REFERENCE AND INFORMATION RESOURCES & SERVICES ILS 504-70 Fall 2010 Dr. Clara Ogbaa Library Visit Reference Department Observations Lucinda D. Mazza 9/18/2010
This project involved visiting public and academic libraries to observe and experience their reference services. Evaluating the reference departments involved two parts; the first was observing the reference librarians as they worked with their patrons and the second required direct interaction with the reference librarian. Each library will be discussed individually and a critique comparing and contrasting the two reference experiences will be provided at the end of this paper. Public Library The Public Library I visited services a community with a population of approximately 86,000 residents. My observations were done in two visits; the first visit involved observing the reference librarians and the second visit I asked for reference assistance. Part I - Observation Approachability At first glance the Public Library has a very visible reference department. They have a very large sign that says "Reference" across the front of their reference desk and a reference sign hanging overhead. The reference desk, which is one long desk with two reference stations, is located out in the open with the online catalogs on one side, the non-fiction collection behind them and the reference and business collection on the other side. As patrons approached the reference desk the reference librarians smiled most of the time and almost always made eye contact. The reference desk is set up high so when the librarians are working with patrons they are at eye level. Most of the time they greeted their September 18, 2010 2 Reference & Information Resources & Services
patrons with "Hello, can I help you?" or something similar. However when they were busy, and people were lined up waiting, the reference librarians did not acknowledge those patrons waiting for assistance. The RUSA Behavioral Guide (2004) states that librarians "acknowledge others waiting for services" and employ "a system of question triage" (Section 1.3). When the patrons did get their turn the librarians did not apologize or thank them for waiting. At one point both librarians stepped away from the reference desk and patrons had to seek out "off desk" reference librarians. Comfort & Interest The Librarians had a pleasant tone in their voice and did provide the patron with their attention while working with them at the desk. However their demeanor was very businesslike and they acted like they wanted to get the patron's request taken care of so they can move on to the next question. Seldom did the librarian's leave the reference desk to accompany the patron to their resources. Listening & Inquiring The reference librarians did a good job listening to their patrons first inquiry, but asking clarifying questions, paraphrasing and asking probing questions to further clarify the question was not done well. There did not appear to be any open ended questions, just yes and no questions. September 18, 2010 3 Reference & Information Resources & Services
Searching & Informing Many of the reference questions fielded during my observation period were directional in nature, for example where is my print job or where are the public computers. For print jobs, the reference librarian's would sometimes pick up a printout for a patron because the printer was behind the desk but in most cases they pointed to the printer location. In one situation a patron was having trouble with the fax machine. The reference librarian was very patient as she explained how to use it leaving the patron happy with the results. When the question warranted it, they would inform the patron of important information. In one instance the librarian told a patron the book he was requesting was older and she wanted to make sure the information would not be too out of date. When he replied it would be fine, the librarian asked if he needed anything else and the patron left satisfied. While the librarians seemed to speak clearly, there were no clarifying questions from the librarians, to insure that the resources suggested did meet the patron's request. Follow up I was very disappointed with the lack of follow up by these reference librarians. While at the desk working with the patron they seemed to just answer the basic question and not ask if more information was needed. Not one of the librarians went out on the floor and followed up with a patron to see if they found what they needed. This was clearly an area that needed improvement. September 18, 2010 4 Reference & Information Resources & Services
Part II - Personal Interaction On a separate visit to the same Public Library, I approached the Reference Desk with a reference question. My question involved the educational success of ADHD students in high school and college and I was looking for treatments and statistics. My first question was "Do you have information on learning disorders?" Approaching the reference desk the librarian put me at ease by smiling and asking what she could do for me. I said I was looking for information on learning disorders and she immediately told me about databases and recommended EBSCO. She turned her PC monitor towards me and showed me how to access their databases and EBSCO in particular. At this point she had not asked me any questions to further clarify my question. When she was typing in examples in the database to show me how to use it she hesitated when typing in learning disorders and asked if there was a specific one. I told her ADHD and then offered treatments and educational success. She told me to put in "ADHD AND education AND treat*", explaining the Boolean functions and wildcard symbol. Then she did a sample search for me and showed me how to narrow the search. I found her information on how to use the databases very helpful. I was able to access the databases from the online catalog systems or I could get a guest computer card and use their research computers. When I asked her about book sources, she said to look in the online catalog to see what I could find. The librarian did not ask any more questions, never asked what I already knew, how I was going to use it or how current the information needed to be. She seemed to react to my question without probing for more complete information. September 18, 2010 5 Reference & Information Resources & Services
I left the reference desk by myself and used the online catalog, found a few books, both were very outdated, and went to the shelves to get them. I also used the online databases and found some information. However, I did not find any statistics she did not direct me to any reference sources. The reference librarian never followed up with me, even when I walked past the reference desk and smiled at her. She smiled back but did not offer any follow up. Although knowledgeable about their online databases, I would not be quick to return to this Public Library for reference support in the future. They were pleasant at the desk, but the librarian did not perform a reference interview to clarify one's question or research requirements. The librarian seemed to talk at the patron more than with the patron. Bopp (2001) says "the professional must ascertain the need and translate it into the structure of the specific information base that can satisfy that need" (p. 47). They did not provide guidance in finding information on my specific research topic and they did not leave me feeling like they wanted to assist me with any further questions. Community College Established in 1970, the Community College I visited is part of the Community College System of New Hampshire. Their major areas of study include: media, education and teaching, computer science and engineering, therapy and counseling, and mechanics and repair. Over the years the college library has expanded to meet the needs of their growing student population. September 18, 2010 6 Reference & Information Resources & Services
Part I - Observation Approachability When I first entered the Community College Library, the Research desk was just to the right of the entrance making it easy to locate. The librarian behind the counter looked up and smiled as I passed the reference desk looking for a table to work at. The reference librarian proactively looked up and greeted everyone that came through the door, either with a smile or "good morning". As students approached for support the librarian was very responsive and in almost every case got up from the desk to assist the student. Certain times during my visit she would get up from the desk and walk around the library, checking the magazines or newspapers, in a positive way to encourage approachability. Comfort & Interest As students approached the librarian at the desk, she would look up from the computer terminal at the student and give them her undivided attention. She seemed to always speak in a relaxed voice and in most cases walked with the student to address the question at hand. While she was with the student she was giving them her full attention and seemed to continue to converse with them while accompanying them to the printer, or resource they needed assistance with. Listening & Inquiring When addressing printer or computer questions, the librarian listened well and was able to address each student's request successfully. Research questions asked by students were September 18, 2010 7 Reference & Information Resources & Services
approached differently. The librarian appeared to do a good job listening to the student's initial request, but the follow through using open ended questions, finding out what the student already knows, was seldom used. Searching & Informing Very little searching was done by the reference librarian, she did spend time showing patrons online tools using her monitor on the desk and in one case did go with a patron into the periodical room to help them find a source. There was very little follow up unless the student came back to the reference desk and asked another question. Follow up Much like the public library observations, there was very little formal follow up. However I would give the Community College a slightly better score because they did not remain behind the desk all the time and did make themselves visible and present should a patron need more help. I did notice repeat inquiries from the same student more than once, indicating their comfort with the librarian, which is goodness. Part II - Personal Interaction Although I had intended to do my observation portion of my visit first, when I walked into the Community College the reference librarian was very friendly, greeting me from behind the research desk as I walked in the door. As I was setting up my netbook, she approached my table and asked me if I liked my netbook and started small talk. Since I had her attention I decided to ask my reference question first. September 18, 2010 8 Reference & Information Resources & Services
Using the same research question as I did during the Public Library experience, I told her I needed information on learning disabilities. There were no follow up questions, she immediately suggested I use databases and in particular EBSCO databases they had online. She asked me to follow her to a table that had paperwork on how to access the databases using my netbook. As we were walking back to my table she pointed out the periodicals room in case I wanted to look for a specific journal article they might have in the collection. Once I was back to my table she said to let her know if I had any more questions, she'd be happy to assist. I took her up on her offer and informed her I was looking specifically for ADHD students and their success in schools. I also wanted to find some statistics on the topic. When looking for statistics she told me that "magazines have them" and then offered me her personal opinion, "their success depends on their high school and teachers". I was surprised she would offer her own opinion in her professional role, but I believe she was trying to show interest in the topic. Having successfully explored the databases, her paperwork instructions working well, I needed to access the online catalog. I approached the research desk and she stopped using the computer and asked how I was doing and did I have another question. I asked her how to access the online catalog; she turned her monitor towards me and showed me how to access the catalog from my netbook. The librarian did not suggest using any reference tools like Statistical Abstracts or other current resources that might capture statistics in this area. Since the school does have a teaching program, I had expected some resources specific to learning disabilities, but did not find much at all. September 18, 2010 9 Reference & Information Resources & Services
Even though the librarian at the Community College did not perform a quality reference interview, her attentiveness, interest in the topic and approachability would encourage me to come back another time for research. Reference Department Comparisons The college reference librarian was more approachable towards patrons than the public reference librarian. The determining factor was the College librarian's genuine attention to her patrons and her ability to proactively be present and available for follow up. As is stated in the RUSA Behavioral Guide (2004) the College librarian established "a reference presence" (Section 1.1) and was "poised and ready to engage approaching patrons" (Section 1.2). The Public Library had great signage and the librarians were friendly when patrons approached them at the reference desk, but they did not make an effort to reach out to patrons proactively, almost hiding behind their desk. In the RUSA Behavioral Guide (2004) it states "Librarians who demonstrate a high level of interest in the inquiries of their patrons will generate a higher level of satisfaction among users" (Section 2.0). Again this is where the College librarian performed better than the Public Library librarians. The discussion with the College librarian was very interactive, we were working together and she demonstrated an interest in my project. The Public Library librarians gave me an answer, based on my first request without interacting with me about the topic to try and learn more. Unfortunately neither librarian did a very good job with the reference interview. They both immediately began the search without asking me any open ended questions or what I September 18, 2010 10 Reference & Information Resources & Services
knew about the topic. This resulted in searching for a much broader topic than I needed, learning disorders versus ADHD. Both librarians did take the time to show me how to use the online databases and the College librarian actually did a search for me which was very helpful. The College librarian did make it known to me that if I needed more help to ask her, and I felt like I could. I did not get this same feeling from the Public Library librarians. Finally, neither library did a good job with follow up. This really surprised me especially after reading what Cassell (2009) states that "The librarian should continually check in with the user to determine whether the material being discovered complies with the user's needs" (p.21). There was no attempt at either library to determine if I had found the information I was looking for or to offer any other suggested resources. Conclusion This exercise opened my eyes to the importance of the reference librarians overall attitude and approach with their patrons. One must have a genuine interest in their patron's research question and establish a rapport with them to successfully identify the best resources for their research. Bopp (2001) summarizes it well: Conducting a successful reference interview is essentially a straightforward matter. Pursuing three basic goals in a careful and disciplined manner should lead to success in most instances. These principles are: 1. Gain the trust of the user. September 18, 2010 11 Reference & Information Resources & Services
2. Ascertain from the user an accurate understanding of the question, so that it can be answered as completely as possible. 3. Make sure that the user is satisfied with the answer provided. Successfully achieving the first goal will take the librarian a long way toward fulfilling the others, because user satisfaction has been found to depend on the interpersonal interaction with the librarian, and because a user who feels comfortable with a librarian is more likely to openly and completely reveal the information need. (p. 48) September 18, 2010 12 Reference & Information Resources & Services
References Bopp, R. E., & Smith, L.C. (Eds.). (2001). Reference and Information Services. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. Cassell, K. A., & Hiremath, U. (2009). Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Reference in User Services Association. (2004). Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesbehavioral.cfm September 18, 2010 13 Reference & Information Resources & Services