Spring
2010
This
assignment will give you the opportunity to observe real information services
and see how it’s actually done out there.
In
preparation for this assignment, you should read the following:
v
Ross,
Catherine Sheldrick and Kirsti
Nilsen, “Has
the Internet Changed Anything in Reference? The Library Visit Study, Part 2”, Reference and User Services Quarterly 40, 147-155, 2000.
v
Kern,
Kathleen, “Communication,
Patron Satisfaction, and the Reference Interview”, Reference & User Services Quarterly 43, 47-9, 2003.
and consult these RUSA Guildelines:
o Implementing
and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services
o
Guidelines
for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers
o
other guidelines as you believe appropriate
There
are two components to this assignment:
Professional Shadowing
You
may choose any environment you like, provided that something that looks like an
information service, loosely defined, goes on. This might include libraries of any kind, a software help
desk, a customer service phone bank or information desk, etc. [If in doubt, ask.] Contact a professional in that
environment to set up mutually agreeable times to observe their work for at least 3 hours, preferably over a couple
of different days. Please share a
copy of this assignment with them, so they know what the expectations are. Don’t
pick somewhere you have worked or are now working, but feel free to choose
somewhere you’re otherwise familiar with.
I’d also prefer you each work with a different person, so if your first
choice has already been approached, try another.
Watch
what goes on—who are the clientele, what kinds of questions people ask,
how they’re asked, the kinds and levels of service provided, and in particular, how interviews are
conducted, questions which aren’t asked or answered, etc. Try to observe unobtrusively, but feel
free to ask questions of your professional colleague as circumstances permit.
After
your observation, reflect on the areas above, what you believe the service is
doing well and any improvements you think could be made, and whatever else you
think important.
The User Experience
Again,
you may choose any environments you like, other than a place you are now
currently working or have worked in the recent past. You are to approach information services as a user, with a
real question (something of interest or importance to
you) that you want or need a response to.
You are to make 3 inquiries:
one in a face-to-face, in person environment, and 2 in digitally-mediated environments: one synchronous, one asynchronous. These need not necessarily be 3 separate services or
institutions, but I’d prefer that you have a range of experiences here. You may not use Suzzallo or Odegaard
libraries, or the IPL, for this part of the assignment. You also should not use a service where you are known or would be recognized.
After
your observation, reflect on the responses you received, the interfaces you
encountered, their ease of use and design, the quality of the information, if
any, you received, how you felt as a user, and whatever else you think
important.
Finally,
you should compose a report summarizing your observations and reflections, as
well as brief descriptions of the environments and services,
communities/clienteles served. You
may choose to discuss these experiences separately, or in an integrated way; in
either case, please be sure each individual experience is adequately described
and that there is overall synthesis, coherence and summary of your experiences
and what you have learned through this assignment. Also, be sure to
make reference, as appropriate, to RUSA guidelines (for example, were they
followed? do
they seem sufficient? do you have any commentary on those guidelines now, based on
your experiences?) and other literature.
Your
submission will be evaluated based on the depth of observation, analysis and
thought and overall quality of presentation of your report.
The
assignment is due in class on May 4 and will be returned with comments by May
18.