Small Library Management Day 1

Managing Reference Service in a Small Library- Day 1 Arta Kabashi [email_address] 1-800-843-8482 ext. 2857

Objectives Recognize the role of library as information source for the community Create policy statements that reflect institutional values Conduct a successful reference interview Know how to utilize virtual reference in your library

Agenda- Day 1 The Library as Information Source for Community Core Reference Issues Method of Virtual Reference Reference Interview

The Small Library in the community? Is the library Necessary? People &People Over 50% of Americans visit libraries Challenge: How to keep users involved How to get new users involved!

Mission, Vision and Policy “ If Anything is certain, it is that change is certain. The world we are planning for today will not exist in this form tomorrow” Phillip Crosby “ Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it , it is not all mixed up” A.A. Milne

Library Mission What are the information needs of your community and of individuals who use your library? Examples: http://www.nypl.org/pr/mission.cfm http://www.nypl.org/questions/about.html

Reference Definition Reference Transaction : are information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others to meet particular information needs. Reference transactions do not include formal instruction or exchanges that provide assistance with locations, schedules, equipment, supplies, or policy statements. Rusa Guidelines 2008 [http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/protools/referenceguide/definitionsreference.cfm]

User Perspective Do users understand what's available at libraries or know how to ask for the information they really need?

Policies- What are they? A plan or course of action, as of a government, political party, or business, intended to influence and determine decisions, actions, and other matters: American foreign policy; the company's personnel policy. A course of action, guiding principle, or procedure considered expedient, prudent, or advantageous: Honesty is the best policy.

Benefits of Policy-making? Engages the community Helps community leaders Identifies library service priorities Realigns Services to meet community needs

Benefits of Policies continued Identifies core values of the library Defines clear targets and establishes procedures to track progress Provides a framework for response

Steps in Policy-Making Determine Need Determine Value Create working-team Develop Strategy Set Goals and Objectives Implementation Monitor and Update

Activity 1 Evaluate the current policy statement of your current institution, and identify 3 elements that need to be updated.

What is reference? What is reference and why is it important? Libraries meet the information needs of the communities they serve. A user's first question may be a way to find out if you are approachable and not an expression of the information need. The reference process involves many steps: encouraging users, finding need, finding information, and follow-up to be sure needs have been met.

Reference Interview-Definition Conversation directed intentionally to some purpose Police interrogation vs. oral interview or research Establish trust and stay on topic Conduct is just as important as content Patron: "Can you tell me what the gestation period of the lemming is?“ Librarian: "Just a minute" Patron: "Thanks very much" Upon which the patron hung up. Cassell, Kay Ann.(2006) Reference Information Services in the 21 st Century: An Introduction . New York: Neil Schuman Inc. Reference Humor [http://web.archive.org/web/20020202084235/www2.njstatelib.org/njlib/lbhumref.htm]

Reference Interview- Steps Stages to an interview: 1. Establish rapport 2.Negotiate question/ understand the big picture 3.Develop a strategy for the search 4.Locate information and evaluate it 5.Ensure question is answered- follow up 6. Close the interview

Activity # 1- Angry librarian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XvAakX__cQ How does librarian utilize: Approachability Interest Listening/Inquiring Searching Follow Up

Step 1. Establish Rapport Users expect to find someone willing to help Use nonverbal skills positively Turn around, move toward the user, smile, maintain eye contact Look approachable Be proactive and scan the reference area When Online or Telephone Greet the user in a friendly way, be sympathetic, remain in contact with the user

Step 1- Cont-more skills Nonverbal skills- eye contact, smile, nod, pause, posture She looked puzzled, and pursed her lips, and rolled her eyes… She started to grimace or wince and let out an ooooow Acknowledgment Restate or play back content/ inquiry: Patron: Do you have any books on Art? Ref: Yes. Did you have a certain artist in mind, or a period or style in mind? Minimal encouragers Listen

Do Don’t Skill: Interest/Listening

Step 2- Negotiate the question Use “Sense-Making” Brenda Dervin Employ Neutral questioning What kind of help would you like? What have you done about this so far? Use open ended vs. close ended questions How much information do you need? Do you need current or historical information? Include the user in your fact finding Involve the user in the conversation- Paraphrase the inquiry Patron: I got a quote from a book I turned in last week but I forgot to write down the author and title. It's big and red and I found it on the top shelf. Can you find it for me? Answer: What were you looking for when you found the book the first time?

Step 3- Develop a Strategy Construct a search Again..Ask the user to help you with search terms Determine the kind of information needed

Activity 2: Information on Travel Role Play: User: Excuse me but can you tell me where to find the information on travel?

Activity Sense making-Closed Questions Sense making Questions Vs. Open closed questions

Step 4- Locate the information Bibliographic Instruction Acknowledge Describe what you are doing Explain why you are doing it Indicate how much time the task will take *Assess the need, gap, and the help required*

Step 5-Follow-Up Invite the user to ask for additional help Discover if a need has been met Reassure the user that it is OK to come back and ask another question.

Step 6- Closure Use both verbal and nonverbal skills Use closure to refer user elsewhere when needed. Use in 3 scenarios: 1. Indicate discussion has been completed 2. Focus user’s attention 3. Establish good communication for next encounter

Communication Barriers Not acknowledging the user Not Listening Playing twenty questions Interrupting at inappropriate times Making assumptions Not following up

Reference- Behaviors to Avoid Without Speaking She Began to Type Syndrome Bypassing the reference interview An elderly man asks for books on entomology. The librarian asks, “Are you trying to get rid of ants?” An unmonitored referral Without saying anything she handed me a piece of paper and assumed I could locate them by the numbers Negative closure-How to make users go away Well, we are very busy right now, but if you come back later , someone will be available. Making the User feel silly or insecure Patron: Do you have anything good to read? Librarian: No, ma'am. I'm afraid we have 75,000 books, and they're all duds.

Activity 3 –Behavior to Avoid User: I was trying to look normal-to take a normal user’s approach to the library… So I said that I was looking for some books on flying. She [the staff member] just turned around and started punching on her terminal….After a few minutes I realized she wasn’t going to ask me anything more, and I knew I’d get sent to the wrong section. So I said “Well, actually I’m looking for jet lag, but I don’t know if it is in ‘flying or not. She just kept punching, but I intuited that she was getting another subject heading. And then she said that there is nothing on jet lag. Then, she wrote down a number and tore it off the paper and gave it to me….The specific number she gave me was a book on how to fly a light aircraft. Interviewer: Did you ask again? User: No, I didn’t feel like going to her again. I was too upset. Interviewer: Did you tell her anything? User: No. Interviewer: How did you feel? User: I felt like dropping out of [library school] …I thought if that is the experience the general public gets, they can’t be getting books they want, because I didn’t get anywhere near my subject.

Virtual Reference: Definiton According to RUSA, virtual reference services are transactions: “ Initiated Electronically, often in real-time, where patrons employ computers or other internet technology to communicate with reference staff, without being physically present.

Types of Virtual Reference Services Asynchronous -Email -Web forms Synchronous -Chat -Voice over IP - Videoconferencing -Web Contact Center Software

Library Reference Workflow Patron interactions . . . Ref Lib Ref Lib Local KB Patron Global KB Chat (Follow-up) E-mail Telephone Walk-in Fax Web sites & databases E-mail/call others Look up In references Own knowledge

Qwidget and Smart phone continued

Question Point & Mosio’s Text a Librarian

Virtual Reference -Policy Eligibility Confidentiality Use of Licenced databases to answer questions Identifying yourself to your users Delivery of material to the users Average length of the transactions User satisfaction Inappropriate behavior Questionable questions Follow-up

Barriers to Virtual Reference Eye contact Gesture Posture Expression and Tone Emoticons Expression through Text

Barrier 1- Establish Rapport How can we connect virtually with nonverbal behaviors: 1. Listen, focus select 2. Avoid early judgment- do not assume 3. Reflect feelings- its sounds like… 4.Restate the question… as I understand it… 5. Encourage—And then? Tell me more?

Barrier # 2 Failure to get question right Pressure to respond quickly Temptation to answer before being clear of the answer Fewer cues and less feedback than the physical reference enviroment Time delay in where you are searching but no clarification provided Commencing search too soon.

Example Patron: I am looking on information about gum control, bazookas especially? Librarian: Do you mean guns, as in Bazooka the weapon, or the gum?

Barrier # 3 Scripted Messages Scripted Messages Unscripted messages Lack personality Directional Can save time Can make users wary of using the service Convey warmth Give the impression that you are listening Higher chance of positive response from user

VR Communication- Best Practice Be welcoming and personable. Use the user’s name. Type like you would talk Don’t use library jargon or abbreviations Its OK to use short phrases and informal language.. Don’t hang up on grammar and punctuation Keep the conversation flowing… Thirty seconds of dead air is a long time. Pop back into the conversation or include the user in your search strategy.

Activity 4 Comment on the following transaction: Patron: Can you help me find a book called Bedford Glossary? Librarian: Thank you for your patience. Give me a few minutes to locate that item for you. Patron: ok. Librarian: Murfin, Ross C. Call # 803M975b1997. Status Available Librarian: Here is the book and call number as per your request. Patron: Thanks.

Activity Continued: Patron: Do you have the 17 th Edition of the Bluebook of Citations in reserve? Librarian: Hi there, Welcome to Morris Messenger Librarian: Ok Let me see what I can find. Hold on a minute. Patron: Ok, thanks. Librarian: Is this for a course on Reserves? Patron: Yes, it is Paralegal 300A Librarian: Call the reserve desk. They should have it. Patron: ok/

Review Today we learned about: Library as an information source for the community Importance of policy documents Conducting a Successful Library Interview Providing Virtual Reference

Small Library Management Day 1

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Small Library Management Day 1

Recently uploaded

Small Library Management Day 1

Editor's Notes