Distance learning by its very nature requires that those using services do not need a physical presence in a library. Consequently, librarians serving this group of users often have led the way in developing and providing electronic services. In the past, distance learners who need reference assistance could either call a librarian (and hope that someone was available to answer the phone) or send an e-mail query. Today, e-mail reference services are common in academic libraries (Stemper and Butler, 2001, p. 184; Lipow, 1999, Serving the Remote User; and Moyo and Cahoy, 2003, pp. 284 and 287).