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Self-Selected Reading #3
Prepared by Karilynn Wilson
Peterson, Lisa C. “Effective question negotiation in the reference interview.” Current Studies in Librarianship, 21 (Spring/Fall 1997): 22-34.
Lisa Peterson focuses on question negotiation as the key ingredient for an effective and successful reference service transaction. Question negotiation serves as a way of identifying what users really need, and helps eliminate the disparity or gap between the request and the need. Peterson briefly reviews some of the prominent studies that have looked at the reference interview in depth. Taylor’s study identified the now familiar four levels of user need. Lynch examined eight questions regarding the reference interview through data collected from audio recordings and direct observation. White isolated four dimensions of the reference interview, structure, coherence, pace and length, which are intended to be flexible depending on each user’s situation and need. She also introduced two models called the needs-oriented model and the question-oriented model.
Peterson also looks at accuracy studies, which assess the level of accuracy of answers given at the reference desk. She uses the study done by Gers and Seward which found that librarians had a 55% accuracy rating, primarily a result of poor question negotiation. Peterson then incorporates three models of the reference interview process as it compares to other professions; the medical model which assumes that librarians know more than users, the counseling model which encourages users to talk about their need as means of discovery, and the detective model which is a middle ground and librarians must ask the right questions to get at the pertinent information. Peterson concludes by calling for more research that can help further define the types of situations and questions faced by librarians and determine the best strategies to use in each situation.
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Joan Reberger
LIS 521
SSR #3
Wolk, Art. “Which End of the Bulb Goes Up?” Library Journal 124.20 (December
1999) : p81. Expanded Academic Index. Online. 20 April. 2001.
I turned to a practical article this time and was very impressed with the specific information. Art Wolk lists the most common categories of gardening questions encountered at a reference desk and goes on to discuss publishers, the internet, and other valuable snippets before reviewing a number of titles.
He identifies DK, Random House and Timber Press as the publishers who have staked out this niche. Cold Springs Press produces local gardening titles. He notes that print sources still rule in gardening reference although if the question deals with national and international gardening clubs and societies the Internet is the place to go. Great tips for collection maintenance are offered: so many new hybrids and cultivars have been introduced in the last ten years that he suggests librarians should discard old reference sources, thin out the poorly illustrated works because so many now have high quality photographs, and “weed ruthlessly” to keep the plant sources and public garden information up to date. He also recommends using the local agricultural extension office for a great free source of accurate information.
The book reviews make the majority of the article, divided by category into Terms and Techniques, General Encyclopedias, Specific Plant References, Directories and Guides, and lastly, Websites and a CD-ROM. He addresses collection development issues by starring the works he feels are essential for all libraries.
I recommend this article for its specifics and also for the examples of succinct yet very helpful annotations.
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Emily F. Cook
05/06/2001
LIS521 – SSR#3
Dewdney, P. and Michell, G. (1997). Asking “why” questions in the reference interview: a theoretical justification. Library Quarterly vol.67 no.1, pp.50-71.
Dewdney and Michell’s fascinating article deals with the why controversy in reference interviews. Over the course of the article, the authors explain the issues involved in the why controversy, apply multidisciplinary theories to explain what causes the why problem, and finally suggest a very practical solution for the why problem.
To recap Dewdney and Michell’s article: asking patrons why they are interested in the information they seek can be an invaluable tool for a librarian. It allows a librarian to understand the underlying cause of and the intended goal for the information, which allows him/her to locate information that will best suit the need. However, while asking why can be immensely helpful, it can also cause problems. Users may perceive why questions as irrelevant, intrusive, even obnoxious. This is because users sometimes do not realize that questioning is a natural part of the reference encounter. Furthermore, the word why can be ambiguous because it has multiple connotations.
To avoid the complications inherent in why questions while still obtaining the benefit of this type of questioning the authors suggest two main tactics. 1) The librarian should contextualize the reference interview so that the user understands its role (i.e. that questions are both expected and necessary). 2) Librarians should adopt Brenda Dervin’s neutral questioning technique, which allows users to more easily infer whether a question seeks a response containing cause or goal oriented information.
I highly recommend this article for enhancing the productivity of ones reference-interviewing skills. The concepts are clear, the explanations understandable, and the advice seems well reasoned and practical.
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Denise Lee
LIS 521Y
Spring 2001
Dilevko, Juris and Mason, Moya. “Why You Should Read the Papers: Improving Reference Service in
Public Libraries.” Public Libraries. March/April 2000. p.85-97.
In a Canadian study,
the authors found that public librarians provided better reference services
when they monitored the daily newspapers.
A rich source of general knowledge may be acquired from systematically
perusing the newspapers either in print or online versions. Librarians may also avoid the embarrassment
of not knowing about significant current issues and developments.
Eleven sample
questions pulled from recent newspaper articles were posed to librarians in
Toronto-area libraries. The questions
covered a range of subjects that were selected because of their potential as
fact-based ready reference questions.
One question, for example, dealt with the availability of a study that
linked how well CEOs of companies played golf with how their companies
performed in the stock market.
Seven librarians were
able to provide an answer to the question, providing an answer from the Globe & Mail or a report in a local
newspaper.
The authors concluded
that public library reference staff appear more competent and up-to-date when
they are familiar with current national and world news. Thus, the careful reading of the daily
newspaper is thought to be one way to improve the level of reference services.
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Lanning. S. (1991). What Does a Reference Librarian Do? Public Library Quarterly. Vol.11 (4), 25-28.
Reviewed by Ann Margaret Thompson
Lanning has selected three typical reference questions to try an answer the title question, what does a reference librarian do? Many patrons who use the library have misconceptions about libraries and librarians.
Do you have a book on _____, is the first type of request. Although there is nothing wrong with this type of question, trying to find the answer may involve a lengthy interpretation by the patron. The fault of this kind of question lies in the presumption that there is at least one book on every conceivable topic.
The second class of questions is concerned with how librarians find the answers to the questions. Patrons have a false assumption that is exemplified in the question, “ Don’t you have a computer to look that up on?” During the online search patrons are disappointed when they receive citations instead of answers.
The last question Lanning refers to ironically as the “psychic librarian” class of query. The patron has a request that has some misinformation or partial information. Somehow the reference librarian is able to “ pull the answer out of thin air” and present it to the patron.
The challenge for librarians is to change the perception of patrons. What they are looking for is not books, periodicals, or electronic databases. What they are looking for is information.
Lanning concludes his article by suggesting the real solution to the problem is in education. By teaching young children good library skills to search for information regardless of its format is a beginning.
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Spring 2001
SR#2
J.P. Brigham
Fine, Sara. “Librarians and the Art of Helping.” The Reference Librarian 59 (1997): 77-91.
The author is both a professor in the School of Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, and a licensed psychologist. This dual perspective is reflected in the basis of the article comparing similarities between a reference interview and counseling practices. Fine defines the counseling function as helping a person to identify the scope and nature of a problem, then to explore and resolve it. The growth of the client is of mutual concern to both the counselor and the client. That function mirrors the function of a librarian and a client during the reference interview.
An exercise involving quick responses to specific agitated client statements by professional librarians and graduate students in library science revealed constant and predictable responses reflecting the attitude “You shouldn’t feel that way. Change your attitude and you won’t have a problem.” Fine suggests responses that may be of more benefit:
· Simple, classical “reflection-of-feeling” responses such as
Client: Do you have any books on death?
Response: Death can be a frightening subject.
· Encouragement to the client to continue such as
Response: Tell me more.
I see.
Can you tell me more about it?
The next thing the client says will be likely to get closer to the real nature of the problem.
Class discussion and quizzes have brought out the facts that library clients are often uncomfortable asking reference questions, and their information needs may not be reflected in their first questions. A client may experience self-doubt when the librarian is perceived as inattentive to the client’s feelings. Using counseling techniques may help librarians help clients get the information they need.
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Spring 2001
SR#3
J.P. Brigham
Hoskisson, Tam. “Making the Right Assumptions: Know Your User and Improve the Reference Interview.” The Reference Librarian 59 (1997): 67-75.
Effective reference service is only possible when the real question has been asked and understood. Hoskisson discusses common assumptions librarians make that can have a negative impact on the success of reference transactions:
1. The user has stated his actual information need.
2. The user has some idea of potentially helpful information sources when he asks where to find a specific resource.
3. The user knows something about the library’s arrangement.
4. The user has understood what the librarian has said.
5. The user will always let the librarian know whether or not the question has been interpreted correctly.
6. If the user is not satisfied with the librarian’s answer to the question, he will let the librarian know.
7. The user is interested in the librarian’s “professional competency.”
Reference transactions would be more successful if librarians instead assume that time, patience, and more questions are needed to establish the real information need. The author recommends questioning every directional query, no matter how clear it may seem, because the resources users request might not be the most appropriate for their information needs. Never assume patrons understand the library catalog, call numbers, or any other aspect of a library’s arrangement. Offer explanations. Avoid using library jargon such as OPAC, author field, periodical index, citation, stacks, and MARC. Assume that clients will not understand their meanings. Assume the client will not clarify if his question has been understood. Instead, say, “Let me see if I understand your question. You want…” Assume the client will not volunteer the information that he has not received a satisfactory answer to his question. Ask, “Have I given you what you needed?” Sometimes, admitting we as librarians do not understand the question or do not know how to answer it properly is harder than the disservice of misleading our clients.
LIS 521 quizzes can provide a challenge to those of us without prior reference desk experience, and the article was chosen as an aid for more successful reference interviews. The assumptions above provide insight into a multitude of stumbling blocks that come between the “right” questions and the “right” answers during reference transactions.
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Spring 2001
SR#4
J.P. Brigham
Su, Di. “Electronic Stacks: Using Web Sources in Reference Service.” The Reference Librarian 65 (1999): 161-176.
Di Su discusses the idea that while the Web is only one source of information and traditional print sources will likely never disappear, the Web can enhance reference service in an effective way. Unique and positive features of the Web are the availability of fast hyperlinks, the currency of reputable sites, little concern for physical stack space and misshelving in the library, availability every hour of every day, and keyword searching. Weaknesses are network problems and system failures that cause inaccessibility to the Internet, lack of full-text documents or subscription-only access for full-text documents, and reliability of Web resources.
Reference librarians can build “electronic stacks” on a reference desk computer by utilizing bookmarks or by creating Web pages with ready reference hyperlinks and frequently used subject pages. This need is evidenced by current reference librarian job postings that list Web page design skills, as librarians realize the usefulness of electronic stacks to both users and librarians. This 1999 article already seems somewhat out of date, reflecting the speed at which Web-based technology has become accepted as an everyday source for general information needs.
The author discusses, as does Katz’s Reference Work, the selection criteria a librarian will find useful in making decisions for Web resources. Authority, accuracy, currency, full-text coverage, and accessibility are all recommended for consideration. He offers the following fee-free links, some of which are not on the class Website. Only two general reference sources for general information needs are included on his list:
· WWWebster Dictionary
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm
· Roget’s Internet Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases
· Barnes and Noble
· Peterson’s Education & Career Center
· Occupational Outlook
http://stats.bls.gov/ocohome.htm
· Statistical Abstract of the United States
http://www.census.gov/statab/www/
· Federal Register Online
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html
· The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Susan Ludington
LIS 521
Self-Selected Reading #3
May 8, 2001
CITATION:
Tomaiuolo, Nicholas G.
"Aska and You May Receive: Commercial Reference Services on the Web."
Searcher
v.8 n.5 (May 2000), 56-62.
ANNOTATION:
This article aims to portray
the Web as a “solution to the information overload” as searchers attempt to
find accurate answers to questions via the Internet. The author asserts that “(the Web) now serves as a conduit for
many possibly helpful (or possibly fallacious) services that desire to provide
answers.” Tomaiuolo presents here a
selected summary and evaluation of the various types of available Web reference
services.
According to the author,
there exist three types of “Aska” services, some free and others fee-based,
that searchers (including librarians) may avail themselves. The first is one in which the user can ask a
question in natural language and receive an “intelligible response” (i.e., “Ask
Jeeves”). A free service, “Ask Jeeves”
furnishes answers based on material found somewhere on the Web, as opposed to
utilizing outside commercial databases.
In the author’s test of this site,
Tomaiuolo deduces that, although able to provide guidance for
straightforward questions by directing the searcher to credible Web sites, “Ask
Jeeves” would likely not be able to effectively answer more abstract inquiries
involving critical assessments or academic evaluations. The second type of Web service places the
searcher online with a professional searcher.
The author had mixed results with one such service, Webhelp.com, which
offers live, interactive searching 24 hours a day. In Tomaiuolo’s experience, some searchers here are more
interactive than others, attempting to solicit more information from the
customer to help them search. “When
Webhelp works, it seems to do well, but since the wizards do not evaluate the
sites that match the query, it’s not as though there is an imprimatur of
credibility on the sites found.” The
third type of these kinds of Web-based reference help “consists of access
routes to ‘experts.’” Some examples include AskMe.com, Abuzz.com, Dr. Universe
and AllExperts.com. The author claims
that the basic problem with these expert sites is that “anyone can call
themselves an expert” and that, often, they rarely deliver (i.e., sometimes
“passing” on questions or providing flippant replies). Tomaiuolo recommends Expertcity.com, manned
by reviewed and trained personnel to answer questions regarding computer
problems, saying it’s “a model that other expert sites should strive to
meet.”
The article concludes with
the opinion that many Web reference services present sporadic, unqualified
information, but that some do show promise.
“Librarians...should not feel that these services compete with
them. We should look on them as
possible allies - or at least tools that we may want to explore.”
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