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December 13, 2006

Summary of Customized Reference Service Program, 12/4/06

This program was presented at the Springfield Public Library, December 4, 2006 by Allan Kleiman, Assistant Director of the Old Bridge Public Library

Just as, generations ago, the telephone created changes at the reference desk, so do 21st century technologies. Be we in public, academic, or special libraries, we are working to adapt to new demands for faster, more hand-holding, more comprehensive assistance. Each library will design its own plan of priorities, and we need to remain relevant to our communities, if for no other reason, because, although we may feel as busy as ever, reference statistics are declining, and our governing bodies may therefore reduce our desperately needed revenues.

To bring in more people-and to send them away as satisfied customers-Allan Kleiman suggests that we remain true to our "hunter-gatherer" role of looking for material and then, not just referring people to it, but actually collecting it, even opening books and other resources and pointing to specific articles, paragraphs, and illustrations. We can also accommodate people in some relatively nontraditional ways. Some newer services include notarizing documents, issuing passports (a money-making operation, since a fee is set by the U.S. Department of State), providing one-on-one assistance in resume writing and in finding grants and scholarships, and completing forms for our patrons. Anything library staff cannot do may still be accomplished at the library by invited volunteers or officials; for example, at the Old Bridge Public Library, an Assemblyperson's staff help older adults to apply for Medicare prescription plans. SCORE and college student organizations have for years visited libraries to help people with tax preparation. Reference librarians are also increasingly working on programs, pathfinders, and readers' advisory. If we determine that a service is beyond our library's purview, we want to send people requesting it home with useful referrals to places where they will receive that service.

We pondered the benefits and drawbacks of classes, especially technology classes, versus individualized instruction in using ebooks, email, and databases. The best solution may be to engage in both, but of course to do so efficiently. Juggling more than one "one-on-one" patron or scheduling assistance by appointment are options for busy librarians.

"The times, they are a-changin'." Because our profession do deeply cares about people, dovetailing with our communities, while challenging, remains our mission. When one librarian wondered how to encourage pro-activity among staff, we thought that vibrant customer service continuing education might offset resistance. Some two dozen librarians attended this stimulating program. The conversation continues-and that's grand, because librarians are good people with whom to think, talk, and act.

The podcast of this program and the PowerPoint slides will soon be posted to the NJLA website. Click on the link below:

http://www.njla.org/sections/reference/links.htm

Summary by Leslie Kahn, Newark Public Library

Posted by mowyn at December 13, 2006 9:01 AM

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