The reference interview is a conversation between a member of the library reference staff and a library user conducted for two purposes: 1. to clarify the user’s needs, and 2. to help the user meet those needs. Often the first question a user asks does not fully represent their need. The reference interview is crucial to gaining a more complete picture.
For example, a user may approach the reference staff member and ask, “Do you have Clementine in the Kitchen as an e-book?” A search in the catalog indicates that the library does not have this title online but it is in the print collection. The reference staff member might open a reference interview by saying, “No, we don’t have access to Clementine in the Kitchen as an e-book but we do have a print copy. Are you interested in it or would you consider other books similar to it that are accessible online?” In raising this question, the reference staff member allows the user to determine what aspect of the originally sought after title is more important to them: content or format. With their answer to the question posed, the reference staff member can either provide information about the print title or search for memoirs about French cooking that are part of the e-book collection, such as The Expert Cook in Enlightenment France.
The ideal reference interview begins with the user’s perceptions of the reference staff member. It is important that we appear alert, approachable, and ready to help. As the user approaches, provide an encouraging welcome by saying, “Hi! How may I be of help?” or something similar. When accepting a question online, also create a welcoming environment by typing the same opener.
As the user describes their need, a student staff member’s primary concern is to discern whether the question is one they can answer or is appropriate for referral to a librarian. In some cases, the student staff member may be positioned to answer an initial question (or a few initial questions) but then discover that the remaining information needs should be referred.
If at any time the user’s questions are unclear, pause and ask for further explanation. When inquiring why particular information is needed, contextualize the request so that the user knows its purpose, and is assured that the explanation is valuable to the search process. In an academic library, appropriate questions include, “Is this for a particular class?” and “Has a librarian already visited your UCWR class?,” when the user has already shared their enrollment in that course.
Whether the user’s information need is satisfied by the student staff member or is referred, the ideal reference interview closes with an open-ended question that allows the user to ask any lingering questions they may have about this or another concern. This final question might be “May I be of any additional help?” Invite the user to return by closing with a comment such as “This desk will be staffed until 10:00 this evening. Please stop back if you think of anything else.”
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