62 REFERENCE SERVICES
work, the patron is your work. If there were no patrons to ask questions, there
would be no need for a reference librarian!
Of course, there will be occasional slow periods at the reference desk, and
those are times for another balancing act—you don’t want to sit there staring
into space, nor do you want to have your head buried in reading material
or your eyes glued to a computer screen. Look up frequently—not only will
you notice an approaching patron, but you’ll give your eyes a rest. It’s usually
a good idea to bring something to the desk—a professional journal or news
magazine or some easily interruptible paperwork. I’ve found that the likeli-
hood of a busy shift at the reference desk is in direct proportion to the amount
of work you bring out: the more work you bring out, the busier your shift will
be. Downtime at the reference desk also offers an opportunity to explore your
library’s website, try out a new database or other online tool, read news feeds,
online journals, and so on. This is not the place, however, to get engrossed
in personal e-mail or online shopping! The more familiar you are with your
library’s online services as well as the Internet in general, the better you will
be able to help patrons.
Busy times at the reference desk require yet another balancing act: you
may be faced with a number of patrons, all clamoring for your attention.
Simply asking “who’s next?” will go a long way toward “crowd control,” and
in most situations, the people waiting know very well whose turn it is! When
you’re helping a patron and notice someone waiting behind them, catch
their eye—it will signal that you know they
are there and are waiting. In some cases,
particularly with a long line, saying to the
waiting patrons, “I’ll be with you as soon as
I can,” and, as each person steps up to the
desk, saying “Thank you for waiting,” will
also go a long way in demonstrating your
interest in them and their questions.
This discussion has focused on work-
ing solo at the reference desk. There may
be times when there is sufficient staff so
that two people are scheduled at the same time. Chatting quietly may be one
way for staff members to bond, but make sure you don’t get so engrossed in
conversation that you ignore patrons or give them the impression that theySally Decker Smith and Roberta
Johnson, “Reference Desk
Realities,” Public Libraries 46, no.
1 (January 2007): 69–73. Smith
and Johnson describe working
at a public library reference desk
with gentle humor and sage
advice.http://www.ebook3000.com