Stress Relief: Help for the Technophobic Patron from the Reference Desk

Summary

Although much has been written on technophobia and how it can be treated, little has been published on how the reference librarian can help. Limiting the time spent introducing new technologies, speaking without using computer jargon, offering instruction through different learning styles, and preparing patrons to deal with the problems they encounter are a few of the strategies the reference librarian can do to help patrons deal with their fear of computers. This article examines and defines technophobia, offers short-term strategies that reference staff can use to alleviate the anxiety of their technophobic patrons, and finally touches upon long-term solutions and changes that can be made within the library environment itself.     

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.     

Telephone Calls Received at an Academic Library's Reference Desk: A New Analysis

ABSTRACT

It has been established that much of the assistance provided to library patrons at reference desks does not require the knowledge and expertise of a professional librarian. Is the same thing true of the telephone calls received at reference desks in academic libraries? This article reports the results of one academic librarian's reference desk transaction log analysis which focuses on the categories of assistance provided to patrons who called the library's reference desk.     

馆员在数字参考咨询服务中的行为规范

介绍了目前国际、国内数字参考咨询指南制定情况，并针对我国数字参考服务的现状，建议我国图书馆界应该制定切实可行的数字参考咨询指南。     

Reference by Your Side: Redesigning the Library Help Desk

ABSTRACT

This bibliographic essay examines recent (1994–2006) research into the evaluation of reference effectiveness. Different methods for evaluating traditional in-person reference services are compared and contrasted from an unobtrusive or obtrusive methodology perspective, including those that use the “Willingness to Return” factor and the Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation Program (WOREP). A review of emerging trends is provided as well as recommendations for future research.     

Doing It All: First Year Challenges for New Academic Reference Librarians

ABSTRACT

The article suggests ways in which new academic reference librarians can carve out a niche within the larger field of librarian-ship. The author recommends that these new professionals first identify areas of specialization within their departments, which they can later extend to their libraries, colleges or universities, communities, state, region, and nation.     

Library LAWLINE: Collaborative Virtual Reference in a Special Library Consortium

SUMMARY

This article details the planning, design, and implementation of a collaborative virtual reference project undertaken by a group of law libraries. Service design, scheduling, and software selection are addressed. Outcomes and changes to the service after its first year are outlined, and recommendations are made to those considering implementing similar services.     

Reference for the Remote User Through Embedded Librarianship

Embedded librarians serve an important role in assisting remote users. Despite the varying degrees of embeddedness, all maintain the goal of ensuring the same high-quality reference and instruction services that users have come to expect from the traditional library setting. Embedded librarians select and use technology that most effectively meets the needs of this unique user group. This technology can include the library Web site, course management systems, research guides, lecture and screen capture software, remote reference (including telephone, chat, and email), web conferencing, online survey tools, citation management, and social media.     

Managing an Academic Reference Department

Abstract

To be an effective academic head of reference in the 21st century will require many of the same characteristics and skills necessary in the 20th century. While the traditional ways of providing reference services are changing, the fundamental need to provide access to information remains, and effective utilization of staff and other resources is paramount. Balancing the increasing pressures from shrinking budgets, growing costs, proliferation of expensive electronic resources, and high expectations from faculty and students creates a greater need for strong management expertise. The head of reference must be both an exceptional manager and an exceptional librarian.     

Adding Value at the Desk: How Technology and User Expectations are Changing Reference Work

The notion of what reference service ought to be continues to change as technology provides new ways to interact with users and alters their expectations of the library and librarians. As new tools for interaction become available, it is critical that librarians continuously evaluate their effectiveness at providing users with a valuable service that meets the needs of the community being served. By assessing tools and techniques in light of user expectations and satisfaction, librarians can come up with unique service programs that also incorporate their own knowledge and interpersonal skills.     

Instructing College Students on the Ethics of Information Use at the Reference Desk: A Guide and Literature Review

As educators and members of the academic community, reference librarians should take a proactive stance toward instructing students about the ethics of information use. The authors summarize the best practices found in the existing library literature, consider the context of ethical information use from a global perspective, and make an argument for the role of librarians. Our goal is to provide a guide for librarians attempting to successfully integrate ethical issues, such as intellectual property and academic integrity, into their reference instruction.     

Excellent Care for Cancer Survivors: A Guide to Fully Meet Their Needs in Medical Offices and in the Community edited by Kenneth Miller

ABSTRACT

A new librarian offers advice and insights about what she has learned from working at a library within a health science center. The librarian earned her MLIS in spring 2015, and while she had previous teaching experience, she realized there was much more learning needed to properly teach medical, graduate and allied health students, faculty, and residents. In this “one-year on the job” column, the librarian describes the different teaching experiences today’s librarians encounter, and reflects on what she has learned from them and how they shape her view of the profession.     

Using Google Scholar at the Reference Desk

ABSTRACT

Google Scholar has multiple uses as a reference tool of last resort, including citation completion, an alternative when catalogs are down, and interdisciplinary metasearching and database suggestion. During the reference desk transaction, users can be taught effective Google Scholar search techniques such as advanced search functionality and the nuances of results' groupings. In addition, reference desk interactions with Google Scholar give insight for instructional workshops.     

Simplifying Electronic Reference

ABSTRACT

Utah State University has successfully implemented a service that incorporates e-mail reference and an appointment-based model. The advantages of the Term Paper & Research Assistance service are reviewed. The program incorporates a great deal of flexibility for the participating librarians and the clients they serve and eliminates the need for a “coordinator.” Use statistics and positive student feedback have underscored the service's potential for future growth.     

Answering Copyright Questions at the Reference Desk: A Guide for Academic Librarians

Copyright compliance is a major issue in higher education, and academic librarians are being approached more frequently by students and instructors with questions as to how copyrighted works can be legally used for teaching and research. This article provides a brief orientation to U.S. Copyright Law and introduces print and online resources librarians can refer patrons to in order to make informed decisions regarding the use of copyrighted works.     

高校图书馆虚拟参考咨询服务对学生信息查询行为的指导策略

高校图书馆虚拟参考咨询服务是支持学生学习的一个重要途径,文章基于教育学原理总结出一些参考咨询员可以用来提升学生信息查询行为的指导策略,在提供咨询服务的同时,激发学生的学习积极性和实践能力,从而提升其信息查询能力。     

Reference Desks in Public Libraries: What Happens and What To Know

With staffing and funding shortages and rapidly changing expectations from patrons, what is actually happening at the reference desk in today’s libraries? Understanding the needs today’s reference librarians face can be useful in developing ways to support those needs. Asking them to make some predictions on the future of public library reference work gives Library and Information Science (LIS) students, and libraries preparing for the future, a valuable look at the expertise provided by experience. This understanding will help make some realistic decisions about reference staffing and service needs and provide some guidance for those aspiring to careers in public library reference.     

The Information Explosion and the Adult Learner: Implications for Reference Librarians

Summary

In looking for answers to their learning and information needs, adult learners face an information explosion as one component of their complex world. While adult learners represent a wide variety of developmental stages, for information literacy, for a successful search for electronic information, each one must learn to cope with the burgeoning explosion of information. This paper explores the challenges of information gathering and examines the specific needs and characteristics of the adult learner in relation to information gathering. It presents strategies to assist the reference librarian in developing the necessary skills as well as methods to assist the adult learner.     

The Education of a Twentieth-Century Law Librarian

The author interweaves the story of his professional career and the development of the modern universe of digital information. Early days, beginning as a library assistant are carried through the first professional job at the University of Illinois, Champain–Urbana.     

Taking Time for Legal Research Instruction at the Reference Desk

Summary

This article asks whether the law governing public access to judicial opinions mandates citation reform. An overview of the citation reform issue is provided followed by a discussion of various legal theories that may support the need for citation reform. The author includes considerations of the First Amendment, Substantive and Procedural Due Process, Equal Protection, The Freedom of Information Act and Copyright Law as well as state statutory provisions and the general common law.