58 REFERENCE SERVICES
member and a library user to determine the precise information needs of
the user. Synonymous with question negotiation.”^1 Joan M. Reitz offers this
definition: “The interpersonal communication that occurs between a reference
librarian and a library user to determine the person’s specific information
need(s), which may turn out to be different than the reference question as
initially posed.”^2
So we’ve established that sometimes library patrons are hesitant about ask-
ing for what they really need to know, and that a reference interview should
be conducted in order to draw them out. How do you conduct a reference
interview? Is it a matter of playing “Twenty Questions”? Not exactly. ALA’s
Reference and User Services Association
described the qualities and skills needed to
conduct a reference interview in “Guide-
lines for Behavioral Performance of Refer-
ence and Information Services Providers”
(see the appendix). They are approachabil-
ity, interest, listening/inquiring, searching,
and follow-up. The first version of these
guidelines (1996) was mainly concerned
with in-person reference service, and the
latest version has been expanded to include
remote reference services, that is, reference
services offered by e-mail or chat or tele-
phone. The discussion in this chapter will
focus on the guidelines for reference service
in a general sense; subsequent chapters will
address in-person, telephone, and online
reference in a little more detail.approachability
A person with a question needs to feel welcome and know that there is
someone who can help. A welcoming presence is essential, whether that is an
actual presence consisting of an engaged and attentive person at a reference
desk (clearly visible and with appropriate signage) or a friendly, professional
voice on the phone or an easily found link to an electronic reference service.
The main idea here is that a person, who may be confused or intimidated, isElaine Z. Jennerich and Edward
J. Jennerich, The Reference
Interview as a Creative Art, 2nd
edition (Libraries Unlimited,
1997) approaches the reference
interview as a “performance”
requiring a particular set of skills.Catherine Sheldrick Ross, Kirsti
Nilsen, and Marie L. Radford,
Conducting the Reference
Interview: A How-to-Do-It Manual
for Librarians (Neal-Schuman,
2009) is an in-depth look at the
reference interview replete with
numerous annotated citations to
the professional literature.http://www.ebook3000.com