Reference Policies 95- The policy serves as a touchstone of continuity for new staff and
helps refresh the memory of veterans who may need a guide for
rarely occurring problems. - Since there usually are not enough staff members for ideal
service, the statement establishes priorities in the hierarchy of
services. - And this leads to probably the most useful aspect of the policy
statement: It serves to clarify, if not always answer, nagging
queries about the limits of service that the librarian faces daily.^2
A reference policy is a systematic way to describe services offered and a
reminder of the philosophy and goals that inform and support them. It is use-
ful in staff training (and retraining) and provides a starting point from which
to launch new services or fine-tune existing ones.
notes
- “Reference Services Manual,” University of Massachusetts at Amherst, ERIC
Document, ED 200 211, p. 1. - William A. Katz, Introduction to Reference Work, vol. 2, Reference Services and
Processes, 8th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002), 185.