98 REFERENCE SERVICES
is a type of library (e.g., the Public Library Association) to adopt standards,
RUSA, as a division that concentrates on a type of library activity (reference),
may only compile guidelines. In this discussion standards and guidelines are
used interchangeably.
As of this writing, committees of the RUSA membership have produced
nine sets of guidelines under the heading of “Reference/Information Services.”
They are
• “New Definition of Reference” (2008)
• “Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and
Information Services Providers” (2004)
• “Guidelines for Cooperative Reference Services” (2006)
• “Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference
Services” (2010)
• “Guidelines for Information Services” (2000)
• “Guidelines for Liaison Work in Managing Collections and Services”
(2010)
• “Guidelines for Medical, Legal, and Business Responses” (2001)
• “Guidelines for Preparation of a Bibliography” (2010)
• “Professional Competencies for Reference and User Services
Librarians” (2003)Some of these have already been considered (“definition of reference” in the
introduction; “behavioral guidelines” in chapter 10; “virtual reference services”
in chapter 13; and “medical, legal and business responses” in chapter 15); all
of them may be found in the appendix.
The last RUSA guideline listed above,
“Professional Competencies for Reference
and User Services Librarians,” was intended
to “provide librarians, libraries, and infor-
mation centers with a model statement of
competencies essential for successful refer-
ence... librarians” (introduction). It incor-
porates the “Guidelines for Behavioral Per-
formance of Reference and Information Services Providers” to offer a detailed
description of the skills essential for excellence in reference service. Each
section includes a goal followed by strategies that may be used to realize it.a reference reality check: in
“First Impressions and Rethinking
Restroom Questions,” Reference
and User Services Quarterly 49,
no. 1 (2009): 4–6, Lorraine J.
Pellack reminds us that every
patron’s question is important.http://www.ebook3000.com