Reference Interview Skills

If you are a regular library user, you might notice the reference desk in your library where a librarian sit and answer users' questions. This service has been in library for more than 100 years and most librarians today have reference duties. To serve users well, a reference librarian should possess good oral communication and information search skills. Furthermore, in this digital age, some virtual reference mothods (email or online chat) have been involved. Therefore a good reference librarian is also able to use these Internet tools efficiently. Here are some core skills needed by reference services.

Presents welcoming behaviors and practices effective interviewing skills to best determine the user's actual needs;

Understands information-seeking behaviors and facilitates the user's successful information retrieval;

Ability to develop and present instructional sessions for the general public, the classroom, and the staff of the documents and reference departments, as applicable;

Ability to perform vitural reference interviews;

Some references that help you increase your skills

Using Virtual Reference Transcripts for Staff Training? David Ward. Reference Services Review 31 (1) (2003) 46-56

Conducting the Reference Interview: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. Catherine Sheldrick Ross et al. Neal-Schuman, 2002.

Understanding reference transactions: translating an art into a science. Matthew L Saxton and John V Richardson. Academic Press, 2002

The Virtual Librarian and the Electronic Reference Interview? Bowman, V . Internet Reference Services Quarterly. 7(3) (2002): 3-14.

"Reference Interview and Search," in Introduction to Reference Work, Volume I. William A. Katz. McGraw-Hill. 8th ed. 2002. pp 19-25.

"The reference interview," in Reference and Information Services: An Introduction. Richard E. Bopp and Linda C. Smith, gen. eds. Libraries Unlimited. 3rd ed. 2001. Chapter 3: 47-68.

"Has the Internet Changed Anything in Reference?" Catherine Sheldrick Ross and Kirsti Nilsen. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 40 (Winter 2000): 147-155.
Reference Interview Quick Hints?Library of the Virginia Commonwealth University, August 2003 [http://www.library.vcu.edu/help/train/]

Mapping the Information Landscape." Marylaine Block. Searcher April 2002 [http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/apr02/block.htm]

Users and Their Information Needs: Information-Seeking Behavior; the Reference Interview." School of Information, University of Texas at Austin, 2002. [http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~l382jh/Main/t3-usrinfoneeds.html]

Practicing Reference: Teaching the Art of the Reference Interview. Mary Whisner. Law Library Journal 94:1 [http://www.aallnet.org/products/2002-10.pdf]

"Reference Interview." Ohio Reference Excellence (ORE) Web-based training. Ohio Library Council, 2000. [http://www.olc.org/ore/2intro.htm]

Statewide Training For Accurate Reference (STAR) Reference Manual, 1994-2001. Nebraska Library Commission. [http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/ref/star/chapter4.html ]

High Touch vs. High Tech: The Changing Nature of Managing Library Reference Service. J. Michael Shires, March, 2000.
[http://www.geocities.com/jmshires/capping/home.htm]

"Reference Interview." California Opportunities for Reference Excellence (CORE). San Joaquin Valley Information Service, 1999.
[http://www.sjvls.org/members/core/ref/CCREF.HTM]

Back to Top