Reference interview
Encyclopedia
A reference interview is a conversation between a librarian
and a library
user, usually at a reference desk
, in which the librarian responds to the user's initial explanation of his or her information need by first attempting to clarify that need and then by directing the user to appropriate information resources.
According to ODLIS, the reference interview is "the interpersonal communication that occurs between a reference librarian and a library user to determine the person's specific information need(s), which may turn out to be different from the reference question as initially posed...A reference interview may occur in person, by telephone, or electronically (usually via e-mail) at the request of the user, but a well-trained reference librarian will sometimes initiate communication if a hesitant user appears to need assistance".
These stages may occur in loops, for example when a clarification of the question leads to the need to establish more background information on the query topic. These steps are designed to put the user at their ease, and then help ensure that they have correctly explained what they require. When the reference librarian believes that the query is fully understood, they attempt to provide resources that help satisfy it. An important and often overlooked final step is checking that the information or service provided was indeed what the library user required.
Librarians use many techniques to help identify a user’s information need. With body language, repetition and paraphrasing of what the user says, the interviewer can encourage the user to give more information about what they need. Asking open questions establishes context and helps to identify exactly what is required. A lack of follow-up, or checking that the user found what they required, is arguably one of the most common mistakes made in the reference interview.
Many of the techniques used in the reference interview are geared towards developing a badly-formed query until a sense of the user's true information need is gained. A great degree of care must be taken when helping users to develop their query. The librarian typically has little insight into the social and psychological barriers that might be preventing the user from explaining their question accurately. Anything from anxiety from an approaching deadline to lack of confidence with language can get in the way.
In this instance, answering the stated question literally (e.g. "The history books are on the 6th floor of the main library.") will not satisfy the user's information needs. More dialog is required to determine the underlying question.
and instant messaging
.
Uptake of virtual reference has not been as swift as some had predicted. The complexity of virtual reference may be to blame, as users want information quickly and with the minimum of fuss. Some evidence suggests that the problem lies with poor uptake and training among library staff.
suggest that only around 55% to 65% of users leave a reference interview satisfied with the result and willing to return. Demographics, social factors and users’ preconceptions about libraries all contribute to this figure. Embarrassment, shyness, and anxiety can prevent a user from approaching the reference desk, and poor signposting and explanation of services can mean that some customers aren't aware that the reference service exists. To be as effective as possible, libraries must be proactive in publicising their services and reducing the stigma of asking for help.
, a successful reference interview may empower users to confidently make such decisions in their lives.
2. In an unobtrusive study of reference service in Suffolk County public libraries on Long Island, Thomas Childers (1978) instructed surrogate users to pose "escalator" questions, starting initially with a broad request so that librarians would have to use probes to discover the specific questions the users really wanted answered. No matter how general the initial question was, in 67 percent of the cases library staff members asked no questions to clarify what information was required. The result was that these staff members got to the last step-the real question only 20 percent of the time and hardly ever provided an accurate answer. By contrast, the third who did that did use probes to arrive at the specific question provided an accurate answer 62 percent of the time.
3. Accuracy is highly prized by librarians, but it is not the only, or even the most important, element that users look for: Users want information packaged in a certain format; they want it within a specified period of time; they want it in a certain amount; and above all they want it not to take more than a certain amount of effort to get it. Depending on their purpose, users may be quite satisfied with ballpark answers and won't require anything more exact. Part of conducting the Reference interview successfully is to find out how finely-grained the helpful answer needs to be. Matthew Saxton and John Richardson (2002) found that public library users were highly satisfied with the service despite lack of accuracy. Fifteen percent were highly satisfied even when they didn't find everything they needed. Three percent were highly satisfied even when the response they received was later judged to be inaccurate. Three percent were highly satisfied even when they didn't find anything useful. These findings provide more evidence to suggest that accuracy is not the only indicator for satisfaction.
Nonverbal Skills
Verbal Skills
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
and a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
user, usually at a reference desk
Library reference desk
The reference desk or information desk of a library is a public service counter where professional librarians provide library users with direction to library materials, advice on library collections and services, and expertise on multiple kinds of information from multiple sources.- Explanation...
, in which the librarian responds to the user's initial explanation of his or her information need by first attempting to clarify that need and then by directing the user to appropriate information resources.
Definition
Bopp & Smith (1995) defines the reference interview as the "conversation between a member of the library reference staff and a library user for the purpose of clarifying the user’s needs and aiding the user in meeting those needs".According to ODLIS, the reference interview is "the interpersonal communication that occurs between a reference librarian and a library user to determine the person's specific information need(s), which may turn out to be different from the reference question as initially posed...A reference interview may occur in person, by telephone, or electronically (usually via e-mail) at the request of the user, but a well-trained reference librarian will sometimes initiate communication if a hesitant user appears to need assistance".
Parts of a reference interview
The reference interview is structured to help the librarian provide answers to the library user. In general, the interview is composed of the following stages.- Welcoming
- Gathering general information from the user and getting an overview of the problem
- Confirming the exact question
- Intervention, such as giving information, advice or instructions
- Finishing, including feedback and summary
These stages may occur in loops, for example when a clarification of the question leads to the need to establish more background information on the query topic. These steps are designed to put the user at their ease, and then help ensure that they have correctly explained what they require. When the reference librarian believes that the query is fully understood, they attempt to provide resources that help satisfy it. An important and often overlooked final step is checking that the information or service provided was indeed what the library user required.
Reference interview techniques
The purpose behind the reference interview structure is to ensure that the library user's information need is satisfied. The librarian can use a number of interview techniques to help identify the user's exact need. Poor reference interview skills may lead to misinterpretation of the real question, a lack of real help and an unsatisfied library user.Librarians use many techniques to help identify a user’s information need. With body language, repetition and paraphrasing of what the user says, the interviewer can encourage the user to give more information about what they need. Asking open questions establishes context and helps to identify exactly what is required. A lack of follow-up, or checking that the user found what they required, is arguably one of the most common mistakes made in the reference interview.
Forming the query
One of the biggest problems with providing an effective reference service is that of badly-formed queries. In this instance, the user's reference question doesn't match up to the information they actually need. Badly-formed queries may lead to user frustration, as they perceive that the reference interview is not solving their problem.Many of the techniques used in the reference interview are geared towards developing a badly-formed query until a sense of the user's true information need is gained. A great degree of care must be taken when helping users to develop their query. The librarian typically has little insight into the social and psychological barriers that might be preventing the user from explaining their question accurately. Anything from anxiety from an approaching deadline to lack of confidence with language can get in the way.
Example
- User asks: "Where are the history books?"
- Actual information need: Scholarly journal articles on the impact of the stirrup on the Norman Conquest.
In this instance, answering the stated question literally (e.g. "The history books are on the 6th floor of the main library.") will not satisfy the user's information needs. More dialog is required to determine the underlying question.
The virtual reference interview
As libraries have begun to adopt technology into their operations, the idea of the virtual reference interview has come to light. Virtual reference is a reference service initiated electronically, often in real-time. The user and librarian do not meet face-to-face. Virtual reference services can be conducted, for example, in internet chat, videoconferencing, email, cobrowsingCobrowsing
Co-browsing, in the context of web browsing, is the joint navigation through the Internet by two or more people accessing the same web pages at the same time....
and instant messaging
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
.
Uptake of virtual reference has not been as swift as some had predicted. The complexity of virtual reference may be to blame, as users want information quickly and with the minimum of fuss. Some evidence suggests that the problem lies with poor uptake and training among library staff.
Library users and reference services
Library users are not always comfortable with reference services, let alone satisfied with them. Unobtrusive user studiesUnobtrusive measures
Unobtrusive research is a method of data collection used primarily in the social sciences. The term "unobtrusive measures" was first coined by Webb, Campbell, Schwartz, & Sechrest in a 1966 book titled Unobtrusive Meaures: nonreactive research in the social sciences...
suggest that only around 55% to 65% of users leave a reference interview satisfied with the result and willing to return. Demographics, social factors and users’ preconceptions about libraries all contribute to this figure. Embarrassment, shyness, and anxiety can prevent a user from approaching the reference desk, and poor signposting and explanation of services can mean that some customers aren't aware that the reference service exists. To be as effective as possible, libraries must be proactive in publicising their services and reducing the stigma of asking for help.
Usefulness of the reference interview
For a long time, the value of the reference interview has stood unquestioned. More recently, with technological developments streamlining some of the tasks which once comprised the interview, some researchers are beginning to question the validity of the reference interview, and the investment that a reference librarian represents. Others argue that reference services should broaden their target audience. As people increasingly use the internet to make major, life-affecting decisions, so they also require the services of professionals who are able to provide help in this environment. If this proves to be the case, it will become more vital that the reference interview is conducted professionally and successfully. In the age of information overloadInformation overload
"Information overload" is a term popularized by Alvin Toffler in his bestselling 1970 book Future Shock. It refers to the difficulty a person can have understanding an issue and making decisions that can be caused by the presence of too much information...
, a successful reference interview may empower users to confidently make such decisions in their lives.
Did you know? (A few interesting facts about librarians and the reference interview)
1. Herbert White (1992) says that librarians need to emphasize their strengths. As computers increasingly take over clerical tasks that computers are good at, librarians should focus attention on aspects of service involving human communication that computers can't do well, Let computers get involved in document identification, document delivery, overdue notices, interlibrary loans and cataloguing, White argues, and let librarians take a proactive role in information intermediation, making the reference interview even more important.2. In an unobtrusive study of reference service in Suffolk County public libraries on Long Island, Thomas Childers (1978) instructed surrogate users to pose "escalator" questions, starting initially with a broad request so that librarians would have to use probes to discover the specific questions the users really wanted answered. No matter how general the initial question was, in 67 percent of the cases library staff members asked no questions to clarify what information was required. The result was that these staff members got to the last step-the real question only 20 percent of the time and hardly ever provided an accurate answer. By contrast, the third who did that did use probes to arrive at the specific question provided an accurate answer 62 percent of the time.
3. Accuracy is highly prized by librarians, but it is not the only, or even the most important, element that users look for: Users want information packaged in a certain format; they want it within a specified period of time; they want it in a certain amount; and above all they want it not to take more than a certain amount of effort to get it. Depending on their purpose, users may be quite satisfied with ballpark answers and won't require anything more exact. Part of conducting the Reference interview successfully is to find out how finely-grained the helpful answer needs to be. Matthew Saxton and John Richardson (2002) found that public library users were highly satisfied with the service despite lack of accuracy. Fifteen percent were highly satisfied even when they didn't find everything they needed. Three percent were highly satisfied even when the response they received was later judged to be inaccurate. Three percent were highly satisfied even when they didn't find anything useful. These findings provide more evidence to suggest that accuracy is not the only indicator for satisfaction.
12 things needed to conduct a successful interview
It can be divided into two categories:Nonverbal Skills
- Eye contact
- Gestures
- Posture
- Facial expression and tone of voice
Verbal Skills
- Remembering
- Avoiding premature diagnoses
- Reflecting feelings verbally
- Restating content
- Using encouragers
- Closing
- Giving opinions and suggestions
- Asking open questions
External links
- Ohio Reference Excellence
- Ranasinghe, W.M.T.D. Reference Interview in LISWiki
- Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers