Competency I

Core Competency I: use service concepts, principles, and techniques to connect individuals or groups with accurate, relevant, and appropriate information.

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Introduction:

Without librarians, libraries would simply be buildings that held large numbers of books. On the surface, librarians appear to just handle books all day. But a librarian’s true purpose is to provide information services to those who need it. Information service is defined as the “process of resolving the information needs of users” (Cassell & Hiremath, 2013). Librarians accomplish this task by leading users to the information they seek or through teaching users the skills needed to find the information they seek.

The most traditional way that librarians provide information services is through the reference interview. A reference interview occurs whenever a library user asks a question related to an information need. The librarian then works with the user to find the answer, or any resources that may lead to the answer. During this process, the librarian will usually ask the user certain questions for clarification on what kind of information the user is looking for. This is why the process is called a reference “interview.” Reference questions asked by users can range from easier ones such as “Are there any books on gardening?” to more complex ones such as “Do you know where I can find out about the effects of the Internet on children?”

Any librarian who provides reference services should have a firm understanding of the guidelines created by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA). The most well-known of the RUSA guidelines is the “Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers” (RUSA, 2013). This document outlines the proper behavior for librarians before, during, and after the reference interview process. The most important points highlighted by the RUSA guidelines is that the librarian should be easily approachable, attentive, and non-judgmental. Furthermore, the librarian should always try to follow-up on library users after the reference interview if possible (RUSA, 2013). If time permits, it is also suggested that librarians walk users through basic search strategies; which will help users find the information they need on their own in the future. Librarians who provide reference/information services are also expected to be well-acquainted with the common reference resources—encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, government materials, and databases—in order to give library users appropriate answers to their questions (Cassell & Hiremath, 2013).

While school and academic librarians usually still receive a moderate number of reference questions, the trend in most public libraries is a decline in reference questions and an increase in readers’ advisory questions (Cassell & Hiremath, 2013). Readers’ advisory questions are questions asked by library users who want suggestions for (typically fiction) books that they will read for enjoyment. For some librarians, readers’ advisory questions can be one of the harder questions to “answer,” because of the subjectivity involved. However, providing readers’ advisory services is not much different from providing reference services. Handling a readers’ advisory question also involves engaging in an “interview” with the library user--in this case, a readers’ advisory interview. Based on the information gathered from the interview, the librarian then consults with resources such as online booklists or databases to find suitable books to suggest.

The provision of information services in libraries is often considered to be a synchronous, face-to-face transaction between the librarian and a library user. And in many libraries, this is still the case; with librarians providing their information services to library users in person. However, information services are also increasingly being provided through phone, e-mail, mobile text, and online chat services in the modern age. Librarians who manage these alternate forms of service must have a strong understanding of how communication differs between these varying types of technology. In the age of the Internet, librarians can also create tools called subject/research guides or pathfinders that are usually linked to library websites. These tools act as guides for common topics users may have questions about; and may either guide the library user through proper searching techniques, or introduce users to a collection of authoritative resources on a topic (Cassell & Hiremath, 2013). The implementation of subject guides are a common response to the demands and needs of library users, as users increasingly expect libraries to provide information services 24/7.

Coursework/Experience that Prepared Me for this Competency:

During my time in the MLIS program, Info 210 (Reference and Information Services) taught me the most about providing information services to library users. It was in this class that I learned about reference and readers’ advisory interviews, as well as useful reference sources and the existence of subject guides. I was also very fortunate to be able to shadow a public reference librarian one year ago, which gave me much real-life experience on the types of work that reference librarians engage in. My time as a library volunteer has also given me some minor experience in providing information services to the library users I interact with.

References:

Cassell, K. A., & Hiremath, U. (2013). Reference and information services: An introduction (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: Neal-Schuman.

Reference and User Services Association. (2013). Guidelines for behavioral performance of reference and information service providers. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesbehavioral

Evidence:

1. Info 210 Assignment -- "Shadowing a Reference Librarian"

My first piece of evidence for competency I is an assignment from Info 210 (Reference and Information Services). For this assignment, I shadowed a reference librarian at a public library for three hours over a period of two days. My paper is a detailed write-up of what I observed. In my paper, I also evaluated the librarian’s actions by using the RUSA guidelines for reference services. I ended my paper with a reflection and discussion of trends (in reference services). Throughout my paper, I protected the confidentiality of the librarian by only calling her “K.”

In my paper, I made note of the types of questions that K got during her shift. Most were readers’ advisory questions or were technology related. This topic was also addressed further in the discussion of trends section, establishing my understanding of the current trends for reference/information services in public libraries. In my paper, I also paired my observations of K’s actions with the RUSA guidelines that they fulfilled. This establishes my understanding of the service concepts and techniques that a reference librarian would use to connect library users with the information they need. I submit this piece of evidence towards competency I to demonstrate my ability to describe how face-to-face reference services are delivered in a public library environment.

I have included a slightly edited version of the completed assignment below. This version removes any references to the library's name. (This assignment was also used as a piece of evidence for competency N.)

2. Info 210 Evaluation of Virtual Reference Services (Discussion Post)

My second piece of evidence is a discussion post that I wrote for Info 210 (Reference and Information Services). For this discussion post, we were tasked with submitting a reference question through a type of virtual library reference service, such as an online chat service, mobile text messaging, or email. I decided to send the same question to two different public libraries: at one library I submitted the question through their mobile text services, and at another library I submitted the question through their email services. After waiting a few days (to give the libraries time to respond back), I wrote up a discussion post of my experiences.

In my discussion post, I talked about my experiences with both types of virtual services while reflecting on the RUSA guidelines for reference services. The RUSA guidelines apply to any type of reference transaction, no matter if they are in-person or done through virtual means. This establishes my understanding of the principles guiding the deliverance of information services, no matter what format they are delivered in. However, I did point out (in my discussion post) what differences there would be in the delivery of in-person reference services versus the delivery of virtual reference services. This discussion post demonstrates my knowledge of the evolving nature of information delivery services in libraries, and how it may also involve asynchronous service methods.

The discussion post can be found in the MS Word document below.

3. Info 210 Pathfinder Assignment

My final piece of evidence is a pathfinder that I developed for Info 210 (Reference and Information Services).

I created this pathfinder with public library users in mind and decided to focus on the topic of vegetarianism. I created the entire site through the Wix platform. When creating this pathfinder, I had to consider two major issues. First, I had to ensure that the website was easy to use and navigate. Pathfinders are meant to be guides, so they should be relatively intuitive to use. Keeping this in mind, I designed the website in a clean and minimalist style to avoid information overload. Secondly, I had to ensure that the resources I included in that pathfinder contained accurate and authoritative sources. When including website resources, I made sure to scan the credentials of the author(s) and/or organization. I also attempted to provide a wide-variety of resource types, including DVDs, e-audiobooks, and mobile apps. This was to give people the freedom to access vegetarian resources in any way they liked. (If I were to re-create this website now, I would have included e-book titles as well.) I submit this piece of evidence towards competency I to demonstrate my ability to design a pathfinder, which would provide asynchronous information services to public library users.

A link to the pathfinder website can be found in the document I have included below. The document itself also includes my reflections on the project and explanations of how I chose resources to add to the website, and why I chose the resources I did. This pathfinder was initially created with a real public library system in mind, although I have since revised the site so that it is now unaffiliated with any library. This process involved the removal of any links to the original library's online catalog, as well as the removal of any references to the original library's name.

Conclusion:

Reference services is an area of public librarianship that I aspire to work in. Even if I do not become a reference librarian specifically, I will likely need to provide information services as a librarian in any type of library setting. I plan to follow and regularly reference the RUSA guidelines so that I will always remember the principles that guide the delivery of information services. I also hope to participate in the creation of a subject guide or pathfinder, which would allow library users a way to access information services even when the library is closed. I will also continuously read up on new methods of delivering information services. Text and online messaging reference services may seem new now, but there are sure to be newer forms of technology in the future. In order to provide the best information services that we can as information professionals, we need to always be aware of new and upcoming trends.