Competency I
Use service concepts, principles and techniques that facilitate information access, relevance, and accuracy for individuals or groups of users.
Introduction
The reference librarian is the human face of the library. Historically, reference services have played an increasingly important role in the profession: Samuel Green originally suggested reference service as a means of helping the layman locate information, and as outreach for the community to view its public library as ‘indispensible’ (Bopp & Smith, p.4). Those original principles are evident today in the foundations of library services, as the concept of service permeates the profession, incorporating elements of learning behaviors and information literacy skills, and in turn building strong relationships between the library and its specific service community. Success in service builds a sense of value in the library as a whole, and while most apparent through the reference interview, service extends to many facets in the library experience, including storytelling, classes, and many other community services. It is the goal and duty of the librarian to provide the most comprehensive service to the clientele, and awareness and self-evaluation on the part of the library practitioner are essential to the successful library experience.
Service Concepts and Principles
Service goals are straightforward,though the outcome is not always successful. The basic goals include: gaining the trust of the user; ascertaining from the user an accurate understanding of the question, so that it can be answer as completely as possible; and to make sure that the user is satisfied with the answer provided (Bopp & Smith, p.48). These are principles essential to a successful service experience. Reference principles and standards developed as a means to define and generalize professional practices into a guideline for the successful transaction. Reference transactions, as defined by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) are, “information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others to meet particular information needs” (2008). This definition recognizes the principles of communication as an integral part of the transaction, and that the librarian’s ability to clarify the exact nature of the user’s information need has been identified as a key element in user satisfaction with reference service (Bopp & Smith, p.47).
Service Techniques
The reference interview is one of the most important tools librarians use to gain insight into the user’s real information need. A simple question may have a veiled meaning, or completely different context than how it was originally asked. Trust, minimizing the user’s feelings of inferiority, and infusing the user with self-confidence is at the heart of a successful reference transaction. Guidelines for the reference transaction defined through RUSA 2004, are:
Approachability, reduces the fear people feel in asking a librarian a question. Techniques to increase approachability are make eye contact; smiling and inviting; reducing barriers, like piles of books, computer screens or walls; and greeting and welcome, like a “may I help you?”, are all important factors to beginning the reference transaction.
Interest, is engaging the user, using techniques such as maintaining eye contact; nodding the head and other nonverbal cues; verbal cues to indicate follow train of thought, which are especially important to online or telephone transactions.
Listening and inquiring, are the heart of the interview, and are used to clarify, refine and understand the question. Types of questions used during this portion of the interview are, A) open ended questions, encourage patron to expand their question, for example, “can you tell me more about what you want”, or “what class is this for?” B) Closed-ended questions, are used to find specific details, for example “do you want an periodical or a journal?” and C) Neutral questioning, which encourage the librarian to remain neutral in tone, never accusatory, and stay positive throughout.
Searching, is the portion where the librarian can use ready reference tools, engage the patron in literacy instruction, and utilizes his/her strong searching skills.
Follow up, is the final step to the reference transaction, and involves checking back in with the patron after starting them on one part of a complex information problem. This also enables the librarian to determine if the searching process has been successful, or to revise the interview portion and try to find more information from the patron (Bopp & Smith, p.52-59).
Information Access, Relevance, and Accuracy
Technology continues to change the library landscape and has in turn affected the manner in which reference transactions and services are performed. Building comprehensive catalogs and websites enable the user to pursue his/her information need, especially long distance learners. Email, chat forums, instant messaging, blogs, newsletters, social media, etc, are all examples of the format reference resources have taken. Service extends to the information centers’ ability to assess and interpret the user’s needs through text or phone, but may miss contextual clues, or it could be an imposed query, all of which make the reference service that much less satisfactory for librarian and patron alike. Libguides or pathfinders have been, and still are, popular outreach and information access pathways that begin with a certain discipline or topic and provide a range of resources. In either print or electronic format, the purpose of the libguide is to illustrate the many avenues in order to evaluate and choose the information most useful to the user. Accuracy and relevancy of information is often determined by the level of information literacy on the part of the information seeker, but is also an opportunity for the librarian to serve as teacher and educate the patron in the various methods one may use or exclude information, and the criteria for doing so.
Services for Individuals and Groups of Users
Value of the library is an extremely important factor into why the library provides reference services. A good transaction experience can give the library the opportunity to serve that patron again, while a poor experience leaves the user feeling that there is nothing in the library for them, and therefore holds no value. Providing pointed services for specific groups or individuals can ensure that they recognize the intrinsic value of library services, examples of which can be found through readers advisory services, storytelling services, book clubs, classes or community outreach, and any other service the library provides within their community.
Evidence
As my first evidence, I demonstrate a thorough ability to conduct a reference transaction, as explicated through a LIBR 294 (Internship) posting of reference work done through American River College, California (LIBR 294-Internship Post One), and of my application and development of ready reference tools used during the transaction. During transaction, I was able to ask open, closed and neutral questions, while guiding the patron from general research questions to specific topics. I was then able to apply information literacy instruction by demonstrating the website, catalog, libgudes, and research database usage and access. Often the transaction continued from the reference desk to the stacks, as many were first time library users and not accustomed to searching LCC.
As a second evidence, I demonstrate my exploration of the reference transaction through an comparison observation through a public library in which I observed and interviewed reference librarians (F2F) and also conducted a virtual reference interview (VRS) (LIBR 210-Observation and Reference Transaction). During the interviews I was able to observe telephone, chat and email reference transactions, and compare those transactions with my own VRS appointment. This documented my first VRS transaction, and my comments based upon the experience were about the lack of verbal cues, both on the part of the librarian and the user. Through the F2F portion of my observation, I was able to distinguish the methods the librarians used to ascertain their users’ needs, and balance service with information literacy teaching and satisfaction. These interactions were invaluable to providing context and applicable reference skills I would use throughout my library career.
Conclusion
Service concepts frame the very essence of the library profession. At eh heart of what the reference transaction seeks to do it bridge the gap between the users information need, their fear and apprehension of using the librarian’s services, and bring the user together with the most relevant and accurate information for their need. Service also relates to the conception of value on the part of the patron: a good reference transaction will leave the user feeling positive, while a poor transaction will leave them with the feeling that the library has nothing in there for them. By being the face and voice of the library, reference librarians have an ever-expanding role in providing remote reference services, and we embrace the challenge as a part of what we do.
References
Bopp, R.E. and Smith, L.C. (2001). Reference and information services: an Introduction, 3rd ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
Haycock, K. and Sheldon, B.E. (2008). The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Introduction
The reference librarian is the human face of the library. Historically, reference services have played an increasingly important role in the profession: Samuel Green originally suggested reference service as a means of helping the layman locate information, and as outreach for the community to view its public library as ‘indispensible’ (Bopp & Smith, p.4). Those original principles are evident today in the foundations of library services, as the concept of service permeates the profession, incorporating elements of learning behaviors and information literacy skills, and in turn building strong relationships between the library and its specific service community. Success in service builds a sense of value in the library as a whole, and while most apparent through the reference interview, service extends to many facets in the library experience, including storytelling, classes, and many other community services. It is the goal and duty of the librarian to provide the most comprehensive service to the clientele, and awareness and self-evaluation on the part of the library practitioner are essential to the successful library experience.
Service Concepts and Principles
Service goals are straightforward,though the outcome is not always successful. The basic goals include: gaining the trust of the user; ascertaining from the user an accurate understanding of the question, so that it can be answer as completely as possible; and to make sure that the user is satisfied with the answer provided (Bopp & Smith, p.48). These are principles essential to a successful service experience. Reference principles and standards developed as a means to define and generalize professional practices into a guideline for the successful transaction. Reference transactions, as defined by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) are, “information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others to meet particular information needs” (2008). This definition recognizes the principles of communication as an integral part of the transaction, and that the librarian’s ability to clarify the exact nature of the user’s information need has been identified as a key element in user satisfaction with reference service (Bopp & Smith, p.47).
Service Techniques
The reference interview is one of the most important tools librarians use to gain insight into the user’s real information need. A simple question may have a veiled meaning, or completely different context than how it was originally asked. Trust, minimizing the user’s feelings of inferiority, and infusing the user with self-confidence is at the heart of a successful reference transaction. Guidelines for the reference transaction defined through RUSA 2004, are:
Approachability, reduces the fear people feel in asking a librarian a question. Techniques to increase approachability are make eye contact; smiling and inviting; reducing barriers, like piles of books, computer screens or walls; and greeting and welcome, like a “may I help you?”, are all important factors to beginning the reference transaction.
Interest, is engaging the user, using techniques such as maintaining eye contact; nodding the head and other nonverbal cues; verbal cues to indicate follow train of thought, which are especially important to online or telephone transactions.
Listening and inquiring, are the heart of the interview, and are used to clarify, refine and understand the question. Types of questions used during this portion of the interview are, A) open ended questions, encourage patron to expand their question, for example, “can you tell me more about what you want”, or “what class is this for?” B) Closed-ended questions, are used to find specific details, for example “do you want an periodical or a journal?” and C) Neutral questioning, which encourage the librarian to remain neutral in tone, never accusatory, and stay positive throughout.
Searching, is the portion where the librarian can use ready reference tools, engage the patron in literacy instruction, and utilizes his/her strong searching skills.
Follow up, is the final step to the reference transaction, and involves checking back in with the patron after starting them on one part of a complex information problem. This also enables the librarian to determine if the searching process has been successful, or to revise the interview portion and try to find more information from the patron (Bopp & Smith, p.52-59).
Information Access, Relevance, and Accuracy
Technology continues to change the library landscape and has in turn affected the manner in which reference transactions and services are performed. Building comprehensive catalogs and websites enable the user to pursue his/her information need, especially long distance learners. Email, chat forums, instant messaging, blogs, newsletters, social media, etc, are all examples of the format reference resources have taken. Service extends to the information centers’ ability to assess and interpret the user’s needs through text or phone, but may miss contextual clues, or it could be an imposed query, all of which make the reference service that much less satisfactory for librarian and patron alike. Libguides or pathfinders have been, and still are, popular outreach and information access pathways that begin with a certain discipline or topic and provide a range of resources. In either print or electronic format, the purpose of the libguide is to illustrate the many avenues in order to evaluate and choose the information most useful to the user. Accuracy and relevancy of information is often determined by the level of information literacy on the part of the information seeker, but is also an opportunity for the librarian to serve as teacher and educate the patron in the various methods one may use or exclude information, and the criteria for doing so.
Services for Individuals and Groups of Users
Value of the library is an extremely important factor into why the library provides reference services. A good transaction experience can give the library the opportunity to serve that patron again, while a poor experience leaves the user feeling that there is nothing in the library for them, and therefore holds no value. Providing pointed services for specific groups or individuals can ensure that they recognize the intrinsic value of library services, examples of which can be found through readers advisory services, storytelling services, book clubs, classes or community outreach, and any other service the library provides within their community.
Evidence
As my first evidence, I demonstrate a thorough ability to conduct a reference transaction, as explicated through a LIBR 294 (Internship) posting of reference work done through American River College, California (LIBR 294-Internship Post One), and of my application and development of ready reference tools used during the transaction. During transaction, I was able to ask open, closed and neutral questions, while guiding the patron from general research questions to specific topics. I was then able to apply information literacy instruction by demonstrating the website, catalog, libgudes, and research database usage and access. Often the transaction continued from the reference desk to the stacks, as many were first time library users and not accustomed to searching LCC.
As a second evidence, I demonstrate my exploration of the reference transaction through an comparison observation through a public library in which I observed and interviewed reference librarians (F2F) and also conducted a virtual reference interview (VRS) (LIBR 210-Observation and Reference Transaction). During the interviews I was able to observe telephone, chat and email reference transactions, and compare those transactions with my own VRS appointment. This documented my first VRS transaction, and my comments based upon the experience were about the lack of verbal cues, both on the part of the librarian and the user. Through the F2F portion of my observation, I was able to distinguish the methods the librarians used to ascertain their users’ needs, and balance service with information literacy teaching and satisfaction. These interactions were invaluable to providing context and applicable reference skills I would use throughout my library career.
Conclusion
Service concepts frame the very essence of the library profession. At eh heart of what the reference transaction seeks to do it bridge the gap between the users information need, their fear and apprehension of using the librarian’s services, and bring the user together with the most relevant and accurate information for their need. Service also relates to the conception of value on the part of the patron: a good reference transaction will leave the user feeling positive, while a poor transaction will leave them with the feeling that the library has nothing in there for them. By being the face and voice of the library, reference librarians have an ever-expanding role in providing remote reference services, and we embrace the challenge as a part of what we do.
References
Bopp, R.E. and Smith, L.C. (2001). Reference and information services: an Introduction, 3rd ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
Haycock, K. and Sheldon, B.E. (2008). The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.