Use service concepts, principles, and techniques to connect individuals or groups with accurate, relevant, and appropriate information.
“’Whatever the question, you can either find the information or find someone who can find it.’”
– Mary Ellen Bates
EXPLICATION
Reference services involves “resolving the information needs of patrons in response to a particular question, interest, assignment, or problem and building positive relationships with users” (Cassell and Hiremath, 2013, p.5). The principles of reference services reflect the core values and ethics of librarianship as set forth by the American Library Association (ALA). In helping fulfill the information needs of patrons, librarians uphold the First Amendment rights of the citizenry by ensuring its intellectual freedom. Reference services are available in one form or another in all types of libraries and may be delivered through personal assistance with research, information discovery tools, directional assistance, or reader’s advisory. They may be delivered face-to-face or remotely via telephone, text message, or online. Reference services may involve helping patrons locate items within the library or through some other source (online, interlibrary loan, etc.). Ethical considerations with regard to reference services include the necessity of librarians putting aside pre-conceived assumptions about patrons and any personal biases about particular topics in order to provide information that meets patron needs and respecting patron privacy and confidentiality. Whether patron needs are as “simple” as finding the right book for pleasure reading or as complex as finding legal or medical information, librarians fulfill the goals of references services by connecting patrons with accurate, relevant, and appropriate information.
A common model for reference services is the Brandeis model. This is a tiered reference service where all information transactions are initiated at a designated reference or information desk. If the staff working at the desk cannot satisfactorily answer a patron query, a staff member who can answer the query is located, ensuring that a patron’s information need is fulfilled through connection with the most relevant information.
A key concept in providing reference services is the reference interview. Reference interviews are comprised of six elements:
- establishing rapport,
- negotiating the question,
- developing a search strategy,
- locating and evaluating information,
- follow-up, and
- closing (Cassell and Hiremath, 2013).
Establishing rapport involves approachability: making eye contact with the patron, smiling, looking interested, standing as patron approaches. Because as many as 40% of users do not know what their real question is or how to express it, negotiating the question is critical (Ross, 2003). Negotiating the question involves listening and inquiring in order to understand the patron’s situation and how he or she plans to use the information. According to Dervin and Dewdney (1986), “the kind of answers they want is dependent on how they expect to use or be helped by the answers” (p. 507). For example, if an elderly patient is seeking information regarding a specific health issue, the librarian may steer that patron towards information provided in layman’s terms that the patron can understand. However, if the patron is a medical student conducting research, he or she may be directed towards more technically sophisticated sources. Librarians should begin with open-ended, or neutral questions that allow discovery of the true nature of the question (Dervin and Dewdney, 1986). Once the librarian has a clearer idea of the patron’s information need, closed-end, or clarifying questions should be used for narrowing the search. Developing a search strategy entails identifying the most appropriate sources for that patron. Locating information may require visiting several sources. Librarians should consult with patrons at each source to determine if the information meets their needs. Follow-up ensures that the question has been fully answered. Once it is established that the information provided to the patron has fully answered his or her question, the librarian should encourage the patron to return for further assistance if needed.
It is important that librarians not only strive to fulfill patrons’ information needs but also that their attitude in helping patrons is such that patrons will feel comfortable with seeking help again. Cassell and Hiremath (2013) note, “studies and experience show that users react to the manner in which the reference interview is conducted, paying special attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues” (p. 15). Eye contact, body language, and an air of being interested in their question go a long way towards patron satisfaction and making patrons feel comfortable enough to seek out reference services for subsequent information needs.
While it may be a bit more difficult and involved to conduct a reference interview via telephone or virtual means (text message, email, IM, or online), the same basic elements noted by Cassell and Hiremath apply. A voice or typewritten response conveying a friendly, upbeat manner replace eye contact and body language in making patrons feel welcome and comfortable. The librarian should apprise the patron of how the search process is proceeding. And, of course, the librarian should encourage the patron to contact him or her with any subsequent information needs.
Errors in communication are bound to happen and librarians must be aware of how these errors can affect the overall outcome of a reference transaction. Errors in communication range from mishearing or misunderstanding all or part of a patron’s query to phonological errors caused by pronunciation of key words or the use of homophones or pseudo homophones. Errors in communication can lead to patrons not being provided with the information that fulfills their need and ultimately lead to their dissatisfaction with the reference transaction as a whole, decreasing the likelihood of future use of reference services. Confirming what a patron says by repeating it back to him or her as well as checking in with patrons throughout the reference transaction about the nature of the information being provided are ways to rectify communication errors.
Any reference transaction has the potential to be a teaching moment, and in the interest of promoting information literacy, these moments should not be overlooked by librarians. Teaching moments can be as simple as talking through the search strategy and process with patrons as the search is being performed, or as complex as conducting learning sessions or classes that instruct users in maneuvering databases in order to effectively and efficiently locate information. And teaching moments include not only how to locate information but also how to evaluate information. The extent of teaching provided depends on the patron: the time they have to learn, the extent of their information needs, their technical skills and abilities, and, obviously, their willingness to learn. The most effective teaching moments are provided at the point-of-need. If the reference transaction is satisfactory to a patron, he or she is more likely seek help from reference services again, providing more teaching-moment opportunities. According to Kuhlthau (1999), teaching moments provided over a period of time are the best way for patrons to learn.
Reference service also involves providing reference materials and information sources for patron use, often called a ready reference collection. Items in a reference collection are generally only for in-library use and may not be checked out, although some libraries have begun making certain reference items available for borrowing in order to ensure the items are used and are not merely taking up precious shelf space. A ready reference collection may include (but is not limited to) dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps and atlases, and reference volumes covering specific topics such as art or history. While many such resources have been digitized and are offered online, there is still a need for ready reference collections in libraries.
The information age has made it possible for people to access information remotely. Librarians design and maintain portals to digital and online information. These portals must be user friendly and provide clear instructions for use, particularly since they may be used when there is no librarian around to provide instruction or assistance. Whether instructions are provided via pop-up, text-based instructions or guided tutorials, they should provide clear step-by-step instructions that present another form of “teaching moment.”
Connecting individuals or groups with accurate, relevant, and appropriate information does not only pertain to reference services provided in a library setting. The information age has opened up new career opportunities for librarians in the private sector. Data mining requires skills inherent in librarianship and involves locating, analyzing, and synthesizing information that benefits businesses. Examples of this include analyzing the social media output of potential employees as a means of determining who will be the “right fit” for a position, as well as extracting relevant information from large datasets.
No matter whether the concepts of information services are being practiced in a library or for a private-sector organization, it is important that librarians keep current of the latest information sources available and how to use the latest discovery tools. It means keeping ready-reference materials in the library up-to-date. Furthermore, regular evaluation of the information service should be conducted both from the librarian’s standpoint as well as the user’s.
COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT
I have taken a number of classes that relate to the concepts inherent in reference services, including INFO-200, Information Communities, INFO-210, Reference and Information Services; INFO-220, Resources and Information Services in Professions and Disciplines (Legal Resources and Maps and Geographic Information Systems); INFO-244, Online Searching; INFO-254, Information Literacy and Learning; and INFO-282, Using Social Media for Competitive and Company Research. I have also had some practical experience in connecting users with information. In the early 1990s, I volunteered at a local public library where it was my responsibility to assist patrons with learning how to use the new online catalog. I provided assistance from performing searches for users too intimidated by the system (this was before computers had become a ubiquitous part of households) to explaining how various features worked and how to refine searches. During my college career, I worked in a number of tutoring positions where part of my job entailed assisting students with locating information relevant to homework assignments and research projects. I have always been an advocate of information literacy and have tried to identify those teaching moments when I could extend a student’s research knowledge a bit further by guiding them in new search strategies, teaching them about different types of resources, and explaining the importance of evaluating information from any and all sources. I do not believe that increasing information literacy among patrons is going to put reference librarians out of work. I wholeheartedly agree with LaGuardia’s (2011) conclusion that “based on the development of new online ‘discovery’ catalogs and proliferating databases, our careers as library instruction librarians are being assured, more than ever before, because our researchers now have more difficulty in finding and using our online systems” (p. 602).
EVIDENCE
1. Library Field Evaluation
Many elements go into ensuring successful reference transactions, including ambient environment, available resources, and staff. Reference desks should be centrally located and clearly marked. Librarians should be attentive and approachable. Reference resources should be suited to the needs of patrons. The first piece of evidence is from an assignment for INFO-210, Reference and Information Services. The assignment required students to closely observe a reference setting in a library of our choice, noting such details as the physical arrangement of the setting, the types of queries handled, and how the librarians handled those queries. I chose to observe the Corona Public Library, the sole library serving Riverside Counties third largest city. While I have visited this particular library many times, I had never paid close attention to the layout of the library or what materials it offered, except as they pertained to my immediate needs. For this assignment, I noted what ready reference materials were available and where they were located. I noted the location and layout of the reference area. I paid attention to the types of patrons utilizing the reference materials and services offered and the types of reference assistance they required. And I observed and interviewed the reference desk staff. I observed both model reference behavior, employing the six elements comprising a reference interview, and I observed the type of demeanor and behavior that tends to turn patrons away from the reference desk. This assignment really brought home to me how important it is to know about the patron community in order to ensure that reference materials and services are able to meet the information needs of that community. It also gave me an idea of the ingenuity and diligence required in ensuring the availability of materials and services to meet those needs on a very limited budget. Most of the time, the Corona Public Library’s reference desk is manned by one librarian. It would be easy for that librarian to become overwhelmed with the number of reference transactions on a busy day, but having an understanding of the patron community, the information resources available, and a firm grasp of how to effectively serve the information needs of those patrons allowed her to remain approachable and graciously work with every patron who required assistance in fulfilling an information need.
2. Reference Interview Exercise and Reflection
The reference interview is a critical component of reference services. It requires inquiry and listening, knowing what questions to ask and how to ask them. While the first piece of evidence offered allowed me to observe reference services occurring “in its natural surroundings,” this second piece of evidence allowed me to demonstrate how to put what I had learned about reference services to use. The assignment required creating two unique scenarios and demonstrating appropriate reference interview techniques to fulfill the information needs. The first scenario was built around an ethical question asked at a public library reference desk. The second scenario was built around a general reference question posed at the reference desk of a small, rural middle school. The reference interview composed for each scenario demonstrates my understanding of the six elements comprising any reference interview and my ability to successfully employ those elements. Furthermore, this assignment demonstrates my understanding of the ethics involved in reference services and the importance of separating personal views from the obligations of librarianship, which Bunge (1991) asserts as “competence, diligence, confidentiality, independence of judgment, honesty, and candor” (p. 48).
3. Animal Law Pathfinder
Connecting individuals or groups with accurate, relevant, and appropriate information not only entails personal interaction in the form of reference transactions but also providing patrons with the discovery tools to locate information for themselves. One such discovery tool is a pathfinder. A pathfinder is an annotated bibliography of resources for research in a particular subject area. An assignment for INFO-220, Legal Research, required choosing an area of law and compiling a pathfinder of primary and secondary authority sources related to that area of law. The pathfinder I created dealt with a specific area of animal law: cruelty, neglect, and abuse of horses. From this assignment, I learned the importance of being aware of a wide variety of information sources from which to get information about a topic. I learned that not only is it important to be aware of these resources but, as a librarian, it is important to understand what type of information these resources provide. Pathfinders are a particular useful tool for people seeking information of a legal nature. Legal and technical jargon used in sources can be difficult for the average person to decipher. Furthermore, as the most valid types of legal sources are often only available online through pay-per-use databases such as WestlawNext, or in specialized printed reference volumes usually only found in law libraries, pathfinders can save users time and money. And finally, I learned that no matter how thorough a pathfinder (or other finding tool) is today, information changes rapidly and resources need to be continually monitored and updated to remain current and relevant.
CONCLUSION
In 1876, Samuel Green, who many consider to be the father of reference work, noted the four functions of reference services:
- “Teaching users how to use the library and its resources;
- Answering specific informational queries from users;
- Recommending sources to users that fit their needs or desires; and
- Promoting the library within the community” (Tyckoson, 2012, p. 581).
Nearly 150 years later, these functions are still at the heart of reference services despite advances that have changed how and where information is available. The discussion and evidence presented demonstrates my understanding and mastery of these functions as they relate to connecting people with accurate, relevant, and appropriate information.
References
Cassell, K. A., & Hiremath, U. (2013). Reference and information services (3rd ed.).
Dervin, B., & Dewdney, P. (1986). Neutral questioning: A new approach to the reference interview. Research Quarterly, 25(4), 506-513. Retrieved from https://faculty.washington.edu/jwj/lis521/ zennezdervindewd86nq-1.pdf
Engard, N. C., & Gordon, R. S. (2012). The accidental systems librarian (2nd ed.). Medford, NJ. Information Today.
Kuhlthau, C. (1999). Accommodating the user’s information search process: Challenges for information retrieval system designers. American Society for Information Science 25(3), 12-16. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/docview/ 195316491/1391562C08A1C698B08/1?accountid=13380
LaGuardia, C. (2012). Library Instruction in the Digital Age. Journal Of Library Administration, 52(6-7), 601-608. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2012.707956
Ross, C. S. (2003). The reference interview: Why it needs to be used in every (well, almost every) reference transaction. Reference and User Services Quarterly, 43(1), 38-42. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science Full Text database. (Accession No. 502912074)
Tyckoson, D. (2012). Issues and Trends in the Management of Reference Services: A Historical Perspective.Journal Of Library Administration, 52(6-7), 581-600.
Kristin Lehigh 