Reference Interviews: You don’t have to learn it (all) again

Yongtao Lin, MLISyolin@ucalgary.ca

Phone: 403-521-3285

Librarian, Tom Baker Cancer Centre

In Scope & Out of Scope

• What is a reference interview (RI)

• When is a RI necessary• Why is a RI important• Strategies for successful

RI• RI in virtual

environments

• How to create an inviting environment (attitudes, approachability and interest)

• Reference Service Policies and Procedures

• Technology to facilitate and enhance RI

What is a Reference Interview (RI)?

• RI is a type of interviews • RI is not about “answering questions” • RI is query negotiation, giving and receiving

information, advice, instruction, or getting feedback, or following up

Source: Ross, C.S., Nilsen, K., & Radford, M. (2009). Conducting the reference interview. 2 ed. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.

Think of the physician-patient model

“My foot hurts..”

“What part of your foot?”

Think of the physician-patient model

“My sole, very painful…”

“Does it hurt when you're sitting,

standing, walking?”

Think of the physician-patient model

“It hurts when I get up in the morning, but goes away as I

walk.”

“All the time or just sometimes? Worse

at some point?”

Think of the physician-patient model

“…? What’s that?”

“You have plantar fasciitis.”

Information needed

• Question, problem (“You said you want information about Preadmission clinic practice?”)

• Past experience (“Have you done the search yourself?”)• Context (“Can you tell me more about the topic?”)• Purpose (“What will you use information for?”)• Scope (“How much detail do you need?”)• Currency (“How recent does the information need to be?”)• Preference (“What format would you like the information

in?”)• Expectations (“When do you need the information by?”)

Do our patrons know what they want?

Please respond to the poll:

How often do you see/hear when they request articles, they actually need a literature search? - Never- Sometimes- Always

Do our patrons express their information needs clearly and completely in their initial question?

Please respond to the poll:

How often do you see/hear the terms of “best practices” or “best evidence” from our patrons? - Never- Sometimes- Always

Do we make ourselves understood?

Please type in the chat box:

Think of a library term that is commonly used by you but doesn’t make any sense to the patron?

Source: Hutcherson, N. (2004). Library jargon: Student recognition of terms and concepts commonly used by librarians in the classroom. College and Research Libraries, 65 (4):349-354.

Reference Interviews in Virtual Environments

• [Patron]: Good morning.• [Library Staff]: Hello!• [Library Staff]: How can I help you?• [Patron]: the annals of pharmacotherapy, pharmacotherapy, u.s.

Pharmacist.• [Patron]: did you get my request?• [Library Staff]: All I have at this end is: the annals of pharmacotherapy,

pharmacotherapy, u.s. Pharmacist.• [Library Staff]: If you have a citation for a specific article, please let me

know.• [Patron]: i do not have a specific citation. i am looking at journals we

used to receive and if they are available on line we will not order them.• [Library Staff]: I can certainly check to see what's available.

Barriers and Strategies

Please type in the whiteboard:Barriers Strategies

Some of the strategies you may have said…

• The First Thirty Seconds• Proactive, long term relationship building• Asking specific questions related to the topic

(age, sex, intervention, outcomes…)• Listening, paraphrasing, asking open ended

questions • Following up

Source: Knoer, S. (2011). Reference interview today (E-book). Libraries Unlimited.

Text-based Strategies

• Use your in-person reference experience as a compass

• Short sentences or with only a few words at a time• Become familiar with common abbreviation• Can add personal touch• Consider using more than text to communicate• Learn available resource options beforehand• Hurry (just kidding)• Relax (yes, really)

On the phone…

• Switch to phone from chat or email• An email to follow up after chat or telephone• Comfortable making referrals to other formats• Ask clarifying questions• Explain what you are doing (check online…)• Write it down• Indicate the source of the answer• Follow up – “Did this completely answer your

question?”

Email continues to be popular

• Find out what real question is before trying to answering it

• Always include a follow-up question• Pick up a phone to clarify

Role Playing - Patron and library staff

• Patron: Need 3 volunteers!!

• Library staff: Be your best!

1. I’d like to do some lit searching on Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

2. How do I narrow down my search – I had 1,400 results?

3. How do I keep up with the literature?

Transferrable Skills

• Set the stage• Ask, clarify, explain and follow up• Make referrals

Thank you

• Questions?• Please consider posting in Discussion Boards!• Please pick up a search from the queue today

and negotiate a timeline!