Reference Training Materials

This material was used in the graduate Library Media Education program at Western Kentucky University. It is placed here to allow library workers to train themselves in the use of reference materials. Copyright 2001 - 2005 Bryan M. Carson.
All Rights Reserved

CONDUCTING REFERENCE TRANSACTIONS
 By Bryan Carson
Copyright 2001

The reference interview is an ongoing activity or process. The time we are working with a patron we are conducting the interview. As you provide some bit of information in answer to a question, the questioner may be able to revise the request, and you will find that you are now working on an inquiry that is different from the first question that was asked. As you talk to the person you are helping with a question, you are learning more and more about the problem and about the patron. It's your job to help meet the need even if the asker is not able to express it in 'library terms'. The reference interview is a tool you can use to help find out what that need is. (California Oportunities for Reference Excellence [CORE], http://www.sjvls.org/members/core/)

The two major components of reference are:
1. Working with the patron to find out what they want and need
2. Finding the resources to answer the questions.

THE REFERENCE INTERVIEW (reference transaction)
* Always request more information
* Requires good communication skills

Our mission in the library is to help patrons find the information they need. Before we can help them, we need to find out exactly what it is that they really need. The questions people ask often do not clearly express their real needs. If you simply answer questions as asked, without delving any deeper, there's a risk of not meeting the real information needs. (CORE)

"It is not enough for reference librarians to know the sources of information and how to use them. It is far more important that [we] learn to listen and communicate more effectively with patrons. It is only then that we may better understand and provide for their information requirements." ("The Reference Interview: Communication and the Patron" by Dale J. Parus http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/review/winter1996/parus.html)

Here are some examples of patron questions:
* Shortly after the book The One-Minute Manager came out, a patron called and asked for The Sixty-Second Supervisor. ([From: Jane Houston ] http://www.librarysupportstaff.com/refintviewbates.html)
* A young woman in her late teens asked for books on 'Attention Deficit Disorder'. When given several books on ADD, she said she needed to take the books to her boyfriend's parole board. She wanted to show them that her boyfriend's problems really were not his fault. 'The real reason why he stole that car and did those other things was to get attention - you see, he has an 'Attention Deficit'. ([From: Jim Norman] http://www.librarysupportstaff.com/refintviewbates.html)

"Why can't they ask for what they want?"
* They don't know the extent of your information resources.
* They don't know how to ask for what they want.
* They feel the information is too confidential to disclose fully.
* They aren't really sure yet what they want.
* They aren't sure you can find the information.
* They don't think you understand the subject. (http://www.batesinfo.com/ref-interview.html)

It is very important to make the patron comfortable so that he or she will tell you what you need to know in order to help. In this context, non-verbal skills are very important. Even the clothes you wear can make a difference. For example, I work in a college setting, so I wear casual clothing that is similar (although neater) than what the students are wearing. I did the same thing when I worked in a public library branch in a neighborhood in the Bronx. However, when I worked at the 42nd Street Library in Manhattan, I wore dress slacks and a tie. The reason was because many of the patrons were business executives, and they were used to treating people in ties as their equals, while they thought of people wearing casual clothing as being in the mailroom.

For more important than dress, however, are the nonverbal skills you display. Here are some tips for effective librarianship:
* Make eye contact
* Have a relaxed, open posture (sit up straight, but not too straight)
* Watch your facial expression and tone of voice
* "Be here now." (http://www.batesinfo.com/ref-interview.html)
I prefer not reading books or magazines at the reference desk.

Verbal skills are also important:
* Project a professional image over the telephone (and at all times)
* Be quiet and let the user talk
* Listen to and remember each item of the request
* Use encouragers
* Ask open-ended questions
* Establish a sense of expertise
* Avoid premature diagnosis
* Get to the heart of the matter
* Paraphrase the request in different words
* Negotiate boundaries
* Learn how to say "no" without saying NO
* Think through your search and ask the patron if he/she has any additional questions. (http://www.batesinfo.com/ref-interview.html)

Sample Questions

Ask the user:

  • What do you mean by ___________________________?
  • What do you already know about _______________________?
  • I'm not familiar with ___________________. Can you explain it to me?
  • If you were writing an article about this, what would the headline be?
  • How will you be using the information?
  • If I can't find exactly _________________________, what would be second-best?
  • So in other words, what you'd like me to find is ________________________, right?

    • Ask yourself:

    * Where could I find this in addition to the "usual suspects?"
    * If the user's request is too broad or too narrow, can I negotiate?
    * Have I underpromised or overpromised?
    * Am I really, really clear on what the user wants?
    * Am I practicing "Be Here Now?" Am I really focusing on the user right now? (http://www.batesinfo.com/ref-interview.html)

    Don't just answer the question. Show the patron what you did and how to answer the same question in the future.

    Sample Questions

    ***QUESTION 1***

    [Patron] Do you have a phone book?

    [Librarian] What type of phone book do you need?

    [Patron] I need the Nashville phone book

    [Librarian] Do you need the white pages or the yellow pages?

    [Patron] I guess I need the yellow pages. I'm trying to get ahold of the Bridgestone/Firestone company.

    [Librarian] What type of information are you looking for?

    [Patron] I want to find out who the president of the company is and where he went to school.

    [Librarian] I may have something here that can help you with that. Let's look in the "Million Dollar Directory" here. O.k., the president and CEO of the company is John T. Lampe. Nowlet's look in Biography and Geneaology Master Index and see whether we can find a biography of Lampe. This index tells us where to find biographies of people. It says that we need to look at Who's Who in America. O.k., here we are. He has a Bachelors of Science degree in business administration from Kansas State College and a Masters degree in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Arizona.

    AN ALTERNATIVE WAY OF ANSWERING THE QUESTION:

    [Librarian] I may be able to help you with that. Let's take a look at the company's Website. Hmm, I have clicked through several places and can't find the information. There is lots of stuff here on the tire recall, career opportunities, etc., but not on the administration. Let's click this link for press releases, since they might quote the president in a press r elease. O.k., here's a press release announcing the new CEO and president of the company, Jack T. Lampe. And here's a biography of Lampe. He has a Bachelors of Science degree in business administration from Kansas State College and a Masters degree in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Arizona.

    Both are valid ways of answering the question. REMEMBER: Reference is an art, not a science!

    ***QUESTION 2***

    [Patron] Where can I find magazine articles?

    [Librarian] What type of articles are you looking for?

    [Patron] Well, I need to write this history paper about Vietnam?

    [Librarian] What aspect of Vietnam are you interested in?

    [Patron] You know, the war. What I really need is one magazine article that was written during the Tet offensive in 1960something.

    The librarian should answer this question by:
    1) Looking up the year of the Tet offensive
    2) Suggest finding article in Reader's Guide (you would use the Reader's Guide instead of an electronic database because the material is older than what you would find in a database)
    3) Make sure the person understands how to use Reader's Guide
    4) Tell the person where the Reader's Guide is located
    5) Tell the person where the Periodicals section is located
    6) Say to the patron "Do you have any other questions? If you have any more questions, or if you have any trouble finding what you need, please be sure to come back and see me. Good luck!"

    ***QUESTION 3***

    [Patron] Do you work here?

    [Librarian] Yes, I do! May I help you?

    [Patron] I'm sorry to bother you.

    [Librarian] Don't worry about that; it's what I'm here for.

    [Patron] Where are the encyclopedias located?

    [Librarian] The encyclopedias are right over here. Is there something specific that I can help you find?

    [Patron] Yes. I'm looking for information on the U.S. Supreme Court.

    [Librarian] What type of information are you looking for?

    [Patron] I need to find the names of all of the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court.

    [Librarian] I have something with the names of all the Chief Justices. Here we are, the "World Almanac" has the answer. Is that what you needed?

    [Patron] Yes, thank you very much.

    [Librarian] Thank you! Good luck!

    ***QUESTION 4***

    [Patron] What floor are the poetry books on?

    [Librarian] Is there something that I can help you find?

    [Patron] Yes, I need to find a poem about a Duchess.

    [Librarian] Is it a specific poem you are looking for?

    [Patron] I know that the title is something like "My last Duchess."

    [Librarian] Do you know who the author is?

    [Patron] No, I don't.

    [Librarian] O.k., lets take a look at the Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. This work tells where to find poems. It has an index by title. "My last Duchess" is by Robert Browning. This index uses abbreviations for the poetry anthologies, so we need to look in the front of the book to find out what the abbreviation means. The abbreviation is "BLP." "BLP" means "Best Loved Poems of the American People." Let me check the library catalog for you. The call number is PR 1175 .F4. That is on the 8th Floor of the Cravens Library. Is there anything else I can help you with?