1. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Libraries Instructor: Dave Tyckoson davety@csufresno.edu An Infopeople Workshop Winter 2007/2008

2. Workshop Overview Why reference interview? –behavioral guidelines Approachability Communication issues –verbal –nonverbal Tips and techniques for success Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff

3. Academic Community Students –undergraduate –graduate Faculty Staff/Administration Alumni Unaffiliated users Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff

4. Evaluation Methods Unobtrusive –55% rule Obtrusive Willingness to Return Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation Program (WOREP) –worep.library.kent.edu/worep.library.kent.edu/

5. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff ALA/RUSA Behavioral Guidelines www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaprotools/ referenceguide/guidelinesbehavioral.cfm

6. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Behavioral Guidelines Approachability Interest Listening/Inquiring Searching Follow-up

7. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Approachability Hierarchy Approachable Behaviors (% Selected) Standing and Eye Contact 90% Helping Another Patron 12% Standing and Writing 11% Sitting and Eye Contact 10% Using the Computer 10% Reading 5% Talking on the Phone 1%

8. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Remote Approachability Is your phone tree easily navigable? Can your users find your service?

9. Telephone Reference Serving remote users since the 1920s More limited application than in-person reference Barriers –Telephone trees –Voice mail Answer the damn phone! Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff

10. Online Approachability

11. Verbal Communication Words Tone Listening and questioning skills Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff

12. Reassuring Statements Reassuring statements –Let the patron know that they have come to the right place Yes, we have that kind of information. Sure, we have academic journals.

13. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Open-ended Questions Open-ended questions –Broaden the search –Gather more information Can you tell me more about your topic? What about [insert subject here] would you like to find?

14. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Closed-ended Questions Closed-ended questions –Narrow the search –Specify limits to the search Do you want books or journals? Is this for an assignment? Do you want current or historical data?

15. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Neutral Questions Neutral questioning –Avoid judgmental statements What do you want that for? Have you looked in the catalog? Why do you want that information?

16. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Restating the Question Restatement of the search query –Reflect back to the patron –Ensures good communication So you are looking for the effect of abc on xyz during the twentieth century. Is that correct?

17. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Nonverbal Communication Facial expressions Gestures Posture Confidence/hesitancy Accompanying materials Belonging to the community

18. Follow-up Go back to your users Acknowledge the users Ask if they are satisfied Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff

19. Roving Reference Go where the users are Walk around Reach out electronically Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff

20. Chat/Instant Messenger Use frequent short communication Be aware of computer problems “Push” as little as possible Pick up the phone when necessary Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff

21. Tips and Techniques Involve the user –Engage the user –Reference is a dialog –Discussion, not interrogation

22. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Tips and Techniques Get off your butt (or out of the chat box) Take the user to the source Roving reference Provide the service where the users are

23. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Tips and Techniques Instruct and assist –Be part of the learning process –Show the user how to search –Explain the tools that you use Don’t feed the user a fish, but teach the user to fish

24. Reference Interview Skills for Academic Library Staff Tips and Techniques Follow up whenever possible –Ask if they have found what they wanted –Suggest additional sources/search terms –Acknowledge that you helped them Follow-up has the highest correlation to positive patron satisfaction