An Investigation of Methods Used By Librarians to Recognize and Overcome
Patron Reticence in the Reference Interview

Principal Investigators: Linda Klein, Dara Smith, Jim Foti, Clifton Ng

ABSTRACT:

One of the responsibilities of librarians and other information professionals working in reference settings is to interact with patrons during a reference interview.  At times, the librarian may perceive a patron to be "reticent", i.e. unable or unwilling to disclose an information need.  Formal theories and techniques exist that describe ways in which a librarian can conduct a reference interview to best elicit a reticent patron's information need. The purpose of the group's research was to determine the extent that practicing reference librarians rely upon such formal theories and techniques, and how such reliance might be associated with years of experience and other factors.

Using an online questionnaire and in-depth interviews, our group learned how a sample of reference librarians and library students working in reference settings interact with patrons, including the cues they look for and techniques they use to overcome reticence. Our preliminary findings indicate that these information professionals use a variety of methods, relying more on experience and informally learned methods than on formal guidelines and theories. Possible changes to academic and professional reference training processes may be indicated, though further study is needed to confirm this. 

Perceived Barriers to Providing Services to Immigrant Populations:  An
Exploration of Public Libraries in the Greater Puget Sound Area

Principal Investigators: SJ Alexander, Kaijsa Calkins, Summer Hayes, Lorie Vik

ABSTRACT:

This research details an exploratory study focusing on library staff perceptions of barriers to providing public library service to immigrants on a local level. The purpose of this study is to discover what librarians and library staff define as barriers to providing service to immigrants, and to gather their ideas for resolving these problems. To determine some of the barriers present in the public library setting, the researchers interviewed librarians in the Seattle Public Library System who directly assist patrons. The research team also surveyed University of Washington Information School students who have worked as student librarians or as library assistants in a public library. The researchers solicited suggestions from both the Seattle Public librarians and the surveyed students regarding overcoming barriers to providing service to immigrants. 

To Google or not to Google:  How Reference Librarians are Adapting to the use of Electronic Resources

Principal Investigators: Tim Held, Maren McDaniel, Justin Otto, Beverly Stuart

Digital technology has had a notable impact on reference librarianship.  The aim of our study is to explore the effect of electronic resources, such as the World Wide Web and online databases, on the provision of reference services.  We compare librarians’ preferences and attitudes towards various types of resources, including search engines, web sites, online databases, and print resources. We also examine how librarians view the users’ perceptions and expectations of online resources. Our study is limited to librarians in a large research university.  We interviewed 11 reference librarians and followed up with a questionnaire distributed to all reference librarians campus-wide.  Preliminary findings show that librarians use a variety of sources to answer reference queries, depending on the type of question they are trying to answer, among other factors.  Most librarians felt that users expect to be directed to online resources; however, they felt that users need instruction in the use of these resources.