How can reference services best address patron needs in the academic library of today and the future? Paul G. St-Pierre May 12, 2003

Overview 4 Pillars of Reference Traditional reference service Patron needs Future reference service Virtual reference Web design Instruction Promotion

4 Pillars of Reference 1.Instruction Subject, process, evaluation 2.Answers Accurate, thorough, timely, authoritative 3.Resource Selection 4.Promotion/Marketing Samuel Green (1876) - VALUES

Traditional Reference Need: Quick facts, research assistance, verification/direction. Synchronous: Just-in-time, instant gratification. In person: Rich face-to-face communication. Reactive: patron identifies information deficit, seeks assistance.

Patron Needs – Changing? Research assistance Verification/direction Information literacy levels Prefer human interaction Quick facts  web Information space much more complex Distance & continuing education Instant gratification Anytime, anywhere SAMEDIFFERENT

Future Reference Service Reference desk: Needed as long as there are print collections & technophobes. Service at a distance: Phone - synchronous, rapid, rich (lose visual cues). May be expensive. - asynchronous, low quality interaction, cheap. Virtual - “almost, but not quite, real.”

Virtual Reference Synchronous - chat & co-browsing. Visual & auditory cues lost. Cheap for user, expensive for library. Requires high skill. Good for answers, poor for instruction. Slow – average transaction ~15 minutes. Restricted to e-resources. Location independent. Feedback generally positive.

Website as Reference Blurs the line between resource & service: E-pubs = resource E-guides = service User-centered design = service. PROACTIVE: predict patron needs & skills. Organize for intuitive retrieval. On-demand. Asynchronous communication between designer & patron.

Instruction as Reference The librarian’s time is much better spent on first and foremost finding answers rather than diddling with instruction… Do most people really want to know how to master information? Bill Katz – SUNY Albany Library Trends, 2001, 50(2), p.269

Instruction Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Lao Tzu (?)

Instruction At the information desk Just in time - motivation Great if desk not busy In the classroom Difficult to access “Fire hose” method Standalone course Very difficult to achieve Lacks context

Instruction Integrated into the curriculum Difficult to achieve In class or online In context of subject Just in time Chunking Opportunity to apply learning Need faculty buy-in Large time commitment – design & feedback

Promotion Traditionally timid Library now has competition – Google Fear of Reference Information specialists in Information Age Shift emphasis from desk to curriculum Increase visibility – value to institution Undergrads- Better grades faster Grad students- Improved performance Faculty- Better research, teaching Administration- Reputation, infrastructure

Links UW Centre for Learning & Teaching Through Technology (LT3) UW Centre for Learning & Teaching Through Technology (LT3) UW Online Environment (UWone) Training with PowerPoint

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