Reference Service to Children and Young Adults 79Interest
Even though this may be the fifteenth time that a child has asked for informa-
tion on the state animal, flag, bird, insect, mineral, motto, and so on in the
last hour, it is crucial that the librarian demonstrate interest in each child’s
question. It can be a challenge, particularly if the child is shy or unsure of
how to ask a question, but if the librarian communicates “through verbal or
non-verbal confirmation, such as nodding of the head or brief comments or
questions” (“Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Informa-
tion Service Professionals,” 2.5) contact can be established and a “reference
relationship” begun.
listening/Inquiring
A “tone of voice... appropriate to the nature of the transaction” (3.2) is a
critical component of a reference interview with a child. It is best to avoid the
authoritarian approach, and put some friendliness and warmth into your voice.
This is always a good idea, whether you are helping an adult or a child, but is
especially helpful with a child. Patience is called for, too, since you may need
to allow a little extra time for a child to fully express his or her request, or even
get to the point. Depending upon their stage of development and language
skills, they may have some difficulty in expressing themselves clearly. Factor
in the sometimes scary prospect of speaking to an adult and you can easily
see why patience and a friendly demeanor
are called for. This is the time, too, to refrain
from using a lot of library jargon (some-
thing to keep in mind with adults as well)
and listen more than you speak. Using
open-ended questions not only to discover
the amount or type of information needed
but also to determine the approximate read-
ing level required is yet another aspect of
this phase of a reference interview with a
child. Linda Ward-Callaghan notes that “the
best source in the world is useless to a child
Susan Strong, “Sights, Sounds
and Silence in Library Reference
Service to Children,” Public
Libraries 43, no. 6 (November/
December 2004): 313–14. In this
article, an experienced children’s
librarian takes a look at some
important aspects of reference
service to elementary school-age
children.