Frances Devlin and Erin Ellis University of Kansas Reference Renaissance Conference August 8-10, 2010

30,000 student enrollment 2,500 faculty 7 Libraries on Lawrence campus

Watson Library

Anschutz Library

 Traditional desk-bound reference services  Combined reference staff from Watson and Anschutz Libraries  Chat/IM reference  “Peer and tier” model implemented  Merged reference dept. dissolved  Service quality issues (LibQual)  Librarians staffing desks again to present

 Help users find information  Modes of delivery have changed  in-person, telephone, , chat, instant messaging/ texting, roving, and research consultations with librarians  Teaching philosophy

 ARL Statistics ( ) reference transactions declined by 53%  Questions are more complex  Undergraduates more comfortable with technology

 Organization  Facilities/collections  Technology  User expectations  New roles for librarians  Assessment & feedback  Staffing

 University/Library administration  Educational mission  Student retention priority  General education learning outcomes  Shrinking budgets/resources

 Combined service points  Circulation, Technology, Research Help  Moving collections  Creating new and improved spaces  Group work/individual study space

 Access and assistance “anytime, anywhere”  IM/text  Explosion of resource accessibility  Databases/Interfaces  Google/Search engines  Rapid change

 Access  Expertise

 Complete and immediate discovery and delivery  Influence of Web 2.0 world  Feedback mechanisms  Exceptional service, convenient tools  Group study (flexible space)

 Leveraging expertise (in & outside library)  Making strategic connections  Faculty/librarian teaching collaboration  Scholarly communication  Data management

 Understanding users  LibQual (2003, 2006, 2009)  Internal surveys & focus groups  Tracking number & types of questions  LibStats (in-person, telephone, IM)  QuestionPoint ( )  Understanding reference staff

 Librarians and reference specialists (many from other library units), graduate students  total of 32  Challenges  Other responsibilities (reference not primary)  Building generalist levels of proficiencies  Knowing when to refer

 Remain relevant in an era of increasing self-service and Google?  Add value to our services?  Build staff proficiencies to answer general reference questions?  Deploy new technologies that can be personalized to meet user needs?

 Traditional roles for librarians are changing  New skills needed  Staffing models are changing  Should librarians continue to staff the desk? or  provide only individual, in-office consultations?

 No one size fits all!  Customization of services and spaces  Combination of approaches

 Blended single service point for information, technology, quick reference, setting appointments  Referrals to in-depth research consultation  Connections to other student services (writing, tutoring, advising)  Collaborative workstations, individual and group study spaces

 Support faculty research & data management  Center for Digital Scholarship  Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis  Faculty and graduate student lounge  Creation of group and quiet study zones

Frances Devlin Erin University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS