This is the slideshow from a presentation on reference communication by Carol Leibiger and Alan Aldrich at the Mountain Plains Library Association Conference in Wichita, KS, on April 1, 2009.
1. Honoring Accounts in Reference
Encounters
Carol A. Leibiger, Associate Professor
Alan W. Aldrich, Assistant Professor
University Libraries, University of South Dakota
2. Communication has at least two
dimensions.
Relational
Content
dimension
dimension
3. Reference transactions are about
content and relationships
Here’s the beginning of a typical reference
interview…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-
xvUN93pcY
4. Evaluation of reference: Accuracy
vs. customer satisfaction
S.S. Green (1876)content and
S.S. Green (1876)
reference has
Reference has content and
Reference has content and
interpersonal dimensions
interpersonal dimensions
interpersonal dimensions
(Green, 1876)
accuracy studies patron satisfaction
“55% rule” studies
(Crowley, 1968) “willingness to return”
(Durrance, 1989)
accuracy increased by attention
to quality of interpersonal
communication with user
(Gers & Seward, 1985)
5. Librarians’ and users’ views of content vs.
relational dimensions (Radford, 1993)
• Librarians
1. user attitude
2. information and knowledge base (content)
3. relationship quality
• Users
1. librarian attitude
2. relationship quality
3. approachability
4. information and knowledge base (content)
6. What have we learned?
• We know how librarians need to
behave in a reference interview…
–to increase accuracy
–and ensure user satisfaction with the
interpersonal dimension.
• We don’t know why.
7. What have we learned?
Why not?
Research on the reference process…
• consists of helpful advice and suggestions
• rarely goes beyond the exploratory level
• lacks a clear theoretical framework
-Harris & Michell, 1986, 86-87
8. Why are we here?
• We’re not as polite as we could be in our
responses to patrons.
• We often miss important information
provided by our patrons.
• These affect accuracy and relations.
9. For instance…
Q: I am a student at University Center in
Sioux Falls and am having difficulty
logging into the USD database system.
Could you please send me the
appropriate information to log in?
Thank you for your time.
A: To log into the USD databases, you
need a USD e-mail name and password.
10. For instance…
Q: I’m trying to get on the I.D. Weeks
Library and it is not accepting my user ID
and password. Please let me know
what I’m supposed to use. I’m also
searching for articles on aging and
geriatrics…Any tips? This is all new to me!
A: You first need to start on the Library’s home
page. Then click on Research Databases.
Then choose the database you want…
11. Patrons come to us with different
forms of requests.
• Simple requests:
Do you have the New York Times
on microfilm back to the 19th
Are you open on century? Also, do you have any
Veteran’s Day? other major dailies on microfilm
for the same period, e.g. Chicago
Tribune, Minneapolis Tribune?
Is there a fax machine available for students
at the library?
12. Patrons come to us with different
forms of requests.
• Stories with straightforward requests:
Hello, my name is X, and I am currently a first year
law student. I’m working with the Innocence
Project of SD and am in need of an interlibrary
loan from the SD State Historical Archives. The
documents I would like to research are on
microfilm, and the Archives webpage says that the
loan of these items costs $8.48/reel. I was
wondering if that cost is absorbed by I.D. Weeks
Library, or if I would have to pay that myself.
13. Patrons come to us with different
forms of requests.
• Stories with straightforward requests:
I was looking up a research article by using the
Wilson Web service. I found the article I was
looking for, but I have no idea if it can be
found in our library. How can I know by
looking at the results? Trends in Biotechnology
v. 24 no. 2 (Feb. 2006) p. 62-7. This is the
information I received, but it has no other
links related to our library.
14. Patrons come to us with different
forms of requests.
• Stories with excuses, justifications, or
concessions (= accounts):
I need to find good reviews for the short story
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
by Joyce Carol Oates. I haven’t found anything
on it so far, and I have been searching all
weekend, and my paper is due tomorrow. All I
need is two sources.
15. Why give an account?
• when a negative
judgment might be
made based
something said or
done (Scott &
Lyman, 1968)
• to manage violations
of cultural norms
16. What would be a violation of
cultural norms in your library?
Academic library
Public library
School library
17. An account with an excuse
I chose to find out whether or not a
The patron demonstrates
fetus can actually hear music that is
adherence to a norm of self-help
being played to them as some
before asking in academic
people are told. In searching for
libraries by showing some
information - I have a found a few
search results.
sources, but I am wondering if you
could lead me in a direction of
finding a few more. I am not sure if I
am not typing in the best words for
A potential excuse is offered to
the search to have more results
account for why the patron has
come back, or if my topic is just a
not found more results. The
topic that will only give back the
four-five articles I have found. Any potential is offset by the
information you could give me would suggestion that this topic might
be greatly appreciated! have only limited information
available.
18. An account with a justification
I have been accessing Lexis Nexis from home
using remote access. For the past few days
it has been allowing me to start a search, it
pulls up the search results, but when I click
on a document link, I get a screen that says The patron identifies
my session may have timed out, and it the problem.
directs me back to the main page. So I tried
to access Lexis without remote access, but
now I can’t figure out what my password
and ID are, and it has told me I’ve exceeded
my allotted sign in attempts. I wouldn’t The patron justifies
normally bother a librarian with this, but asking for help.
when I tried the “contact us” button, it
referred me to the library. If you could help
me you’d be my hero forever.
19. An account with a concession
I’m working on a research
paper on Hutterite colonies
compared to popular society
living. I’m trying to find
An excuse is presented.
sources in your library. I’m
unsure how to go about
doing that?? I’ve tried all
that I could, and nothing
The patron makes a
seems to work. I must be
concession.
doing something wrong.
Can you help me?
20. What does it mean to be polite?
• A polite response attends to everything
in a request (Clark & Schunk, 1980).
Can you tell me
the time?
21. What does it mean to be polite?
• Clark & Schunk (1980) : A polite
response attends to everything in a
request. Yes, I can.
It’s 4 PM.
Yes.
It’s 4 PM.
22. Polite responses to accounts
A polite response to a request associated
with an account attends to everything in
the request…
– The account
– The request
– Any additional information
23. Consider the following
I am working on a presentation for a Your topic is very interesting, but it’s
Multicultural Assessment class in also very focused, which is probably
the School Psychology Department. why you’re not finding sources
Mostly the presentation is supposed specifically on your subject. You
to relate to current status of this might need to look up information
students of North African descent in on the demographics and
the US and how to better serve and educational issues of students of
work with those from this Northern African descent (in
population. I have searched several databases like ERIC and Education
databases and ERIC, but I am not Research Complete or a social
having much luck. Do you have any sciences database like SocIndex),
suggestions on where to look or then relate that information to what
search terms? you know or can find about
assessment.
24. Consider the following
Here are the steps to access
I've been trying to log in to
your library records. When you
My Library Card, and each
are in the “My Records” page,
time it tells me my username/ enter in your id-card barcode
password are invalid. I haven't that is on the back side of the
id-card. Enter this number in
had this problem before. I am
the first box labeled “Library
a PhD student in the English
Barcode ID.” In the second box
department, and I'm trying to labeled “Password,” type in
renew my books before your last name using all
lowercase letters. Finally,
they're due on April 15th. Is
select [your library] from the
there any reason that I can't
list of libraries. This should
get into my account? allow you to access your
library records.
25. How would you respond?
Good morning. I am Hi, the PsychInfo database will
wondering if you have any give you some potential hits if
tips on finding information you type the phrase “equine
regarding equine therapy for therapy”…
troubled teens. I found a few
Hi, I’m sorry you haven’t had
things within a few of the
much luck in your search thus
databases, but nothing
far. Let me suggest a few ideas
substantial. I need to use this
for further searching…
data in the next week or so
and am not having much luck. Hi, here is a tip you might try.
Any tips that you have would Go to the PsychInfo database
be appreciated! and …
26. Gers & Seward (1985)
• Improved interpersonal relations in
the reference encounter
• Greater user self-disclosure
• Greater accuracy of the information
provided (up from 55% to 76%)
27. Be polite.
Attend to
Become more
all parts of
aware of your
a request.
use of language.
Listen for accounts.
- Excuses
- Justifications
- Concessions
28. Contributors
Alan W. Aldrich
Carol A. Leibiger
Assistant Professor
Associate Professor
Instructional Services
Information Literacy
Librarian
Coordinator
University Libraries
University Libraries
U. of South Dakota
U. of South Dakota
Alan.Aldrich@usd.edu
C.Leibiger@usd.edu
605-677-6614
605-677-6089