Reference interview

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A reference interview is a conversation between a librarian and a library user, usually at a reference desk, in which the librarian responds to the user's initial explanation of his or her information need by first attempting to clarify that need and then by directing the user to appropriate information resources. Library user's need must be satisfied in any case on Reference interview.

Contents

Definition

Bopp & Smith (1995) defines the reference interview as the "conversation between a member of the library reference staff and a library user for the purpose of clarifying the user’s needs and aiding the user in meeting those needs". [1]

According to ODLIS, the reference interview is "the interpersonal communication that occurs between a reference librarian and a library user to determine the person's specific information need(s), which may turn out to be different from the reference question as initially posed...A reference interview may occur in person, by telephone, or electronically (usually via e-mail) at the request of the user, but a well-trained reference librarian will sometimes initiate communication if a hesitant user appears to need assistance". [2]

Stephen Abram finds the library as conversation a vital component to the profession. In regards to the reference question, "Our core skills are the skills and competencies required to improve the quality of the question." [3]

Parts of a reference interview

The reference interview is structured to help the librarian provide answers to the library user. In general, the interview is composed of the following stages. [4]

  1. Welcoming
  2. Gathering general information from the user and getting an overview of the problem
  3. Confirming the exact question
  4. Intervention, such as giving information, advice or instructions
  5. Finishing, including feedback and summary

These stages may occur in loops, for example when a clarification of the question leads to the need to establish more background information on the query topic. These steps are designed to put the user at their ease, and then help ensure that they have correctly explained what they require. When the reference librarian believes that the query is fully understood, they attempt to provide resources that help satisfy it. An important and often overlooked final step is checking that the information or service provided was indeed what the library user required.

Reference interview techniques

The purpose behind the reference interview structure is to ensure that the library user's information need is satisfied. The librarian can use a number of interview techniques to help identify the user's exact need. Poor reference interview skills may lead to misinterpretation of the real question, a lack of real help and an unsatisfied library user. [5]

Librarians use many techniques to help identify a user's information need. With body language, repetition and paraphrasing of what the user says, the interviewer can encourage the user to give more information about what they need. Asking open questions establishes context and helps to identify exactly what is required. A lack of follow-up, or checking that the user found what they required, is arguably one of the most common mistakes made in the reference interview. [6]

Forming the query

One of the biggest problems with providing an effective reference service is that of badly formed queries. In this instance, the user's reference question doesn't match up to the information they actually need. [7] Badly formed queries may lead to user frustration, as they perceive that the reference interview is not solving their problem.

Many of the techniques used in the reference interview are geared towards developing a badly formed query until a sense of the user's true information need is gained. A great degree of care must be taken when helping users to develop their query. The librarian typically has little insight into the social and psychological barriers that might be preventing the user from explaining their question accurately. Anything from anxiety due to an approaching deadline, to lack of confidence with language can get in the way. [8]

The digital reference interview

Digital reference is a reference service initiated electronically, often in real-time. The initial meeting between a patron and librarian is not face-to-face, though queries mutate and may later take place at a physical reference desk. Virtual reference services can be conducted in internet chat, videoconferencing, email, co-browsing and instant messaging. Unlike the in person reference interview, digital reference might not be a synchronous pursuit.

Initial uptake of virtual reference was not as swift as some had predicted. The complexity of virtual reference may have partly been to blame, as users want information quickly and with the minimum of fuss. [9] Some evidence suggested that the problem lies with poor uptake and training among library staff. [10]

Library users and reference services

Library users are not always comfortable with reference services, let alone satisfied with them. Unobtrusive user studies suggest that only around 55% to 65% of users leave a reference interview satisfied with the result and willing to return. [5] Demographics, social factors and users’ preconceptions about libraries all contribute to this figure. Embarrassment, shyness, and anxiety can prevent a user from approaching the reference desk, and poor signposting and explanation of services can mean that some customers aren't aware that the reference service exists. To be as effective as possible, libraries must be proactive in publicizing their services and reducing the stigma of asking for help. [11]

Usefulness of the reference interview

For a long time, the value of the reference interview has stood unquestioned. More recently, with technological developments streamlining some of the tasks which once comprised the interview, some researchers are beginning to question the validity of the reference interview, and the investment that a reference librarian represents. [12] Others argue that reference services should broaden their target audience. As people increasingly use the internet to make major, life-affecting decisions, so they also require the services of professionals who are able to provide help in this environment. [13] If this proves to be the case, it will become more vital that the reference interview be conducted professionally and successfully. In the age of information overload, a successful reference interview may empower users to confidently make such decisions in their lives.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reference desk</span> Public service counter in a library

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Librarian</span> Profession

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Research library</span> Library that supports scholarly research

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The Association of College and Research Libraries defines information literacy as a "set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning". In the United Kingdom, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals' definition also makes reference to knowing both "when" and "why" information is needed.

Digital reference is a service by which a library reference service is conducted online, and the reference transaction is a computer-mediated communication. It is the remote, computer-mediated delivery of reference information provided by library professionals to users who cannot access or do not want face-to-face communication. Virtual reference service is most often an extension of a library's existing reference service program. The word "reference" in this context refers to the task of providing assistance to library users in finding information, answering questions, and otherwise fulfilling users’ information needs. Reference work often but not always involves using reference works, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. This form of reference work expands reference services from the physical reference desk to a "virtual" reference desk where the patron could be writing from home, work or a variety of other locations.

Library collection development is the process of systematically building the collection of a particular library to meet the information needs of the library users in a timely and economical manner using information resources locally held as well as resources from other organizations. "According to is a dynamic self perpetuation cycle or process and consists six definable stages namely,community analysis, selection policies, selection, acquisition, weeding and evaluation.

An information professional or information specialist is someone who collects, records, organises, stores, preserves, retrieves, and disseminates printed or digital information. The service delivered to the client is known as an information service.

The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), also referred to as the Master of Library and Information Studies, is the master's degree that is required for most professional librarian positions in the United States. The MLIS is a relatively recent degree; an older and still common degree designation for librarians to acquire is the Master of Library Science (MLS), or Master of Science in Library Science (MSLS) degree. According to the American Library Association (ALA), "The master’s degree in library and information studies is frequently referred to as the MLS; however, ALA-accredited degrees have various names such as Master of Information Studies, Master of Arts, Master of Librarianship, Master of Library and Information Studies, or Master of Science. The degree name is determined by the program. The [ALA] Committee for Accreditation evaluates programs based on their adherence to the Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies, not based on the name of the degree."

Library instruction, also called bibliographic instruction, user education and library orientation, consists of "instructional programs designed to teach library users how to locate the information they need quickly and effectively. [It] usually covers the library's system of organizing materials, the structure of the literature of the field, research methodologies appropriate to the academic discipline, and specific resources and finding tools " It prepares individuals to make immediate and lifelong use of information effectively by teaching the concepts and logic of information access and evaluation, and by fostering information independence and critical thinking. Above all they are aimed at equipping library users with skills to locate library sources and use them effectively to satisfy their information needs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Swett Green</span>

Samuel Swett Green was a founding figure in America’s public library movement.

A reference scenario is an imagined situation where a library patron brings a question to a librarian and there is then a conversation, called in the field a reference interview, where the librarian works to help the patron find the information they want. These scenarios are used in training future librarians how to help patrons. Basically, a scenario is as short as a couple of sentences, including a question and a situation that underlies that question.

Library anxiety refers to the "feeling that one’s research skills are inadequate and that those shortcomings should be hidden". In some students this manifests as an outright fear of libraries and the librarians who work there. The term stems from a 1986 article by Constance Mellon, a professor of library science in the U.S. state of North Carolina, titled "Library anxiety: A grounded theory and its development" in the College & Research Libraries journal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transliteracy</span> Ability to use diverse techniques to collaborate across different social groups

Transliteracy is "a fluidity of movement across a range of technologies, media and contexts". It is an ability to use diverse techniques to collaborate across different social groups.

E-Science librarianship refers to a role for librarians in e-Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EconBiz</span>

EconBiz is an academic search portal for journals, working papers, and conferences in business studies and economics. It is provided by the ZBW - German National Library of Economics, Leibniz Information Centre for Economics. The portal was started in 2002 as the Virtual Library for Economics and Business Studies.

A pathfinder is a bibliography created to help begin research in a particular topic or subject area.. Pathfinders produced by the Library of Congress are known as "tracer bullets". What is special about a pathfinder is that it only refers to the information in a specific location, i.e. the shelves of a local library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Learning commons</span>

Learning commons, also known as scholars' commons, information commons or digital commons, are learning spaces, similar to libraries and classrooms that share space for information technology, remote or online education, tutoring, collaboration, content creation, meetings, socialization, playing games and studying. Learning commons are increasingly popular in academic and research libraries, and some public and school libraries have now adopted the model. Architecture, furnishings and physical organization are particularly important to the character of a learning commons, as spaces are often designed to be rearranged by users according to their needs.

Roving reference, also called roaming reference, is a library service model in which, instead of being positioned at a static reference desk, a librarian moves throughout the library to locate patrons with questions or concerns and offer them help in finding or using library resources.

Libraries in virtual worlds are part of an immersive 3D environment that can be used for entertainment and educational purposes. Due to increasing interest in digital services, some libraries and librarians have established virtual services in Second Life and other virtual worlds.

References

  1. ↑ Bopp & Smith (1995), p. 37.
  2. ↑ Reitz (2014).
  3. ↑ Abram, Stephen. "Special Library Reference Interviews: Basics of a Neglected Professional Skill". Lucidea. Lucidea. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  4. ↑ Ross, Nilsen & Dewdney (2002), p. 3.
  5. 1 2 Nilsen (2005), p. 3.
  6. ↑ Nilsen (2005), p. 6.
  7. ↑ Fields (2006), pp. 405–420.
  8. ↑ Murphy (2005), pp. 247–252.
  9. ↑ Stormont (2007), p. 119.
  10. ↑ Nilsen (2005), p. 8.
  11. ↑ Robinson & Reid (2007), pp. 405–424.
  12. ↑ Ryan (2008), pp. 389–399.
  13. ↑ Janes (2003), pp. 22–25.

Citations

Further reading

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