The document discusses various models and strategies for developing and managing reference services in a library. It describes different types of reference services including direct reference, indirect reference, and digital reference. It also outlines several approaches to reference including traditional reference at a desk, tiered reference with different levels of staff, and roving reference where librarians circulate. The document emphasizes competencies for reference librarians, including access, knowledge base, marketing, and collaboration. It stresses the importance of evaluating reference services for effectiveness.
Original Description:
Deals with the types of services and competencies that a librarian should have to manage them.
The document discusses various models and strategies for developing and managing reference services in a library. It describes different types of reference services including direct reference, indirect reference, and digital reference. It also outlines several approaches to reference including traditional reference at a desk, tiered reference with different levels of staff, and roving reference where librarians circulate. The document emphasizes competencies for reference librarians, including access, knowledge base, marketing, and collaboration. It stresses the importance of evaluating reference services for effectiveness.
The document discusses various models and strategies for developing and managing reference services in a library. It describes different types of reference services including direct reference, indirect reference, and digital reference. It also outlines several approaches to reference including traditional reference at a desk, tiered reference with different levels of staff, and roving reference where librarians circulate. The document emphasizes competencies for reference librarians, including access, knowledge base, marketing, and collaboration. It stresses the importance of evaluating reference services for effectiveness.
DEVELOPING AND MANAGING recommendation; staff-one service
REFERENCE SERVICES (RS) point (pro); serves the ones who
come to the desk (con) • Reference Section – assist individual • Reference Consultation – answers users to access information in the complex questions through library’s collection and services; consultation; librarians for complex answers inquiries question (pro); limits the no of users CATEGORIES OF RS that are served (con) • Tiered – info desk, gen ref desk, and • Information Service – finding the consultation service; same pro as ref information they need. consult; training staff to do referrals • Instruction – teach how to use the and limits the users being served library resources (con) • User Guidance – guide the user’s on • Team Staffing – librarian and how to select their resources paraprofessional work together; TYPES OF REFERENCE SERVICE librarian avail to answer difficult questions (pro); paraprofessional • Direct reference – personal need to make good recommendation assistance provided to the library’s to librarian (con) client • Integrated Service Point – • Indirect Reference – the integration of reference and preparation and development of circulation desk; only one point of the system, cataloging service for users (pro); requires on going training staff (con) Reference Activities • Roving – librarians circulate • Search Service – help the patrons throughout the service area; reaches the easiest way to find info users who didn’t approach the desk • User guidance/orientation – orient (pro); additional staff (con) patrons on how to use the library • Virtual – answer qs through e-mail • Digital Reference Service – and chat; assistance to those who questions asked digitally can’t go to the library (pro); tech • FAQs – retrieval of answers wo difficulties (con) the help of librarians • Outreach – go to diff depts or orgs; • Selective Dissemination of reach diff people (pro); add staff Information (con) • Bibliographic Service SEARCH STRATEGY • Loan and Documentary delivery service – lending of documents or • Process of finding answers in the books digitally or physically easiest and effective way • Current Awareness Service – STEPS informing clients of new info available in the library 1. Clarifying the problem – know the problem and the user MODELS OF RS 2. Selecting the materials – • Traditional – serves user at the appropriation of the materials to reference desk; answers query and the problem 3. Prioritizing the sources – respect, and concern for the staff prioritize the best sources for the (employee) client • Motivating – make staff feel good 4. Locating the sources and give recognition 5. Evaluating the process – do they • Delegating – encourages need more info or refer to competency of the staff; delegating another professional? assignments based on the staff’s 6. Compiling and presenting info competencies • Communicating – identifying Prime Sources of Info requests and interpret the need of • Library Catalogue – info found in the the client and staff; regular staff library meeting • Ref Collection – factual info • Staffing – hiring and training staff • General Collection – periodicals, well; know the job description serials What librarian should do: • Databases and networks – EBSCO • People – questions can only be • Continue to do collection answered by other professionals or development experts on the subject; referrals • Do more information literacy • Other libraries and agencies instruction both one-top one and in groups REFERENCE DEPT COMPETENCIES • Develop their reader’s advisory skills • Competencies – building blocks to provide more personalized service representing the core understanding to their users and capabilities required of an • Learn more about marketing effective ref dept leader Competencies PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES FOR • Create and communicate a vision, REFERENCE AND USER LIBRARIANS mission and goals – where they see • Reference and User librarians – the lib in the future (vision), how to assist, advise, and instruct users on get to the goal of the library accessing the lib materials (mission); use SMART (goals) • Competencies – behaviors that • Creating and maintaining a positive excellent performers exhibit and nurturing workplace climate and • Strategies – specific plan that culture – non-threatening, excellent performers typically supporting, and safe environment; employ HEART (look in the handout!) • Setting expectations – employees’ COMPETENCIES awareness on the policies and rules; develop an employee manual; give • Access – provide info that users and receive feedback need (responsiveness); • Being task-centered and employee- ▪ effectively designs and centered – organizing and setting organizes services to meet the the time standard (task); trust, need of the user (organization and design service); ▪ provide high quality service by ▪ info service (assess the analyzing the info sources and effectiveness of info service); services (critical thinking and ▪ information resources (assess analysis) and evaluates resources in • Knowledge Base – environmental terms of objectiveness and scanning (monitors relevant info to need of user); routinely update the service); ▪ service delivery (evaluates ▪ application of knowledge new or existing service for a (utilizes new knowledge to match); enhance the service and ▪ info interfaces (evaluates practice); format, access, and ▪ dissemination of knowledge presentation aspect of (shares expertise to colleagues resources); and mentor staff); ▪ Information service providers ▪ active learning (actively (effectively identifies and improving professional practice) employs evaluation techniques) • Marketing/Awareness/Informing – assessment (conduct research to know what type of reference service and clients the library has); ▪ communication and outreach (effectively communicate the nature of ref and info service); ▪ evaluation (systematically and consistently evaluates the effectiveness of the marketing of ref and info service) • Collaboration – relationship w users (treat users as a collaborator and partner); ▪ relationship w colleagues (work closely with colleagues to provide quality service); ▪ relationship w/in the profession (collaborative relationship within the profession to enhance service NETWORKING); ▪ relationships beyond the library and the profession (develops and maintains partnerships to strengthen services to users) • Evaluation and Assessment of Resources and Services – user needs (uses tools and techniques to users);