An Introduction to the Reference Interview

An Introduction to the Reference Interview Based on “The Reference Interview,” developed by Multnomah County Library www.multcolib.org All photos by Allen County (IN) Public Library (Flickr/Creative Commons) [Click your mouse or press the right arrow key on your keyboard to proceed]

How to Use This Tutorial This is an at-your-own-pace online tutorial. To navigate through the material on each page, as well as between individual pages, please use the following actions: • To go forward, click the right arrow key on your computer keyboard or click your mouse. • To back up, click the left arrow key on your keyboard. • You can pause at any time – no need to press any keys! • You can exit the tutorial by right-clicking the screen (Windows) or pressing “control” & clicking (Mac). Ready to get started? Click your mouse or the right arrow key…

What is a Reference Interview? According to the Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science (ODLIS), a reference interview is: “The interpersonal communication that occurs between a reference librarian and a library user to determine the person’s specific information need(s), which may turn out to be different than the reference question as originally posed.” These conversations may take place “in person, by telephone, or electronically (usually via e-mail) at the request of the user, but a well-trained reference librarian will sometimes initiate communication if a hesitant user appears to need assistance.”

What are the six cornerstones of effective reference interviews?* Based on the Reference and User Services Association “Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers”

#1: Be approachable Be approachable and *look* approachable: ∙Initiate eye contact ∙ Smile and greet people ∙ Be the first to speak ∙ Be aware of your surroundings ∙ Get out from behind your desk ∙ Walk around ∙ Be identifiable as a staff person (wear your name badge!) ∙ Introduce yourself and let people know you’re the person to ask for help ∙ Adjust to people’s eye levels ∙ Mirror their body language

What if you’re busy? Triage tasks in order of importance (hint: patrons almost always come first) • Acknowledge people waiting to speak to you, preferably verbally: “I’ll be just a few minutes and then I’ll be happy to help you.” • Look for ways to get them started: “Do you have a quick question?”

#2: Show interest Make your interest clear ∙ Make eye contact ∙ Give your full attention (avoid multi-tasking) ∙ Be communicative – ask questions, listen, and explain your answers “The librarian who shows the least interest in the user's question is likely to provide a correct answer 33 percent of the time.” “The librarian who shows the most interest in the user's question is likely to provide a correct answer 76 percent of the time." SOURCE: Cullen Library Trends, Spring 2001 (pp. 33-34)

#3: Listen Engage in active listening: ∙ Face the patron ∙Make frequent eye contact ∙Nod or respond verbally ∙Take notes ∙Don’t interrupt ∙Paraphrase what you’ve heard ∙ Pay attention to the patron’s body language

#4: Ask questions Ask questions – both specific and open-ended – to get to the heart of the inquiry What are they asking about? If you’re not familiar with the topic, ask for examples “Can you tell me more about this?” Who is asking the question? An adult or a child, a novice or an expert… “Are you looking for basic information or something more specific?” When do they need the information? Today, tomorrow, next week… “If you have a little time, I can probably find this for you at another library.”

#4: Ask questions (continued) Where can they get it? Your library, another library, the Internet… “I found copies of that article in a couple of places. Here’s where to go…”

#4: Ask questions (continued) • Why do they need this information? For a school assignment, personal interest, professional inquiry… “Do you need information from a specific kind of resource, like a peer-reviewed journal? Or is a website ok?” • How can they access this information? Books (including large print or electronic), articles, videos, websites… “It looks like we have that book available as a hardcover or as a digital download.” • How much information do they want? Exhaustive research or just the facts, an entire source or just one section… “Would you like the full book or just this specific chapter?”

Some favorite inquiries(from Multnomah County Library staff) • “Is there a particular aspect of this topic that you’re interested in?” • “Wow, that topic sounds really interesting! Can you tell me a little more about it?” • “Are you looking for a book or might an article or Internet resource also be useful?”

Some favorite inquiries(from Multnomah County Library staff continued) 4. “Do you want a book with more words than pictures or a book with more pictures than words?” 5. “Can you tell me where you have already looked?” 6. If a parent brings a child over with a question, ask the child "Is this for you?" and then address the child as much as possible 7. When a patron doesn’t readily offer details: “Ok, well, we can find lots of different kinds of information on your topic; for example, information about _____, _____, or _____. Do any of those sound like what you're looking for?”

Some favorite inquiries(from Multnomah County Library staff continued) 8. “Is this for a school report?” If so, follow up: • "Tell me a little more about your project." • "What information do you need to include in your report?" • "What sort of resources can you use?" • "What kinds of things did your teacher mention he/she wanted you to include?” • "Do you have a copy of your assignment with you?”

#5: Conduct the search Work with the patron to find an answer ∙Involve the patron in the search process. ∙Say “we” instead of “you.” ∙ Turn the screen towards them. ∙Offer them the keyboard. Talk while you type: “I wonder where we should start” or “We’re not finding it here but I have an idea where we should look” Check in as you go: “Does this look right?” or “Are we on the right track?”

#5: Conduct the search (continued) Work with the patron to find an answer: ∙ Go with the patron to the shelves. ∙Accompany them to a computer. • Open the book and show them the answer. • Confirm it’s what they were looking for. • Don’t give up unless asked to.

#6: Follow up Leave the door open for them to return for more assistance: ∙ Ask if their question was sufficiently answered ∙ Tell them to come back if they didn’t find what they needed or if they have additional questions ∙ Emphasize what you can do, not what you can’t ∙ Make assisted referrals: help point them in the right direction ∙ When you next see them, whether they come to you or you go to them, confirm that they found what they needed and ask if you can help further

A few unhelpful behaviors(from real library patrons) They did not look up. They kept me waiting for several minutes while talking to other staff at the desk. They made me feel unwelcome/like I was wasting valuable time with a trivial question. They didn’t say anything after I asked my question but just started typing at the terminal. They didn’t really seem to listen. SOURCE: Flying a Light Aircraft: Reference Service Evaluation from a User’s Viewpoint by Patricia Dewdney and Catherine Sheldrick Ross

A few unhelpful behaviors(from real library patrons) They made assumptions about what I wanted and cut me off when I explained. They didn’t ask me anything about my question and made no effort to determine my specific need. They didn’t tell me what he or she was doing but left me wondering if I should follow or wait. They just said, "No we don’t have it" and didn’t suggest any further leads . They made no effort to follow up or verify that I found what I was looking for. SOURCE: Flying a Light Aircraft: Reference Service Evaluation from a User’s Viewpoint by Patricia Dewdney and Catherine Sheldrick Ross

And now a few helpful behaviors(from real library patrons) They came out from behind their desk. They looked up and smiled at me. They took the initiative by approaching me and offering help. They really listened. They took me to the right area instead of just pointing or giving directions. They explained to me what they were doing and why. SOURCE: Flying a Light Aircraft: Reference Service Evaluation from a User’s Viewpoint by Patricia Dewdney and Catherine Sheldrick Ross

And now a few helpful behaviors(from real library patrons) They asked questions that clarified in my own mind what I wanted. They seemed genuinely interested in me and my question. They included me as a partner in the search and seemed interested in my suggestions. They were very knowledgeable about the sources of information. They didn’t get discouraged and were willing to investigate further. They came over and asked, “Are you finding what you are looking for?” SOURCE: Flying a Light Aircraft: Reference Service Evaluation from a User’s Viewpoint by Patricia Dewdney and Catherine Sheldrick Ross

Bringing it all together

Here’s an example of an ineffective reference interview: Patron: Excuse me, does the library offer notary public services? Librarian: This branch or another one? Patron: This branch. Librarian: Ok. [Silence while the librarian types.] Librarian: No, it doesn’t look like it. Patron: Oh, ok. Thanks. Hmm…let’s try that again…

Here’s an example of a better reference interview: Patron: Excuse me, does the library offer notary public services? Librarian: I can check for that. Do you mean this branch or another one? Patron: This branch. Librarian: Ok. Let’s see what I can find… [Silence while the librarian types.] Librarian: No, it doesn’t look like it. However, it looks like you can find notary public services at most local bank branches. Does that help? Patron: Sure. Thanks. Better, but let’s try it one more time…

Here’s an example of an evenbetter reference interview: Patron: Excuse me, does the library offer notary public services? Librarian: Hi! I can help you look for that. Do you mean at this branch or another branch in the library system? Patron: This branch. Librarian: Ok. Let’s see what we can find. Hmm…no, unfortunately it doesn’t look like we offer that here. Let’s see if there might be somewhere else nearby that offers this though. Ah, there we go: it looks like most local bank branches offer notary public services. Does that help? Patron: Sure. Thanks. Librarian: My pleasure! Do you need assistance finding your nearest bank branch or can I help with anything else? Patron: No, I’m good. Thanks though. Librarian: You’re welcome! Have a good day. Terrific!

Ok, now it’s your turn…

Time to Practice Imagine someone approaches you at the reference desk: “I’m looking for information on New Zealand.” • How will you assist them? • What kinds of questions will you ask? • How will you demonstrate your interest in their search? • Take a few minutes to act out this scenario, either by writing a mock dialogue or, preferably, role playing with a fellow intern or staff member. • Share your responses with a librarian to discuss what went well and what might have been done differently.

Where can you go to learn more?

Additional Resources Ohio Library Council • Library 2.0 and Virtual Reference: http://www.olc.org/ore/ YouTube • There are many videos of reference interviews on YouTube; here are a few from Auckland City Libraries in New Zealand Multnomah County Library • Hosting Library Interns: http://libraryinterns.blogspot.com/

This tutorial was designed by Multnomah County Libraryin Multnomah County, Oregonas part of their D.I.Y. Intern Program – Toolkit for Success Project.This project was generously funded by a 2011-2012 grant from the State of Oregon’s Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) Program.

An Introduction to the Reference Interview