WebJunction

Describe the process you and your staff follow to answer a reference question. Do you do a “reference interview” with the person? Where do you look first? What is your most common reference question? Has the Internet affected how you provide reference service? Has it affected your reference collection?

Considering our reference collection is close to non existent we generally use the internet as our main reference source. I copied off the list from class that named some good refernce books to have and I plan on adding them to our collection every chance I get. Also we don't really get too many refernce questions that require a "reference interview", so I don't feel like we have a set process that the staff and I use when a question does come up. Our biggest reference questions would be the health and medical questions which we use the medline plus and one other medical site (which I can't think of right now, how good is that?). Even though we would probably tend toward the internet for information I would still like to have a core reference section as a base.

I am the only staff person at our library. I kind of enjoy reference questions, and feel that for the size of our community I get an interesting variety of questions. I do question the patron and get as much information as possible - I have nothing in writing as far as an interview, but try to refine the search. The type of information they are looking for determines the sources I use. When they are asking for local historical information we have a town history book compiled at the time of the town's 100th birthday that has a wealth of information, so I always refer them there first. I had a call from columnist Chuck Offenberger regarding the school's mascot name prior to consolidation and what he needed was in this history book. We get a lot of local history questions, if it can't be found in the book, I have some local people I contact because if it happened here they either know about it or tell me who does. The "blessings" of a small Iowa town. We also have all the weekly newpapers available on microfish back to the early 1900's. I go to the internet for most other ?'s. Our reference collection is rather outdated, latest encyclopedia set is from 2001, and the medical reference and pharmacy books are over 5 yrs old. We do get the Consumer Report Annuals each year and a few other things. The internet has made our library a much better source of information for the patrons, not only more up to date, but there is an endless amount of information on line, if you know how to search for it and the sites to use.

When a person comes in the Library and doesn't seem to know where to go or what they really are looking for, I try to approach them and ask if I can help them find something. If they are looking for a specific subject, I try to get as much infromation from them as to their needs, then I direct them to the non-fiction or reference section. In the non-fiction section, if I do not know the dewy decimal number the item is under, I look it up in the dewy decimal reference book. I show them both the childrens and adult shelves. I find adults sometimes like the simpler information in the children's books and visa versa (students want more information that is in the adult books). The non-fiction section of our library is very well represented. The reference section is poorly lacking, but hope that changes in the future.

I haven't done a reference interview, but I will in the future. I do get a lot of local history questions and have a great selection of books to choose from. I do use the internet as a reference service. With these lean budget times I do reley on the internet and databases more for reference questions.

I agree. I seem to get the most reference questions from students or the "mature" populations about town history etc. I also wish I had a good reference for geneology for our town also. The 2 ladies that seemed to be our best resource are no longer able to "remember" as much as they use to, etc. Any ideas on good reference books or sites for geneology that cost little to nothing?

Kim - Sites I recommend for geneology are: www.rootsweb.com, www.ancestry.com and genealogy.com. The patrons that use these seem to get the information they want. I don't know if there is a charge after you get so far. I know the ones using these in the library don't pay anything.

Sharon I also have the most trouble with the teen. Some will hardly talk, only mumble. Mostly they don't want to have to come to the library and do some homework. Boys especially are the hardest. Mostly because they don't like to read. One sent his mother in to find the thinest book she could find for him.

After reading your reply, I realized that history and genealogy - specifically obits - is our biggest area of questions. We have a very large obit collection in our local/state history room that we have been putting together here for the past four years. It is what used to be in our "reference" room. Well, general reference is a very small part of the room. We have no local history museum or group, so we are the "keepers" of the local history and find this to be a new and exciting reference service.

Teens and reference questions are always a challenge. nine times out of ten I will work to answer their questions and find books for them only to find them (the books) laying somewhere in the library or in the drop box. They were not very serious about the answer, I hope it isn't because I did not give them the right information! leldred Springville