The Reference Interview and Reference services in libraries
The Reference Interview and Reference services in libraries and other information institutions
ALA associations for reference and associated services • ALA Reference and User Service Association: http: //www. ala. org/rusa/ • ALA Association for Library Service to Children: http: //www. ala. org/alsc/ • ASA Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencieshttp: //www. ala. org/ascla/ • ALA Young Adult Library Services Association: http: //www. ala. org/yalsa/ 2
Definition Reference interview is a conversation between a library staff member and a patron. The goal is to ascertain the patron’s information needs and take action to satisfy those needs through the use of available information resources. 3
Three goals for the RI • Gain the trust of the patron • Ascertain from the patron a full understanding of the question, its context, and its purpose • Make sure the patron is happy with the response, and if appropriate, assure him or her that you will be happy to help further in the research 4
Stages of the Reference Interview 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Open the interview Negotiate the question Search for information Communicate the information to the user Close the interview 5
Characteristics of the librarian • Patience • Sensitivity • Broad knowledge of the organization of knowledge, of the resources’ coverage, with current events, popular knowledge, etc. • Deep knowledge of the reference sources 6
What they want is often not what they want • What the person says they want is not always what they want. – Why? It is hard to know what you ‘really want’ unless you know the choices from which to chose. Since the patron doesn’t know the topic (i. e. , its concepts and vocabulary), he or she doesn’t know what he or she ‘really wants’ One way to help with this situation is the reference interview Another way is by working through the materials in the library through their knowledge organization and through their abstracts and indexical terms. 7
Opening • • Smile and greet Be friendly Show interest Try not to judge 8
Negotiating the question • • • Listen Translate Encourage Ask questions ‘Accesorize’ 9
Listen, don’t just hear Listening requires not just hearing the words, but trying to ascertain what the intention is with them. • What is the person trying to do with their request/with their searching? • What is the context for the search? • What is the person’s skill level and their ability with vocabulary in a particular area of knowledge? One must listen to not only the words, but the non-verbal gestures, as well. 10
Translation • The patron often is working in ordinary language, while the library is organized by classification and indexing technical language. – Therefore, the role of the librarian is to translate from the patron’s ordinary language request into the library’s technical language and organization of knowledge. – This is the essence of the reference interview, and as it proceeds the patron becomes more ‘clear, ’ i. e. , more able to express a want in terms that the librarian can understand. 11
Translation • Translation is a dialogical process of communication. – It requires multiple “to and fro” dialogues and it may require multiple communicative and rhetorical strategies in order to get the patron to the point of being able to use the resources effectively and of being able to express their ‘needs’ ‘clearly. ’ 12
Open and Closed Questions (from the librarian) • Open questions are useful, particularly at the beginning, in order to ascertain the patron’s topic, scope, the context of the question, the process of the assignment or other basis for the question, etc. • Closed questions: either/or questions and other short answer questions. • Neutral questions—in order to ascertain the background for the question. 13
Examples of open and closed questions • Closed Questions – Do you want examples of actual paintings or a biography? – Do you need a travel guide? – Is this what you were looking for? • Open Questions – Can you tell me more about what you're looking for? – What kind of information on France are you looking for? – Can you describe the kind of information you would like to find? 14
Neutral questions Situation – Tell me how this problem arose – What you are trying to do in this situation? – What happened that got you stopped? Gaps – What would you like to know about X? – What seems to be missing in your understanding of X? – What are you trying to understand? Uses – How are you planning to use this information? – If you could have exactly the help you wanted, what would it be? – How will this help you? What will it help you to do? 15
‘Accessorize’ • With a broad educational background, a broad vocabulary, and a good understanding of the library’s organization of knowledge, you can ‘accessorize’ a person’s topic: – Broaden the topic, narrow the topic, give synonyms for terms, give attributes for terms. • For example, a person wanting to know something about Pearl Harbor might want to know something about US navy ships or the Japanese Empire. 16
“The six pieces of evidence” http: //www. olc. org/ore/2 pieces. htm, particularly relevant to public library reference By the end of the interview you should have six pieces of evidence: s 1. Why (purpose) Why and for what purpose is the information needed? 2. When (deadline) Is there a deadline for the information (particularly in the cases of reference referrals or virtual reference) 3. Which (type and amount) What type of information is needed? What form (language, graphic/written, medium, etc. )? What amount? 4. Who How much does the patron know? 5. Where did the patron hear about this? (especially useful if the question doesn’t ‘sound right’ or the source being cited needs to be consulted). 6. What is the patron’s basic question (what is he or she trying to find ‘behind’ what he or she first started asking for)? 17
Show and tell the search • If possible, conduct a search with the patron watching (the computer screen turned toward the patron). • Use the performed search in order to give instruction as to the use of the databases or other index tools. • Use the performed search in order to show – how one uses controlled vocabulary, – how one can consult and browse different material types (journals, monographs, internet resources, etc), – How one uses the database and other documentary tools. – How one uses the catalog 18
Special cases • Medical information interview: – http: //nnlm. gov/archive/healthinfoquest/help/s ensitive. html http: //library. uchc. edu/departm/hnet/guidelines. h tml 19
School and children’s reference School librarianship is closely tied to the curriculum of the school, which is closely tied to its mission. -Help with assignments -Provide resources for assignments -Collect books for assignments -Help with non-assignment searches -Assist students with class work in libraries -Better like kids, and lots of them, and sometimes be willing to deal directly or indirectly with their parents. -One must be careful about ‘inappropriate’ internet and other materials for children or those against ‘community values. ’ 20
School and children’s reference • Appropriate architecture (and line of sight monitoring) • Children’s and teen’s areas are sometimes in more supervised areas with limited adult presence • Toys, etc. , for children • Issues of computer maintenance, software, hacking, gender-friendly spaces, monitoring and privacy • For school librarians, class visits • For school librarians, integrating library within the curriculum; having materials prepared for yearly and special assignments; integrating with social studies or English classes in middle and high school • School extra-curricular activities by librarian, parent-teacher meetings, ‘school spirit, ’ etc. • Reference services for children, reading groups, etc. • Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA): http: //www. ala. org/advocacy/advleg/federallegislation/cipa 21
Young adults • Maker’s centers • General reader advisory, and health, sexual identity, and other social-psychological issues. • School assignments and timeliness of materials for assignments • Internet and new media materials and equipment • Youth centers and youth groups • Sensitivity to developmental issues. • Resource evaluation and use (copyright) issues • Local, state, and legal issues of confidentiality and access. 22
Older adults • • Visual impairment: large print, magnifying glasses. Hearing impairment Seating—comfy chairs and back support Prominent location for materials Reader advisory services for pupular materials Handicap bathroom stalls, elevators, etc. Services for help with state services, taxes, social security, health services, bill paying, social workers, legal, financial, and psychological help, local organizations and clubs, • Bookmobile for retirement homes • Telephone reference services • Receiving and selling books from wills; donations in wills, etc. 23
Public library reference • • General reference tasks Scheduling rooms for public meetings Helping access government forms, etc. Helping people find government and private services • Children’s services, young adult services, senior services • -One must be careful about ‘inappropriate’ internet and other materials for children or those against ‘community values. ’ 24
Academic library reference • General and specialized reference • Bibliographic/documentary instruction • Live and virtual (e. g. , chat) reference and instruction • Sometimes assist in collection development in assigned areas • Consultations (live and email) • Light technology maintenance • Any other ‘extra’ tasks during slow periods 25
Reference in special libraries • Special librarians in corporate settings may do all the research for a client, so the reference interview must be even more thorough and take into account understandings of the context of the user’s need. • Projects may be tied into corporate campaigns or other ‘team’ functions. • May be responsible for proactive searching for new projects, rather than just retrieval. • May use more advanced retrieval and communication technologies • May need to understand specialized languages, classification structures, etc. , of the client or the target 26 users.
Ethnic diversity and secondlanguage speakers/readers • Ethnic diversity and non-English patrons: – For collection development specialization and for user services – City library systems may have language specific branch libraries and librarians – Reading and tutoring services for ESL students – Reading level specific resources in English or other languages – Multilingual signage – Outreach and cultural sensitivity to information needs and collections – Users from other countries may have very different experience and expectations with libraries and librarians 27
Patrons with disability • The Americans With Disability Act (‘ADA, ’ 1990) -Libraries must provide access to each qualifying individual -Visual impairment: (braille, read aloud software, large print books, web-compliant design) -Hearing impairment: American Sign Language, captioned films and videos, Text Telephone machines). Physical impairment: ramps, wide desks, adjustable keyboard trays, note taking. Cognitive and developmental disabilities: focused reference interview, materials with less graphic clutter, images, and sometimes children’s library materials. 28
Additional • In some settings, like medical and law librarianship, confidentiality is especially important, and so is limiting one’s self to simply aiding in information providing, rather than trying to be a physician or a lawyer (even if one is certified as such). • In some settings, like religious schools or the military, one may have to be careful not to take fully contrary views to the mission of the larger organization. 29
Embedded librarianship • Librarian is part of a ‘team player’ with research groups – May involve ‘soft funding’ (i. e. , grants). – Extends the historically earlier documentation model (i. e. Suzanne Briet’s model) for information and library professionals. – Such librarians must be trained and attuned to the academic or professional culture that they serve, their vocabulary and discourse, and their information needs. 30
Collaborative Reference • OCLC’s Questionpoint. www. questionpoint. org • Maryland’s Ask. Us. Now: www. askusnow. info 31
Virtual Reference services • Reference services by chat, phone, video conferencing, email, etc. • Synchronous versus asynchronous services 32
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