LIS 407 Class 7: The Reference Interview

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LIS 407 Class 7 The Reference Interview

• WORK ENVIRONMENT
• Standard office environment. Work requires
  viewing a computer screen for an average of 4 to
  5 hours daily while accessing on-line databases.
  May be required to stand for 1 to 2 hours per day
  while conducting reference work and to lift up to
  20 pounds daily while handling library materials.
  Incumbent may also encounter angry or belligerent
  patrons while responding to reference requests.

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The reference interview
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What did (do) they think about us?

• http//stats.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2000/Winter/art01.pd
  f

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The reference interview (Simple?)

1. Open the interview
2. Negotiate the question
3. Search for information
4. Communicating the information to the user
5. Close the interview

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Disclaimer!!

• In reference work, process is what you learn in
  library school conduct a thorough reference
  interview use plenty of open-ended questions
  refine the topic until you can identify the one
  resource that will have exactly the right
  information. Measure twice, cut once and all
  that. These are powerful tools, and allow us to
  successfully research topics of which we have
  little or no previous knowledge. Powerful tools
  have limits, however. If you're designing or
  building a car, you will want sophisticated 3-D
  modeling programs and robotics. If you eventually
  lock your keys in said car, all that technology
  will not help you as much as a wire coat
  hanger.    Similarly, I find that a significant
  proportion of my reference work falls into the
  gaps that the orthodox reference "process" does
  not cover, leaving me to improvise a form of
  "practice" that owes more to intuition,
  environmental scanning, networks (both social and
  neural), and sheer luck rather than to the
  theories of Dewey and Ranganathan. A basic tenet
  of my "practice" is best expressed by the ALA
  "Read" poster featuring the characters from
  Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
  "Read Everything -- Just in Case."
• Sean Cunninson Scott/ OLA Quarterly/10 (2/3) 2004

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The reference interview

• ()conducting a successful reference interview
  is essentially a straightforward matter. (Bopp
  and Smith)
• Gain the trust of the user ( Hum, you can trust
  me btw)
• Ascertain from the user an accurate understanding
  of the question, so that it can be answered as
  completely as possible.
• Make sure that the user is satisfied with the
  answer provided

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The reference interview

• Attitudes and characteristics of the reference
  librarian discipline, a desire to help,
  sensitivity, patience, broad knowledge, knowledge
  of reference sources. (Think about them in the
  context of Dilevkos article)

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The reference interview

• Learn to listen
• The walking technique
• The use of open questions can you tell me a
  little bit more about what you are looking for?
  Can you give me more detail?
• Neutral questions (p.56)
• Encouragers What else?

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Communicating the answer to the user

• What if the patron is a student? Who is doing the
  research for who?
• Verification process. (p.58)
• Always ask if it is a student

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Closing the interview The referral

• It should be emphasized that by no means should
  referrals be used to get rid off users because
  the reference desk is too busy or the librarian
  feels uncomfortable with the question. (Smith and
  Bopp, p.59)

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The reference interview

• Is it a lost art in these times of Google? In
  these times of online resources? Is the reference
  desk still a place for interview with all these
  monitors and online devices around?
• http//conferences.alia.org.au/online2005/papers/b
  17.pdf

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The reference interview

• Asking why? Why do you need this? And do you need
  this for.
• What are the risks of asking why.
• Continuation the search process/ the librarian
  can continue asking during the search process.

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How to understand the reference interview?

• Important process of the reference work with
  multiple facets and elements.
• Related to other professional activities medical
  work.

• Areas like human information behavior, see
  literature on the topic, have explored the
  reference interview and its context.

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Some links about the reference interview

• Reference Interview Resources
• How are library reference and medical practice
  related regarding the reference interview?
• Browse through the site.
• Look at the get the facts section, compare it
  to the reference interview. What are the
  similarities and differences?

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The reference interview

• The Public library and the reference interview.
• Look at ORE Module One, Introduction, web based
  training for Reference Service from OLC
• Some issues to discuss How are online reference
  services affecting the way reference interview is
  conducted?

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Some links about the reference interview

• The role of professional associations is seminal
  in providing instruction about the details of the
  job or task. In this case, professional
  organizations like RUSA have composed guidelines
  to examine and learn the process of the reference
  interview. Look and browse the following link
• ALA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of
  Reference and Information Services Professionals

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RUSA From the site

• In all forms of reference services, the success
  of the transaction is measured not only by the
  information conveyed, but also by the positive or
  negative impact of the patron/staff interaction.
  The positive or negative behavior of the
  reference staff member (as observed by the
  patron) becomes a significant factor in perceived
  success or failure. This connection has been born
  out in the work of researchers like Gers and
  Seward (1985), who found that "behaviors have a
  strong influence on performance"4, and Whitlatch
  (1990), who stated "Librarian courtesy, interest,
  and helpfulness are crucial in providing
  successful reference service. Libraries must
  select and retain staff who have these service
  orientations toward users."5 Matthew Saxton
  (2002) put the Guidelines to a statistical test,
  and found that they did indeed correlate highly
  to a successful reference transaction.6

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RUSA

• Can we teach library professionals to perform
  better reference interviews? If so, who should
  teach them? Some argue that we need help from
  other areas.
• If look at the paragraph quoted from slide number
  six, notice the emphasis on courtesy, and
  interest. How different is that from customer
  service?

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Reference transaction

• Examine and compare the various definitions of
  reference transaction on ALA Definitions of a
  Reference Transaction
• Notice the definitions by ARL and NCES , do you
  consider they are different or similar? Why?

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Typing without speaking

• Look at the article by Ross and Nilsen. Is
  available at ALA 2002
• Clearly the issue of electronic resources seems
  to have affected the way the reference interview
  is being performed. However, there are also other
  areas to investigate. Are certain subject areas
  more prone to difficulties regarding the
  reference transaction? Like Government Documents
  for instance?

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Some details we tend to forget

• http//midhudson.org/collection/Legal_Questions.pd
  f
• http//www.uwrf.edu/library/info/policies/refpol.p
  df
• http//www.npsf.org/download/NEJulAug03.pdf
• http//library.indstate.edu/level1.dir/library.dir
  /problem.pdf

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The reference interview

• Successful reference interviews () depend also
  on the physical and social environment in which
  the interview is conducted. (Bopp and Smith,
  p.59)
• To what extent do you think that is this
  statement applicable to the Dilevkos article?

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Physical and social context

• Medical libraries.
• Public Libraries (East, West).
• Busy libraries.
• Academic (exam-time) libraries
• Crowded libraries
• Not-so-well equipped libraries.
• Not-so-well staffed libraries.
• Quiet libraries.

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Also For your own professional development, what
are American librarians reading?

• http//www.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/papers/166-118e.pdf

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Readings for next Class

• The Changing Role of Intellectual Authority
  (E-reserves) Peter Nicholson
• The Myth of the neutral professional (E-reserves)
  David Jensen.
• References Services in Academic Archives
  (E-reserves) Frances ODonnell.
• Reference Librarians and Keeping Up-to-Date A
  Question of Priorities (E-reserves) Ethel Auster
  and Donna C. Chan.
• The discussion will be set up in class. Bring one
  question about the readings (in writing please,
  typed, double space, name).