Reference+Interview+Analysis


 * Artifact #2: Reference Interview Analysis**

As a Library and Information Science student and general library enthusiast, I have a relatively strong working knowledge of the resources and information that most libraries contain. Three recently conducted reference interviews, both in-person and via technology, however, opened my eyes to a wealth of information I was not previously aware of. The average library user is even less likely to be aware of the available materials and, as such, is especially reliant on the reference librarian. Both physical and virtual libraries offer a great deal of resources to patrons, but, since the vast majority of patrons are not aware of their existence, usually remain unexplored. With the help of a skilled reference librarian, however, patrons can begin to utilize the library’s resources and understand how to search for information in the future.

In order to better understand how it feels to ask a librarian for assistance, I queried three different reference services with questions about Chicago. All three were things I was curious about; one was something I had tried unsuccessfully to research myself and two were questions I had never found time to investigate. The questions were as follows:


 * When driving into Chicago, I have noticed electronic signs on I-90 and I-94 saying "15 minutes to the circle.” I'm curious as to what they mean by the circle - is it the loop? If it is, then why don't they call it the loop? (asked via IM and email)
 * I’ve heard about a chocolate factory downtown that emits so much chocolate smells that the EPA has cited them for pollution. Is this an urban legend? (asked via telephone)
 * What buildings from the World’s Fair of 1893 are still standing in Chicago? (asked in person)

As relatively short, factual questions, these inquiries provided a method of evaluating each reference interview – did it or did it not result in an accurate answer? The queries all concerned subjects that I had been curious about and that the reference librarians, being from or around Chicago, would have a general familiarity with. As I was attempting to appear to be a “real” patron, I avoided using library jargon and selected questions that had true relevance to my life.

In order to get a wide variety of reference experiences, I selected several different methods of asking questions. For my “circle” question, I initially sent an Instant Message to the library at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I received a notice that someone was online and would help me shortly, but after over twenty minutes with no human response to my query, I followed up with an email to the reference desk. The librarian responded to me within a few hours and gave a detailed answer to my question, citing sources such as the Chicagopedia from the Chicago Sun Times and the The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. She also provided links in order to connect me to further information. I then called the Chicago Public Library’s reference service to ask my question about the chocolate factory and, after being transferred to the Municipal Reference desk, received a step-by-step tutorial (including recommended search terms) for how to access the library’s reserves and find an appropriate article. Finally, I visited the Near North branch of the Chicago Public library to ask about the World’s Fair and the reference librarian answered my question from her own personal knowledge, and then led me to the section where I could verify her answer. After a few minutes, she returned to where I was sitting and explained that she had been wrong, and then showed me an encyclopedia in which she had found more information. All of the librarians I spoke to provided me with an answer to my question, resources to find more material and were helpful and thoughtful in their responses.

In addition to providing answers, the librarians with whom I conducted my reference interviews introduced me to a host of new information sources with which I had not previously been familiar. These resources included websites such as The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago and databases such as the ProQuest Database available to library members on the Chicago Public Library website. The phone librarian even offered me search terms to use to narrow my search. In these cases, the librarians serve as a conduit between the patron and the resources – they demonstrate how and when to use the materials and make people aware of their services. Patrons who are incompetent do not know they are incompetent and are thus unlikely to seek training or assistance when faced with an information-seeking task (Gross, 2004). Therefore, it is important for skilled librarians to efficiently use the reference interview to aid patrons in becoming more information literate, whether they are aware that they need it or not. The librarians I met with consistently worked to remedy my ignorance on the various library resources.

In order to serve as this conduit, however, the librarian must be skilled enough to conduct a productive reference interview. The librarians I encountered utilized a number of positive reference behaviors, such as being approachable, friendly and engaged. The librarian that I emailed with my “circle” question started her email with “Interesting question!” At the Near North branch, the reference librarian, looked up and made eye contact as I approached. She also spent much of her time physically walking around the library in order to be proactive and accessible. The ALA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Professionals suggest seven behaviors to communicate approachability, such as eye-contact, acknowledgement, and visibility (Ross, 2002). The librarians I dealt with, particularly the in-person reference librarian, put this into practice and came across as very approachable. All three of the librarians helped me develop a more accurate “mental model” of the library (Ross, 2002). Each time a user enters the library (or deals with it virtually), he or she learns more about what the librarian is doing and how to do it for themselves. The librarians I dealt with explained what they were doing and stated explicitly how I could find more information. This helped flesh out my mental model and allowed me, as the patron, to be more successful in future information searches. Finally, the branch librarian followed up, coming back to offer more information and verify that I had found what I needed. Research has shown that asking follow-up questions is one of the most important aspects of a reference interview (Ross, 2002) so this librarian helped to make my interview a successful one. Through these “best practices” in action, the librarians I dealt with helped to connect me with resources I otherwise would not have known existed.

Although the reference interviews were successful, some additional elements could have been incorporated to make them truly exceptional. None of the librarians probed more deeply into my questions. They did not use “sense-making questions” to find out the purpose of my search, nor did they ask follow up questions after my initial question statement. Patrons often use their initial question as a greeting (Ross, 2002), so posing subsequent questions would have resulted in a more well-developed sense of my inquiry and possibly a better answer. Secondly, the phone query about the chocolate factory consisted of a great deal of silence. After I posed my query, the librarian provided an encourager (“Chocolate factory, ok…”) but then lapsed into silence. Evidently, she used this time to search for an answer as she was able to offer both an answer and a search strategy when she returned; however, a quick summation of what she was doing would have reassured me since I could not visually see her. Also, the long delay on the instant messaging software may have turned off a less persistent patron. I was willing to take the time to wait and follow up with an email, but for a patron experimenting with the instant messaging software for the first time, the wait may have been a deterrent. This could have led to a reluctance to ask for further help, and thus, inhibit the patron from learning more about the library in the future. All of these improvements would have aided me, as the patron, better understand the library and the information-seeking process. Through their implementation, I would be better equipped to find information on my own in the future.

Most patrons do not understand or are not aware of the plethora of information resources within a library, whether it is physical or virtual. As librarians, we must therefore demonstrate to patrons the magnitude of resources available beyond the physical books they may see on the shelves. The reference interview is a natural place for this type of education and can help users both gain answers and understand how to obtain solutions on their own. As patrons experience successful reference interviews, they will be more likely to return and learn more. This cycle provides a pool of more educated patrons that can navigate the library efficiently. Since many users feel uncomfortable approaching the reference librarian to ask a question, it is especially important for librarians to be approachable, inquisitive and, in the case of virtual reference, intuitive and present. Only then will patrons feel comfortable enough to engage in a reference interview and, through that, learn about the vast resources libraries can provide.