The Whole Is Greater Than Its Parts: How Quality Reference Service and Community Interact

Introduction - meIntroduction - me

So, this morning I want to take us on a journey through totality of the referenceSo, this morning I want to take us on a journey through totality of the reference
transaction and look at the multiple potential points of failure as well as the
points of opportunity that lead up to that reference service interaction. I want to
consider what factors in our community either help or hinder our patrons from
interacting with us and what helps or hinders our capacity to help our patrons.
Some of what we discuss will be applicable to the library in general since we’re
going to look at both a macro and micro level, but we’ll also get down to the
nitty-gritty of the librarian/patron interaction that is at the center of reference
service.
By doing so, I hope we can come to a fuller appreciation of what it takes for us
to be able to assist a patron in resolving their information needs.
As a first step, I want to be sure we’re talking about the same thing.

I would define reference service succinctly as the process of connectingI would define reference service succinctly as the process of connecting
people with needed information and facilitating their use of that information.

Here’s RUSA’s long definition. What do you think of that?Here’s RUSA’s long definition. What do you think of that?
Any thoughts on that? How would you define “reference service”?
[PARTICIPANT DISCUSSION:
In-depth questions (but not all)
Instructing
Promoting library services they don’t don’t about
RA]

We’re also going to bring in RUSA’s Guidelines for Behavioral Perfmance ofWe’re also going to bring in RUSA’s Guidelines for Behavioral Perfmance of
Reference and Information Service Providers when appropriate. These are very
helpful objective guides for factors that can affect the reference transaction. If you
haven’t looked at them in awhile, I recommend it.

Another key point is that Reference is OUR job, not our patron’s. We are the one’sAnother key point is that Reference is OUR job, not our patron’s. We are the one’s
that elected to provide that service to our communities. We may get frustrated at
patrons
who don’t have a good idea of what they want,
or who get the title of the book wrong,
or who can’t decide between A or B
or who asks “silly questions”
And while there are arguably some silly questions, I don’t think there are as many as
people sometimes complain there are
It’s our job to use all the tools at our disposal and to provide – even those who aren’t
quite sure what they want – wit the resources and information they need to solve their
information lack. So...

The key here is that we are providing service. And we’re providing servie toThe key here is that we are providing service. And we’re providing servie to
our COMMUNITY. But step back one moment...

We throw around the word COMMUNITY but in fact we are serving…We throw around the word COMMUNITY but in fact we are serving…

Multiple Communities. Whether our library is in a rural community of a coupleMultiple Communities. Whether our library is in a rural community of a couple
thousand or in the center of a large urban environment with several hundred
thousand, your community is not MONOLITHIC. There are arguably dozens of
COMMUNITIES we serve and I’d like us to consider who those affect our reference
services.

Just to get us started, I want to put up two TRADITONAL communities we talk aboutJust to get us started, I want to put up two TRADITONAL communities we talk about
that libraries serve…What are some others you can think of… and I want us to think
of what kind of information needs these different communities have…
unemployed, business, homeschoolers, homeless, different ethnic groups, diversity,
college students, parents, addicts, local historians, homebound, avid readers, non-
readers, at-risk youth, niche hobbies, electronic resource users, children, technology-
challenged, disabilities, new Americans/immigrants]
So, to fold this back into our larger discussion…

Reference SERVICE means We serve someone. We serve, one at a time, aReference SERVICE means We serve someone. We serve, one at a time, a
member of one or more of those COMMUNITIES we just talked about. You
might give that a DUH! But the reason I bring it up is that ....

We serve another person. Another human being. I think that sometimes getsWe serve another person. Another human being. I think that sometimes gets
lost in the fact that we often focus on the QUESTION and NOT the patron.
“That question was...” That person asking the question has a whole backstory
we may or may not be aware of, and we’re going to explore the factors that
lead that patron to us for assistance. Let’s start at the beginning…

The process all starts with the Big Bang, but that might be a few too manyThe process all starts with the Big Bang, but that might be a few too many
factors to explore.

A reference transaction begins with a person.A reference transaction begins with a person.

That person encounters a gap in their knowledge. It may be something smallThat person encounters a gap in their knowledge. It may be something small
they don’t know like “Was Nicholas Cage in that one movie?”, it may be
something big like “How do I apply for a scholarship to go to college?” or “How
can I find a job?” The size of the question doesn’t matter right now…

They’ve undergone a change from Unconscious Ignorance - a time when theyThey’ve undergone a change from Unconscious Ignorance - a time when they
didn’t know or didn’t care they didn’t know something or it had not emerged as
a problem for them - to Conscious Ignorance. Now, they recognize they have a
lack of knowledge about something and it causes a disruption in their life.

Now our person can go a number of different directions to get a solution toNow our person can go a number of different directions to get a solution to
their lack of knowledge.

Just a few solutions can include them asking family members or friends. TheyJust a few solutions can include them asking family members or friends. They
can go on the Internet. Or they can decide to go to the library and ask one of
us. But before we go on, I want us to consider:
- WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS NEVER GET TO US?
-WHAT DO WE NEVER GET THE CHANCE TO HELP WITH?
directions (used to be answered at the gas station), too embarrassed of
content or to admit they don’t know something]

This person may find our website and its online resources and use ourThis person may find our website and its online resources and use our
services remotely, bypassing us all together in-person. That’s another avenue
for helping patrons. Consider how important having a robust and easily-
navigated library website if people are going to be using that instead of coming
to you personally. David Lee King from Topeka and Shawnee County Public
Library, among others, has talked about the importance of our websites –
which are, in effect, digital branches serving actual patrons. The patrons who
come to the digitial branch are JUST AS IMPORTANT as those who come to
the physical branch.
But that may be a topic for another talk.
For our purposes this morning, let’s look at what may or may not lead them to
seek us out in-person, what factors can be a help or a hindrance and how we
might mitigate some of them or at least be aware of others..
Again, I want to make this a discussion among us so I hope you all had your caffeine
delivery device of choice this morning.

There are factors on both the patron and the side of the library staff memberThere are factors on both the patron and the side of the library staff member
providing service that we need to examine to get a fuller picture of the
backstory of the reference transaction we’re familiar with. Some general, broad
categories I want to examine are:
Environmental Factors
Social and Cultural Factors
Technological Factors
And Individual factors for the patron and reference staff member
As well as institutional factors affecting the library staff person and the
reference service he or she can provide to the patron

Before we work through each of these, I want to make a plug for two otherBefore we work through each of these, I want to make a plug for two other
sessions at this conference that I believe intersect with what we’re trying to do
here:
Yesterday’s talk by Miriam Matteson entitled “A Conversation on Critical
Librarianship and Privilege” This was truly an eye-opener for me and Miriam
will be submitting her slides to the conference site.

The other program I’d recommend is Ryan Dowd’s on Friday morning aboutThe other program I’d recommend is Ryan Dowd’s on Friday morning about
working with the homeless in our libraries. I think both could be very good
complements to this exercise we’re doing this morning.

Do they have a car?Do they have a car?
Do they have to use public transportation?
Do they know where your building is?
hours, noise – ambiance, safety & security, employment (can they access library
service during their work hours), is the bldg itself accessible, is the building navigable
– are there signs? Does anyone feel welcome? Are there frowns? Are they
acknowledged? Are SERVICE ANIMALS welcome? If so, are some people allergic?
Are some staff allergic? What about people – other staff or patrons – afraid of dogs?
Availability – Are they asking Pages since they’re in the stacks? What about the
temperature of the building? Is it comfortable in summer? winter?]

Where is your building located?Where is your building located?
Is it near a public transportation route?
Can people find your building?
Are there sufficient signs on the street?
Are there sufficient signs in your library pointing to your service desk?
Can people find the service desk?
This coincides with some of the RUSA Behavioral Guidelines on Visibility and
Approachability:
found in a highly visible physical or virtual location (the library, outreach locations, or the library
website). Proper signage or notification that indicates the location, hours, and availability of in-
person and remote assistance is available.

This is a big one:This is a big one:
Can the patron, if he’s a man, talk to a woman?
Is the patron comfortable coming into the library in the first place?
Does the patron feel WELCOME in the library?
If they aren’t comfortable, they will tell their friends and members of their community
they weren’t comfortable. Their friends won’t seek us out either for help.
The collection materials themselves. Are members of their community reflected in the
materials.]

[PARTICIPANT DISCUSSION:[PARTICIPANT DISCUSSION:
PROACTIVE vs. REACTIVE REFERENCE!!
Who the library hires? Do patrons recognize themselves in the staff and the
collection?]

Sensory disabilities: fluroescent light, ambient noise, perfume. If patrons with these
conditions can’t take being in the building, they won’t come back. We can’t help them
if they don’t come back.
Many varied abilities and competencies. Also for staff!]

Property maintenance of the building? Is it clean and inviting? Inside and out?]

So, to re-cap I want to put up that original slide with those broad categories weSo, to re-cap I want to put up that original slide with those broad categories we
began with. As we can see now there are MANY underlying elements to each
of these. I’d like to wax philosophical for a moment to help drive home the
larger context I’m trying to get you to consider the intersection of community
and quality reference service...

Old Path, White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha, by Thich Nhat Hanh.
The Buddha lifted the bowl and then looked at Ananda. "Ananda, among the interwovenThe Buddha lifted the bowl and then looked at Ananda. "Ananda, among the interwoven
elements that have given rise to the bowl, do you see water?"
"Yes. Without water, the potter would not have been able to mix the clay he used to fashion
the bowl."
"Ananda, can you see the fire in this bowl?"
"Yes, Lord. Fire was necessary to complete the bowl."
"What else can you see?"
"I see the air. Without air, the fire could not have burned and the potter could not have lived.
I see the potter and his skillful hands. I see his consciousness. I see the kiln and the wood
stacked in the kiln. I see the trees the wood came from. I see the rain, sun, and earth which
enabled the trees to grow. I can see thousands of interpenetrating elements which gave rise to
this bowl."
"Excellent! Contemplating the bowl, it is possible to see the interdependent elements which
gave rise to the bowl. Your own awareness is one of the elements. If you took away heat and
returned it to the sun, if you returned the clay to the earth and the water to the river, if you
returned the potter to his parents and the wood to the forest trees, could the bowl still exist?"
“The bowl could no longer exist. If you returned the elements which gave rise to the bowl to
their sources, the bowl would no longer be present..."
And the Buddha said, “Look deeply at this bowl, and you can see the entire universe. This
bowl contains the entire universe.“

So, in reality, that reference transaction in which you are engaged truly doesSo, in reality, that reference transaction in which you are engaged truly does
contain the entire universe back to the Big Bang. All the elements that had to
come together to make that happen really do contain the entire universe. It is a
precious moment, full of potential. I urge you to keep that in mind the next time
someone walks up to your desk and you ask them “ Can I help you?”
Thank you.

The Whole Is Greater Than Its Parts: How Quality Reference Service and Community Interact

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The Whole Is Greater Than Its Parts: How Quality Reference Service and Community Interact