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);