CONDUCTING THE REFERENCE INTERVIEW : a how-to-do-it manual for librarians

"This book focuses on a key problem that occurs in a reference transaction at the very first step: finding out, quickly and efficiently what the user really wants to know. We offer readers a comprehensive way to tackle the problem though a multi-faceted approach that includes the following elements: explanatory text that summarizes key aspects of each topic together with relevant research on the topic; cases and exercises that allow for an interactive approach in learning new skills; and annotated bibliographies for further reading. Distinctive features include: 1. An approach that emphasizes teachable skills 2. Authentic examples from extensive research data 3. Cases and exercises useful for training 4. Engaging structure that draws the reader in 5. A detailed index that provides multiple ways to access the materials, including listings of cases and exercises. 6. A new feature New in the third edition will be input from practitioners on "Lessons Learned from My Most Difficult Reference Interview" - i.e., what happened, what they learned. We plan to ask some Super Reference Librarians--for example, some of the RUSA former presidents as well as other reference librarian friends--to provide vignettes, which in edited form we would locate in the section of the book to which they relate"-- Provided by publisher Cover Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1. Why Bother with aReference Interview? 1.1 What Is a Reference Interview? 1.2 The Service Orientation of Libraries 1.3 Beyond 55 Percent 1.4 Why Didn’t You Say So in the First Place? 1.4.1 The Ill-Formed Query 1.4.2 Mental Models 1.5 The Helpful Answer: Two Waysof Thinking about Information 1.5.1 Information as a Commodity 1.5.2 Questions in Contexts 1.6 Reference as an Art of Translation 1.7 There Are No Bad Guy Users 1.8 Annotated Readings andCited References 1.8.1 Principles of Interviewing 1.8.2 The Reference Interview 1.8.3 Evaluating the Qualityof the Reference Transaction 1.8.4 The Ill-Formed Query, Translation Problems,and Users’ Mental Models 1.8.5 Useful Conceptual Frameworks for Thinkingabout Information and Information Behavior 2. The FirstThirty Seconds 2.1 Being Approachable 2.2 The Library as a Physical Space 2.3 Establishing Contact 2.4 Skills for the First Thirty Seconds 2.4.1 The Microtraining Approach 2.4.2 Nonverbal Attending Skills 2.4.3 Acknowledgment 2.4.4 Minimal Encouragers 2.4.5 Listening 2.5 Approachability in Virtual Spaces 2.6 Annotated Readings andCited References 2.6.1 Microtraining 2.6.2 Nonverbal Behavior 2.6.3 Approachability and Nonverbal Behaviorin the Reference Context 3. Finding Out WhatThey Really Wantto Know 3.1 Some Common Problems 3.1.1 “Without Speaking She Began to Type” 3.1.2 Bypassing the Reference Interview 3.1.3 Taking a System-Based Perspective 3.1.4 The Unmonitored Referral 3.1.5 Negative Closure:How to Make Users Go Away 3.2 Skills for Negotiating the Question 3.2.1 Open and Closed Questions 3.2.2 Avoiding Premature Diagnosis 3.2.3 Sense-Making Questions 3.2.4 Reflecting Content: Paraphrasingand Summarizing 3.2.5 Closure 3.3 Annotated Readings and CitedReferences 3.3.1 The Reference Interview: General Works 3.3.2 Problems and Issues 3.3.3 Questioning Skills 3.3.4 Reflecting Content and Feeling 4. Beyond NegativeClosure 4.1 Skills for Working Together 4.1.1 Inclusion: Telling People What You Are Doing 4.1.2 Library Use Instruction 4.1.3 Follow-up Questions 4.2 Integrating Reference Interview Skills 4.2.1 Tips for Practicing 4.3 Annotated Readings andCited References 5. Special Contexts for the ReferenceInterview 5.1 Introduction to Special Contexts 5.2 The Phone Reference Interview 5.2.1 Interview Skills for the Phone 5.2.2 Voicemail 5.2.3 Who Gets Priority? 5.3 The Secondhand Reference Interview 5.3.1 The Imposed Query 5.4 The Reference Interview with Childrenand Young Adults 5.4.1 “Got Any Books on Fleas?” 5.4.2 Information Literacy 5.4.3 The School Assignment 5.4.4 Parents 5.4.5 Children, Teens, and the VirtualReference Interview 5.5 Interviewing Seniors 5.6 Interviewing Adultsfrom Diverse Communities 5.6.1 Cross-Cultural Communication 5.6.2 English Language Learners 5.7 Interviewing People with Disabilities 5.8 Interviewing the User WhoIs “Problematic” 5.9 Interviewing Users with ConsumerHealth and Legal Questions 5.10 Annotated Bibliographyand Cited References 5.10.1 Introduction to Special Contexts 5.10.2 Phone Reference 5.10.3 The Imposed Query 5.10.4 Interviewing Children and Young Adults 5.10.5 Interviewing Seniors 5.10.6 Interviewing Adults from Diverse Communities 5.10.7 Interviewing People with Disabilities 5.10.8 Interviewing the User Who Is “Problematic” 5.10.9 Interviewing Users with Consumer Healthand Legal Questions 6. The Reference Encounter in VirtualEnvironments 6.1 Introduction to Virtual ReferenceService (VRS) 6.1.1 Setting the Stage 6.2 Real-Time Reference: Live Chat,Instant Messaging, and Texting 6.2.1 The Synchronous Reference Interview 6.2.2 Improving Accuracyin Live Chat Reference 6.2.3 Avoiding Face-Threats andMicroaggressions in VRS 6.2.4 VRS via Texting 6.3 E-Mail Reference 6.3.1 The E-Mail Reference Interview and Forms 6.4 Trending in VRS 6.5 Annotated Readings andCited References 6.5.1 Websites, Discussion Lists, Bibliographies,and Discussion Groups 6.5.2 Articles, Books, and Websites,including Cited References 7. The Readers’Advisory Interview 7.1 Introduction to theReaders’ Advisory Interview 7.2 Towards a Reader-Centered Service 7.3 Evaluating the Readers’Advisory Encounter 7.4 Setting the Stage 7.5 Conducting the Interview 7.6 Annotated Readingsand Cited References 7.6.1 Research-Based Work on Readers’Advisory, Reading, and the Reader 7.6.2 Readers’ Advisory Service 7.6.3 Evaluation of the Readers’ AdvisoryTransaction 7.6.4 The RA Interview and Form-Based RA 7.6.5 Resources for Readers’ Advisors 8. Establishing Policy and Training for theReference Interview 8.1 The Library Context 8.2 Institutional Policy and theReference Interview 8.2.1 Typical Policies 8.2.2 Reference Service Policy Statementsfor Library Users 8.2.3 Policy and Procedures Manuals for Staff 8.2.4 Consortial Reference Policies 8.3 Training Staff in ReferenceInterview Skills 8.3.1 Independent Learning 8.3.2 Group Training 8.3.3 Training for Virtual Reference Service 8.3.4 Evaluation of Training 8.3.5 Resistance to Training—– and Some Answers 8.4 Annotated Readings andCited References 8.4.1 Library Association Policies andGuidelines for Reference Staff 8.4.2 Reference Policy 8.4.3 Training About the Authors Index "This book focuses on a key problem that occurs in a reference transaction at the very first step: finding out, quickly and efficiently what the user really wants to know. We offer readers a comprehensive way to tackle the problem though a multi-faceted approach that includes the following elements: explanatory text that summarizes key aspects of each topic together with relevant research on the topic; cases and exercises that allow for an interactive approach in learning new skills; and annotated bibliographies for further reading. Distinctive features include: 1. An approach that emphasizes teachable skills 2. Authentic examples from extensive research data 3. Cases and exercises useful for training 4. Engaging structure that draws the reader in 5. A detailed index that provides multiple ways to access the materials, including listings of cases and exercises. 6. A new feature New in the third edition will be input from practitioners on "Lessons Learned from My Most Difficult Reference Interview"--I.e., what happened, what they learned. We plan to ask some Super Reference Librarians--for example, some of the RUSA former presidents as well as other reference librarian friends--to provide vignettes, which in edited form we would locate in the section of the book to which they relate"-- Résumé de l'éditeur