88 REFERENCE SERVICES
the patron”; “prepare research handouts for common research techniques”;
“identify and list federal, state and local agencies for referral of patrons”; and
“provide directions to access free internet resources.” To “avoid lengthy and
detailed interviews of the patron” does not mean to dispense with a refer-
ence interview entirely; rather, Condon recommends keeping the conversa-
tion as general as possible while gathering
just enough information to be able to steer
the patron to the appropriate resource. By
“[preparing] research handouts for com-
mon research techniques” librarians can, in
effect, create a reference tool that explains
the use of standard legal reference sources.
When librarians “identify and list fed-
eral, state and local agencies for referral of
patrons” they can provide relevant referrals
for assistance. As has been mentioned elsewhere in this book, an informed
referral is often as good as (or even better) than an actual answer. In “providing
directions to access free internet resources” librarians can suggest reputable
and useful websites supplying legal information.^6Business reference
As do questions related to medical or legal matters, questions related to busi-
ness matters also require special consideration. According to James Cory
Tucker, business reference not only includes fairly simple requests for the
address and telephone number of a corporation’s headquarters but often fairly
complex requests for accounting, banking, or company research:Working at the reference desk, library staff must answer questions
from multiple disciplines. Among the most difficult to answer are
questions related to business. Unless they have had prior experi-
ence with business resources, some librarians do not feel comfort-
able assisting patrons with business inquiries. Due to the fact that
business reference can be an intimidating area, developing and
implementing a training program is very important.^7Charles J. Condon, “How to Avoid
the Unauthorized Practice of Law
at the Reference Desk,” Legal
Reference Services Quarterly 19,
no. 1/2 (2001): 165–79, offers
practical advice for librarians
providing legal reference service.http://www.ebook3000.com