A Profession Without Limits: The Changing Role of Reference Librarians

ABSTRACT

Reference librarians, specifically those working in academic health sciences environments, have expanded their roles and taken on new and unique responsibilities. While librarians at The George Washington University’s Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library continue to provide traditional reference services, they have gone beyond their comfort zone in many cases to become involved in activities that are outside of the librarian’s established role. This article describes the current roles of Himmelfarb’s reference librarians, as well as the way these librarians prepared for these roles and addressed the associated challenges.     

LibGuides: Customizing Subject Guides for Individual Courses

Reference librarians at East Tennessee State University's Sherrod Library identified LibGuides as an efficient way to introduce undergraduate students, particularly those in their first two years of college, to the university library. Selecting pertinent library resources based on a course syllabus and creating a LibGuide for the course provides the students with a limited number of relevant materials. Librarians and professors view the use of subject guides attached to a course management system site as an effective educational solution. Librarians facing exponentially expanding resources and first-year students who are used to turning to Google for all their information needs can utilize LibGuides to guide students toward more relevant library resources.     

Integrating Informal Professional Development into the Work of Reference

Abstract

The dynamic environment of reference work demands that reference staff engage in ongoing professional development opportunities. The Bio-Medical Library at the University of Minnesota offers an informal, flexible, and highly interactive professional development program for those who staff the Reference Desk. The program, suitable for librarians and paraprofessionals at all levels of experience, combines a variety of opportunities, among them e-sessions on new tools, a review of basic Reference Desk competencies, a summer search camp, and a Library Staff Resources web site.     

A Pedagogical Model

Reference workshops offer an important continuing education option for librarians. The planning, organization, and implementation of an assignment based program for the reference personnel of the Queens Borough Public Library is described. Participant evaluations are analyzed and presented with recommendations for future learning activities. The workshop format is presented in detail as a pedagogical model to be replicated or modified in other library environments.     

美、英、澳国家图书馆参考咨询服务政策比较研究

指出参考咨询服务是各级公共图书馆的重要业务之一,一直为图书馆界所重视,而国家图书馆的参考咨询服务政策具有很强的示范效应,往往为各图书馆所仿效。以美国国会图书馆、英国大英图书馆及澳大利亚国家图书馆为研究对象,由参考咨询服务政策分析比较国家图书馆对于服务对象与范围的界定,并藉此针对我国图书馆参考咨询服务的发展提出相关意见建议。     

Nursing Reference Center: A Point-of-Care Resource

Nursing Reference Center is a point-of-care resource designed for the practicing nurse, as well as nursing administrators, nursing faculty, and librarians. Users can search across multiple resources, including topical Quick Lessons, evidence-based care sheets, patient education materials, practice guidelines, and more. Additional features include continuing education modules, e-books, and a new iPhone application. A sample search and comparison with similar databases were conducted.     

Cooperative Reference and Collection Development: The Science and Technology Group at the University of Tennessee Libraries

SUMMARY

The science and technology subject group within the reference department of the University of Tennessee Libraries brings together librarians from reference and other departments who have collection development and subject liaison duties. The authors describe the group's composition and explain how the sci/tech librarians work cooperatively toward goals set by both the Libraries' Reference & Instructional Services and Collection Development & Management departments. The sci/tech group's primary cooperative functions are to facilitate librarians' mutual assistance in organizing projects, share insights for reference and collection development/management activities, plan instruction efforts, discuss web site development, promote mastery of resources and tools, and address other concerns. The subject group enables librarians to clarify plans and procedures and to come to grips with complicated budget matters. A fundamental benefit of group discussions is that they provide an opportunity to explore viewpoints from librarians outside the reference team, leading to more well-rounded decisions. Together with the other subject groups, the sci/tech librarians and their coordinator identify major needs for information and work to provide solutions that improve library services to the academic community.     

DEVELOPMENT OF A SUBJECT INDEX IN FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY

Forensic psychiatry, a multi-disciplinary field, presents research problems for practitioners and librarians. Subject indexes for the field cover each discipline separately, making a literature search or current awareness program difficult. The Samuel Bellet Library, located at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, developed its own index to combat this problem. The index provides access to articles in the Library's journals and identifies articles to interest to Library users in other journals. Through monthly updates, distributed to Library users, the index is kept current as are the users. Reaction to the project has been positive; it functions well both as a literature search tool and as a current awareness program.     

Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences: an interview with Jo Anne Boorkman, Jeffrey T. Huber and Fred W. Roper. Interview by Elizabeth Connor

Few works serve as solid a framework for the field of health sciences librarianship or provide as many insights and detailed knowledge as Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences. Now in its fourth edition, the book's editors and contributors represent an impressive range of experience, expertise, and subject knowledge appreciated by practicing librarians in a variety of settings and by students of health sciences librarianship. Jo Anne Boorkman, Jeffrey T. Huber, and Fred W. Roper answered a series of questions about the latest edition of this seminal work, and offered opinions about reference works, services, and librarians.     

Cost-effective ways of delivering enquiry services: a rapid review

Background: In the recent times of recession and budget cuts, it is more important than ever for library and information services to deliver cost‐effective services. Objectives: This rapid review aims to examine the evidence for the most cost‐effective ways of delivering enquiry services. Methods: A literature search was conducted on LISA (Library and Information Sciences Abstracts) and MEDLINE. Searches were limited to 2007 onwards. Results: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies covered hospital and academic libraries in the USA and Canada. Services analysed were ‘point‐of‐care’ librarian consultations, staffing models for reference desks and virtual/digital reference services. Conclusions: Transferable lessons, relevant to health library and information services generally, can be drawn from this rapid review. These suggest that ‘point‐of‐care’ librarians for primary care practitioners are a cost‐effective way of answering questions. Reference desks can be cost‐effectively staffed by student employees or general reference staff, although librarian referral must be provided for more complex and subject‐specific enquiries. However, it is not possible to draw any conclusions on virtual/digital reference services because of the limited literature available. Further case analysis studies measuring specific services, particularly enquiry services within a health library and information context, are required.     

Do-it-Yourself Computer Searching:

Many new microcomputer users are looking to libraries and librarians for assistance in getting started with online searching. The authors describe the objectives and content of an initial presentation on do-it-yourself online searching given to interested patrons at the J. Hillis Miller Health Center Library. The future role of the health sciences librarian in the education of end user searchers is discussed.     

Valuing Diversity:

Penfield Library at SUNY Oswego is in its fourth year of an innovative program to bring cultural diversity to its reference services. Jointly sponsored by the Library and the Office of Learning Support Services, the Library Reference Assistant (LRA) Program recruits and instructs students of color and non-traditional students in assesting librarians at the Reference Desk. Involving these students in the process of providing reference services makes a strong statement about our confidence in their ability to succeed and to serve as role models for non-traditional students and students of color. The sucess of the LRA Program has required a strong commitment on the part of both librarians and student participants in the development and implementation of this program. The LRA Program is serving as a model for similar programs in other SUNY libraries.     

从《图书馆服务宣言》看参考咨询馆员的角色定位

2008年10月,中国图书馆学会发布了《图书馆服务宣言》,它是我国图书馆界对社会作出的郑重承诺。在此背景下,对参考咨询馆员的角色进行分析,指出其在图书馆服务工作中扮演着重要的角色,即参考咨询馆员应成为图书馆良好社会形象的塑造者和提高图书馆社会地位的积极实践者。     

Training at the postgraduate level for medical librarians: a review.

Postgraduate education for medical librarians is approachable from several perspectives, including internships, certificate programs, and continuing education programs. The diverse population of medical library personnel calls for a varied yet coordinated system of postgraduate education involving the Medical Library Association, regional medical libraries, library schools, and the National Library of Medical, in addition to active participation by all librarians in the health sciences field. Basic philosophies for each of the major types of programs are discussed and recommendations for future training of health sciences librarians are provided.     

Kansas Regional Medical Program Library Services

The Kansas Regional Medical Program Office for Library Services was developed to link the medical library resources and to make them available to health-related personnel throughout Kansas. Library offices have been established at the Central Kansas Medical Center, Great Bend, Stormont Medical Library, Topeka, and at the Wichita State University, Wichita. The main office, located at the Clendening Medical Library, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, provides medical library services to those three offices, the other medical libraries in Kansas, and to the health professionals in the state who do not have medical library resources available. Reference requests are accepted via a twenty-four-hour telephone service from medical librarians and from individual health professionals.     

俄亥俄州立大学健康科学图书馆咨询团队运行实例研究

由于用户教育的需求不断增长以及全体馆员的支持,1998年俄亥俄州立大学健康科学图书馆正式组建了咨询团队。该团队由副馆长、教育协调员、存取服务负责人、外展服务协调员和咨询台协调员组成。团队运行遵循六条准则。团队通常两个月召开一次例行会议,团队的绩效评估主要是针对团队个体成员实施年度考核而不再对其进行额外的团队评估。团队的绩效体现在参考咨询服务质量和参考咨询管理水平的提高以及用户教育的改善。     

网络环境下对学科馆员的再思考

从两个方面论述学科馆员在图书馆所扮演的重要角色。在网络环境下学科馆员不仅充当着联络馆员、咨询馆员和采访馆员的 角色,他们同时还以学科研究员的身份研究新形势下学科的变化趋势。另外,认为学科馆员的建设不仅需要学科馆员提高自身的素质, 改变服务理念,国家也应采取相应的运行模式来促进学科馆员的制度建设。     

Not All Library Analytics are Created Equal: LibAnswers to the Rescue!

The reasons for implementing and the advantages of switching to the Reference Analytics system, a part of the Springshare LibAnswers platform, for collecting reference statistics at a three-campus university library are described. The benefits of using this web-based product are highlighted based on the comparison with the previously used analytical tools and the annual statistical data. Transitioning to Reference Analytics allowed librarians to take advantage of such features, as seamless access to reference transactions, easy customization, cross-tabulation, and data visualization, proving beneficial for overall library reference services.     

Current Issues in Music Reference

Abstract

The climate of change in music reference represents a challenge to librarians. The three issues in the library literature that probably have the greatest impact on music reference service and are the subject of this paper are changes in users, sources, and modes of access to sources. These three issues are certainly related, as users need to use sources, and they need to know how to access them in order to use them. Reference librarians are called upon to mediate this process. Music library collections have their own peculiarities, however. Because they contain a wider variety of materials than many other kinds of library collections, reference librarians for music collections must be aware of the format, content, and intended uses of these materials, as well as the research patterns of their patrons. In the recent past, as cultural norms have changed with the paradigm of Western culture, users have wanted to use music libraries in new ways, and librarians are challenged to accommodate them. The musical genres used and requested by today's library patrons are different than they once were, both for listening and for academic study. Musical reference sources are being issued in electronic formats, and this represents a challenge for some users. The expanded use of interlibrary loan and electronic access to materials represents new opportunities and challenges. Music librarians are being called upon to provide services to patrons they may never see.