A successful cross-training experience of reference service at UCLA

This paper describes a successful cross-training and reference librarian exchange experience involving two librarians at UCLA, one based at the Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library and the other based at the College Library, which primarily serves undergraduates. The experience has increased the reference skills and expertise of both librarians by introducing them to new sets of reference tools and databases, and has broadened their network of colleagues within the UCLA Library system. The participating libraries have also benefited from the exchange, and the program is expanding to include other UCLA libraries.     

Discovering How Information Seekers Seek:

The author observes that reference collections are often too large for librarians and users to learn them well and fully exploit them. Evidence suggests that many titles in what were designed to be lean "working" reference collections are rarely if ever consulted. Systematically-gathered use data are needed to guide selection and weeding decisions. Methods that have been employed to assess in-library materials use - including use of journals and circulating books as well as of reference works - are reviewed and their application to reference materials discussed. The author closes with concrete recommendations for carrying out reference collection use studies.     

The Role of Cooperation in Creating a Library Online Tutorial

SUMMARY

Reference librarians at St. Charles Community College discovered the benefits of cooperation when they began the process of creating an online library tutorial. In the fall of 1999, librarians realized that their walk-in library sessions were becoming ineffective due to poor attendance by students. The tours didn't fit into on-campus students' busy schedules, and failed to serve distance students at all. Two reference librarians decided to work together to create a web-based tutorial introducing students to library online resources. It was an informal process that started with information gathering on what tutorials exist, how they were developed and what type of software was used. After the librarians decided on the format and appropriate software, they brought together their creative and technical strengths to design an appealing and functional tutorial. To create a “virtual tour” of the library's physical layout, the librarians also collaborated with the Instructional Support Center, a group of educational technology specialists who are part of SCC's community college consortium. The tutorial was completed in only a year, partly because working in a small library allows for constant contact between the librarians, but also due to the efficiency of using cooperation. This successful collaborative project eventually won the Missouri Community College Association's 2001 Technology Innovation Award.     

Reference Librarians and Technical Services Librarians:

The relationship between reference librarians and technical services librarians has often been strained. In our changing technological and organizational environment, it is imperative that reference librarians and technical services librarians share responsibility for improving this relationship. One way for this to take place is for individuals to become more "accountable" to their colleagues. This article provides accountability guidelines for both reference and technical services librarians which, if followed, can result in increased communication and a better understanding of the roles, concerns, and needs of both reference and technical services librarians.     

Reference Ready Beyond the M.L.S.

Entry level reference librarians must make a rapid transition from the reference classroom to the scheduled service hours at the reference desk. A questionnaire was sent to academic and public librarians to ask them to list the most important items of information or abilities they find they need to teach the entry level librarian. This is a brief discussion of relevant literature and a report of the 72 per cent return on the questionnaire. Five "needs" surfaced as ranking high for each type of library with three listed in common. Some suggestions are given for developing in-service education programs for reference librarians.     

Utilizing Text Messages for Effective Outreach

ABSTRACT

As librarians strive to reach students and share reference content, text messages are a new avenue to explore. Although many libraries receive reference questions through text, few initiate the conversation. Sending text messages with video tutorials relevant to class assignments has been an effective and innovative outreach at Bethel University’s College of Professional Studies (CPS). Over three years, we have sent 1,099 text messages and 38% of the video links included were clicked. Students saw the message and clicked the link at a significantly higher rate than links inside e-mail campaigns, as compared to industry standards and CPS’s statistics. Text messages are an effective form of communication because they are prevalent, have a high likelihood of being read, and their content can be easily tailored. Students and the broader academic community do not expect a text from the library and it builds social capital with them. This social capital is a valuable benefit to librarians seeking to demonstrate their relevancy in a competitive information environment. A similar initiative could benefit several areas in an academic library. Personal librarians, first year experience librarians, distance education librarians, or librarians supporting student success could build relationships through this level of individualized contact.     

Personal Research Sets the Stage for Change

Starting in 2011, implementation of Personal Research Sessions, or PRS, not only showed librarians at the College of the Holy Cross the success of one-on-one research appointments, but also led the reference program on a path of service-centered changes. This path includes fewer hours on the physical desk, a system of on-call reference shifts, an increase in reference student worker training, a semester-to-semester increase in PRS, and new goals for assessment. The authors discuss the state of student research at Holy Cross and their approach to reference service.     

基于网络调查的图书馆咨询服务研究

论文通过网络调查的方式,对国内外40所知名图书馆的咨询服务现状进行调查,并通过若干典型案例得出了一些改进图书馆咨询服务工作的启示：图书馆应拓展咨询服务方式,积极利用社交网络工具开展咨询,重视图书馆主页及咨询页面的实用性、美观性和亲和力,加强特色服务和校友服务,加强馆员培训,建立与用户沟通的长效机制,提高咨询服务质量。     

The 21st Century Reference Department

Abstract

Reference service in academic libraries has evolved over the years from what was the “reference interview” to the kind of service transaction which takes many forms and involves numerous information resources and the highest librarian expertise in some situations. Reference is more versatile now than ever, and this may be attributed to the abundance of resources and the multitude of ways librarians can acquire access to needed information. Coordination of efforts, expertise, and resources can make a great reference department function efficiently and effectively. College and university libraries with huge reference departments may need reference managers or heads of reference to manage them, but there are smaller libraries with small reference departments which employ less than five reference librarians. Managing these small libraries with an even smaller pool of reference librarians may not seem as complicated as managing large ones.

The head of reference position is an important one in the library, both for the staff and for the users served. This article will try to present views on the qualities, qualifications, and requirements which the head of reference should possess in the 21st century.     

Challenges Faced by Reference Librarians in Familiarizing Adult Students with the Computerized Library of Today: The Cuesta College Experience

Summary

Adult students face several challenges in their encounters with the new computerized library of today. Having been out of school for several years many adult students are unfamiliar with the computerized revolution that has taken place within the library. Reference librarians on the other hand, face several challenges in helping adult students become familiarized with the new technologies. This article discusses some of the challenges both adult students and reference librarians face at Cuesta College, a mid-size community college in San Luis Obispo, California. Successful techniques for addressing some of these challenges are also exemplified.     

Crossing Three Bridges: Linking Librarianship and Teaching Across the P-16 Educational Continuum

SUMMARY

Georgia State University Library's Education and Communication liaisons teamed up to teach a graduate course on the selection and use of reference resources for the College of Education's Library Media Technology Program. The collaboration between these two librarians can serve as a model for collaboration on three levels: collaboration between two librarians as co-teachers; collaboration between university librarians and academic department faculty; and, finally, “collaboration across work places” between academic librarians and school media specialists in P-12 settings. Unique challenges, benefits, and possibilities for this type of collaborative effort are examined.     

Wired New Jersey: Q and A NJ

SUMMARY

Q and A NJ is New Jersey's virtual reference service. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and free to all New Jersey residents, the service provides online reference assistance in real time from librarians across the state. New Jersey was the first state in the country to offer such service. This article looks at the history of the service, what it's like to be a virtual librarian, and presents a brief survey of the librarians participating in Q and A NJ.     

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本文通过分析读者和参考咨询人员各自的心理、生理特点及行为规律,探讨了各自对参考咨询环境的不同要求。并以此为基础,本着以读者为中心、兼顾参考咨询人员的原则,提出了一种理想参考咨询环境的基本模式。     

Impact and Implications of a Library-Use Integrated Education Program

The reactions to a Graduate Council recommendation for the removal of professional librarians from scheduled duty at the reference desks are reported and the effects of its implementation on reference-related activities, such as bibliographic instruction, are explored. The genesis and development of a pilot program of course-integrated bibliographic instruction for the College of Education at Brigham Young University are described as is the impact the program has already had on the library. Plans for future directions of the program are discussed and the implications for the library are considered.     

Readin', Writtin' [sic], 'Rithmetic

Abstract

Much has been written about the education of reference librarians. Lamentations have been long, frequent and loud regarding library school education, and on-the-job training. Little, however, has been written about the education of librarians before they reach library school. If predictions regarding education are only half true, the future pool of reference librarians will be shallow indeed. Moreover, it is not entirely out of the question that those remaining in the pool may be so poorly educated as to require not on-the-job training, but a remedial education so extensive as to foreclose real on-the-job training for several years. Definition of the problem coupled with focused follow-up may help current reference librarians prepare now for the not-so-rosy future we may inherit.     

Building Alliances:

College librarians are convinced that using the library is an essential part of a college education, a conviction not necessarily shared by faculty. Integrating library research into courses can be especially difficult at community colleges where faculty have heavy course loads and the curricula are very practical. However, at Hudson Valley Community College, library skills are now part of the College Objectives as well as the English Composition syllabus. Library assignments occur in most general education courses and are the means for adding general education concepts to courses in technology, sciences, business, etc. The librarians have found that by building alliances with the faculty, they can take advantage of opportunities to build library skills into the curricula.     

Rethinking library service to distance education students: analyzing the embedded librarian model

Since fall 2009, reference librarians at The George Washington University's Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library have been embedded in online classes through Blackboard within the School of Nursing and School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The authors sought to determine the types of questions asked of the librarian, with the goal of informing future interactions with distance education classes to help develop a standard "protocol" for working with this population of students. Eighty-two questions were categorized and qualitatively analyzed. The findings have prompted librarians to explore tools such as Elluminate Live!, a tool that allows librarians to provide synchronous instruction within the Blackboard environment.     

Books Effectively Censored: Discrimination at a University Library: Alumni the Target

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study performed on the interlibrary loan patron request records at the library of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, an urban commuter college with a specialized curriculum. The findings suggest that the increasing availability of electronic full-text resources has had a significant impact on the volume of faculty and graduate student interlibrary loan borrowing of nonreturnable, photocopied materials. This appears to be the case across disciplines and regardless of the currency of the needed materials. The downward trend in demand for these materials may be outpacing actual full-text availability. This may suggest that content is being replaced with convenience. This could have implications for reference librarians and their role in the research process. Declining demand may also provide interlibrary loan librarians and their staff opportunities to alter their services and develop new skills.     

The Fragile Allure of Reference

In spite of sometimes difficult working conditions, reference services continue to have an allure, both for prospective and experienced librarians. This attraction is explained in terms of a number of factors, including the archetypal role of reference, the various roles public service librarians perform, the positive feedback they experience, the different work rhythm of a reference desk, and the "encounters with reality" the desk provides. Yet the allure is fragile, and the same factors that give the reference desk its attraction also threaten the pleasures it can provide.