2. Which audience for the virtual reference services ?
The example of the Guichet du Savoir of Lyon's Public Library

3. In 2004, the launch with two main goals :
• Focusing on contents
• Responding to absent users

4. Essential principles :
• Free and open to everyone
• Answers provided within 72 hours
• Professional librarians answer :
a team of 3 people
thematic departments network (80 librarians)

5. About questions …
• All questions are allowed, legitimate
• Questions about everything…
… but we’re not doctors or lawyers.

6. … and answers
• Accurate answers to precise questions
not only bibliographical sources
• Reliable sources
• Everything is published and referenced
by search engines
• Originality of the tone

7. Figures since 2004 :
• More than 32 000 registred users
• More than 50 000 questions asked
and more than 97 000 answers
published
• 1, 5 million pages read by year
• 90% people satisfied

8. In 2009 : a drop in the number of questions asked
Number of questions asked per year
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

9. In 2011 : a new website
• A new software (open source) and a new interface :
Accessible to disabled people
Easier inscription
• New services : tabs with unusual questions, top ten, news…
• Social networking : Twitter and Facebook
• Mobile application : « Le saviez-vous ? » in 2013

11. Which audience for the Guichet du Savoir ?
A survey in march 2014 :

12. 47% 53%
Women
Men
By sex :

13. By age :
14%
31%
19%
2%
34%
0-17
18-29
30 - 39
40 - 59
60 +

14. By activity
10%
48%
5%
29%
7% 1%
student
working population
unemployed
retired
without activity
no reply

15. By geographical origin :
9%
20%
18%
53%
Lyon
Rhône-Alpes
Other regions
(France)
Other countries

16. Evolution de l'âge du public du Guichet du Savoir
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2005 2006 2011 2014
60 ans et plus
50 - 59 ans
40 - 49 ans
30 - 39 ans
25 - 29 ans
18-24 ans
15-17 ans
0-14 ans
Age evolution : an aging audience

17. Our next challenge :
to reach out to young people

18. The solution : social network ?
Example : on Facebook half of our fans are less
than 35 years old
Age des Fans
6%
8%
11%
2%
17% 13-17
24% 32%
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+