Transforming Libraries and Archives: Valuing Best Practices

PLAI-NCR, 20-21 June 2013NHCP, T.M. Kalaw, Manila

For Value-Added Information Service, Press:REFERENCEChristine M. AbrigoDe La Salle University-Manila

Points to talk about

• Reference and Information Service• Best Practice• Value of Reference and Information

Service

What business are we in?

Information service The process of helping library users to

identify sources of information in response to a particular question, interest, assignment, or problem.

"The user community is growing too rapidly. It

has too many questions."

(Campbell, 1992)

Models of Reference Service

Face-to-FaceLiberal/MaximumConservative/MinimalCall CenterInformation CommonsSix-Themed Reference

• Desk is the place. Physically concentrated.

• Inflexible.

• Image of librarian: Clerk.

• Delivers answer in response to an inquiry. PERIOD.

• No attempt to educate user along the process.

• Trains users to make independent use of the library

• Value is put more on the process of finding information, rather than the information itself.

• Takes “calls” (i.e., queries), then provides ready reference/access to databases

• Prewritten scripts/canned response

• Lists down FAQs and FAAs

• Responds to demands of technology

• Information source + reference assistance

• Creates collaborative spaces

"In spite of the rapid changes, the basic goal

of reference service remains constant:

to connect users with information."

(Sitter and Gosling, 2007)

So...what elements remained the same over time?

• "We cannot afford to refer; WE MUST PROVIDE." (Campbell, 1992)

• Too many sources of information: Make sense of it.

• Understand the winds of change. Do not just surf the tides.

• Leave the reference desk and meet the users out where they are.

• Teach users to have a watchful eye over source quality and credibility.

REFERENCE LIBRARIAN

So...what elements remained the same over time?

• They change.• They always expect something

different in the service.• They prefer information to be

delivered to them electronically.• They do not come to the Reference

Librarian.

USERS

So...what elements remained the same over time?

USERS (Values)

Immediacy

Interactivity

Personalization Mobility

So...what elements remained the same over time?

USERS (Values)

Immediacy

Expects to receive service anytime of the

day or night, any or every day of the week.

So...what elements remained the same over time?

USERS (Values)

Expects follow up responses after the

initial response to be equally swift.

Interactivity

So...what elements remained the same over time?

USERS (Values)

Expects to receive information packaged

just for them

Personalization

So...what elements remained the same over time?

USERS (Values)

A given.A value that will

increase.

Mobility

So...what elements remained the same over time?

• Queries will always be queries. They will never go away.

• Number of queries will continue to escalate.

• “All roads lead to Rome”

INFORMATION NEED

Current Reality

• Virtual reference services now a standard offering.

• Today's Reference Jargon:DisintermediationLive/real-time referenceEverything on the Internet

Best Practice

Why consider "best practice"? (Dallas, 2008)

• It is not a description of common practice. It is out of the ordinary.

• It is not static; must constantly evolve.–Why?• people discover new and better ways of

doing things• industry undergoes constant change

Why consider "best practice"? (Dallas, 2008)

• It provides a rich source of continuous improvement (i.e., experience from other industries, cultures, environment, settings)

• It measures the value/effectiveness of a service; can be used to come up with more effective solutions

Best Practice + Reference Service =

• There is no fixed formula.• Relative and evolving.

Metaphor: Not every new shiny toy you may want to own is age appropriate.

Meaning: Not every new reference service you may want to practice in your library may not be the right thing for you...yet.

Best Practice + Reference Service =

• Relative and evolving.Relative: In the sense that what may be best for library X may not be best for library Y.

Evolving: In the sense that what may be one library's best practice today may not be the same as 5 years from now, or even just a year after.

Best Practice + Reference

Service = Reference-Client

"No longer is the reference librarian

passively curatorial but he/she promotes services and seeks “clients”; Less are we a “library”, more

a “service”..." (Duckett, 2004)

Seek your clients.

• Where else can they go and be with the library at the same time?

• Capitalize on users’ values of immediacy and interactivity.

• Learn alongside your patrons.

Seek your clients.

Push the reference menu card towards their direction.

How?

Seek your clients.

Create new service venues for enhanced patron experience.

• DRS such as IM, video-chat, mobile/SMS, SNSs (e.g., blogs, FB, Twitter, Instagram)• Location-based services/technologies (e.g.,

QR codes, Foursquare, Augmented reality)• Personalized engagement (e.g., Roving

reference)

Seek your clients.

Employ "consultation model" of library instruction.

• Tailored information literacy and learning programs for specific clients.• Collaboration (user-librarian)

Be visible.

• Maximize your discoverability.• Promote your services. (Murphy and Kroski,

2012)Within the technologies’ communities

Online

Within the library itself, its physical surfaces

With social media

Beyond the library, on campus bulletin boards, in cafés, at bus stops

With traditional media and/or in person

Reference and Information Service at the DLSU Learning Commons

DLSU LibrariesRe-defining the way we learn

Various reference transactions

• Directional

• Bibliographic Verification (check/verify the accuracy and completeness of a given set of bibliographic data on a publication)

• Ready Reference (QUICK answer: question can be answered quickly by consulting one or two standard reference tools)

• Ready Reference (Instructional: providing the answer involves demonstrating a skill)

• Document delivery service

• Specific Search ( looking for more information than a single fact and generally require searching multiple sources for the answer)

• Technical Assistance/PIN-password creation

• Research (Complex Question)

• Literature Search/Database Search

• Searching/locating library materials

Not all p

ossible by

face-to-fa

ce and/or telephone

Reference Transactions in Numbers

During Term 3 AY 2012-2013 (i.e., January 2013 –April 2013), average DAILY transactions were at:• 30 reference transactions (LORA and desk)• 5 document delivery requests• 3 requests for searching/locating materials

Four (4) days into Term 1 AY 2013-2014, 255 reference transactions were received. That is 64 queries/day = 113% increase!

Seeking our clients.

Library Online Reference Assistant (LORA)

• Virtual reference service became a venue to seek clients and increase the library’s visibility

• LORA formally launched in September 2009

• A reference librarian who renders accurate and instant answers to queries posted by the users of the library, whether or not one is member of the university.

What does LORA do?

Ask LORA (via e-mail or DLSU Library’s Facebook page)

Chat with LORA (instant messaging)

Video chat with LORA (via Skype call)

Call LORA (by telephone)

Text LORA (SMS reference)

FB LORA (communicate with LORA via Facebook)

Tweet LORA (communicate with LORA via Twitter)

LORA Transactions in Numbers

ServiceAY 2011-

2012AY 2012-

2013Percentage Difference

949 1,592 67.76

1,377 808 -41.32

342 585 71.05

e-DDS/ILL 759 541 -28.72

Investments on VAIS

• Enhance the DRS platform for better reference-client experience (i.e., Springshare tools)

• Pool of well-rounded, dedicated and PATIENT reference librarians

Investments on VAIS

Investments on VAIS

Library Instruction/Consultation

Being visible.

Social Media

Social Media

Location-based technologies

L i b r a r y O n l i n e R e f e r e n c e A s s i s t a n t

library.dlsu

libanswers.dlsu.edu.ph library@dlsu.edu.ph

09277871127

The Value of Reference Service

“Mission and purpose will abide; methods and

modes will morph." (Rettig, 2003)

At the end of the day...

• Quality reference service is you.• Your library users are the rightful

judges of quality service.• Build on your successes and

strengthen it more.• The value of reference service lies

not in your various advanced services, but the impact of the service you give to your clients; effect is life-long learning.

Thank you.christine.abrigo@dlsu.edu.ph

A copy of this presentation may be downloaded from:http://cmabrigo.wordpress.com/professional-history/trainings-and-career-development/as-resource-person/

Transforming Libraries and Archives: Valuing Best Practices

PLAI-NCR, 20-21 June 2013NHCP, T.M. Kalaw, Manila