The Reference Interview Betsy Spackman & Leticia Camacho Brigham Young University NLA Annual Conference October 20, 2005

Overview Definition and steps Why reference negotiation is important ALA’s Behavioral Guidelines Games

What is the reference interview? Finding out what patrons really want and helping them find resources to meet their goals “Reference librarians are mediators between the user and the resources he or she needs or wants”

Steps of the reference interview Build rapport and trust Ask questions Listen and remember Answer and find resources Follow up

Why is reference negotiation important? Users don’t ask for what they really want Language is ambiguous Anomalous states of knowledge Evaluation of reference—55% rule

Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers Approachability Interest Listening/Inquiring Searching Follow up

What our users think…

Approachability Activity We are going to show you a few slides, look at the slides, then answer the following question: Which Librarian would you ask?

Which Librarian Would You Ask? Approachability Activity

The first librarian is working on the computer and the second is talking on the telephone. Viewer selects the librarian on the computer as the one that they will approach. Patrons will avoid the one in the phone.

The same two reference assistants are reading, but have changed places. Either is likely selected.

The first librarian is standing in front of the desk and the second is in the usual position at the desk. While the person in front is closer to the patron, he is almost too close and may be blocked to some viewers.

The man on the right is using the computer, while the woman on the left is reading. Most likely patrons will select the man on the computer before they will interrupt the reading woman.

The female librarian is already helping someone, while the male librarian is not busy. Most likely the patron will ask the male librarian rather than wait for the female librarian to finish.

Both librarians are standing, making eye contact, and are ready to help the patron-- however the librarian on the left is also smiling. Over 90% of viewers select the smiling librarian over the non smiling librarian.

In this image, the two librarians are talking to each other and neither is acknowledging the patrons. Most viewers (over 70%) selected the woman, because she is the one doing the talking and her body language is more active than that of the man’s.

Hierarchy of Reference Approachability: According to the results of a survey similar to the activity that you just completed, patrons choose the librarian they will approach based on the following patterns: Approachable Behaviors in Order of Preference (% Selected) Standing and Eye Contact – and Smiling! 93 Standing and Eye Contact90 Helping Another patron12 Standing and Writing11 Sitting and Eye contact10 Using the Computer10 Reading5 Talking on the Phone1

Finding Out What They Really Want to Know Some common problems Open and Closed questions Paraphrasing and Summarizing Closure Follow-up

Some Common Problems Failure to establish contact Bypassing the reference Interview An unmonitored referral Failure to pay attention Lack of knowledge of appropriate sources

Open Questions Allows people to respond in their own terms Begins with Who, What, Why, Where, When, or How It works best in situations in which there may be many options that can’t be known in advance – the usual case at the reference desk

Closed Questions Questions that require a yes/no, this/that response. It works best in circumstances in which there exists only a small set of options known in advance

Sense-Making Questions A special kind of open question that asks specifically about situations, or gaps, or helps 1.Know the situation the person is in  What are you working on?  How did this question arise?  What happened that you need to know this? 2.The gaps in his or her understanding  What kind of help would you like  What are you trying to understand?  What would you like to know about X? 3.The uses or helps  How do you plan to use this information?  What would you like to see happen in this situation?  What are you trying to do in this situation?

Paraphrasing Feeds back what has been said in the previous comment  So you’re looking for …  What you need is...  You mean...  As I understand you... Tips: Be concise, do not add or change the meaning, use a checkout (Is that what you wanted? Was that it?)

Summarizing Is like paraphrasing except that is covers a larger span of conversation and requires you to distill the essence of what was said over the course of a longer series of questions and answers. Tips: Synthesize, condense and go for the big picture

Closure The art of tactful ending Indicate that discussion has been completed Focus on what has been achieved in the discussion Established a good communication climate Use a follow up question

Follow-up It allows you to discover, and repair, communication accidents before the user leaves the library Two types: Those that invite the user to ask for additional help if needed Those that allow users to tell you whether they got the kind of help they were really hoping to get

Game: Twenty Questions Several volunteers:  A patron and a librarian  Someone to keep time  Someone to count questions First two minutes: only closed questions After that: any questions Compare

Questions?

Analyze this Reference Transaction: User: I checked the catalog but couldn’t find what I was looking for. Librarian: Not on the shelf? User: No. Librarian: What is that you wanted? User: The books. Librarian: Yes but what type of information User: It’s on body work. Librarian: OK User: I’m helping a friend.

Analyze this Reference Transaction: User: I checked the catalog but couldn’t find what I was looking for. Librarian: Not on the shelf? (acknowledgment) User: No. Librarian: What is that you wanted? (open question) User: The books. Librarian: Yes but what type of information? (open question) User: It’s on body work. Librarian: OK (encourager) User: I’m helping a friend.

What does the patron really want? Where are the nutrition journals? Information about the latest fad diet Where are books about Nixon? Text of Checker’s Speech Where are the book reviews? A review of Women by Booth Tarkington Where are the old magazines? Origins of the TV dinner

Analyze this Reference Transaction User: Excuse me, but I’m looking for some poems Librarian: Some poems? What poems are you looking for? User: Love poems. Librarian: Love poems? Ok. Is there anything in particular? By anybody—American, Canadian, British— does it matter? User: No, just a project on love poems. Librarian: Ok, do you know how to use the catalog here? User: No. Librarian: Ok. [Explains the catalog.] Did you want books that you can take home, or is it alright to work here? User: Mm-hmm. No.

Analyze this Reference Transaction User: Excuse me, but I’m looking for some poems Librarian: Some poems? What poems are you looking for? (acknowledgement followed by an open question) User: Love poems. Librarian: Love poems? (acknowledgement) Ok. Is there anything in particular? By anybody—American, Canadian, British—does it matter? (a question that is open in its function, but gets turned into a closed question) User: No, just a project on love poems. Librarian: Ok, do you know how to use the catalog here? (system question) User: No. Librarian: Ok. [Explains the catalog.] Did you want books that you can take home, or is it alright to work here? (closed question) User: Mm-hmm. No.

References Ross, Catherine Sheldrick, Kristi Nilsen, and Patricia Dewdney Conducting the Reference Interview: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. New York: Neal- Schuman Publishers, Inc., 241 p. Dervin, Brenda and Patricia Dewdney Neutral Questioning: A New Approach to the Reference Interview. RQ (Summer): Dewdney, Patricia and Catherine Sheldrick Ross “Flying a Light Aircraft: Reference Service Evaluation from a User’s Viewpoint.” RQ 34 (Winter):

References Durrance, Joan C “Factors That Influence Reference Success: What Makes Questioners Willing to Return?” The Reference Librarian 49/50: Fine, Sara “Reference and Resources: The Human Side.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship (Jan): Howze, Philip C. and Felix E. Unaeze “All in the Name of Service: Mediation, Client Self-Determination, and Reference Practice in Academic Libraries.” RQ 36 (Spring): RUSA online course: The Reference Interview erviewcourse/refinterview.htm erviewcourse/refinterview.htm

Contact Information Betsy Spackman  Life Sciences Librarian/Science Reference Specialist  (801) Leticia Camacho  Management/Economics Librarian  (801)