Philosophies of Reference Service

Book excerpt: In Philosophies of Reference Service, reference librarians share with you their reflective thinking about what they do as service providers. An important addition to the personal and occupational library of anyone in reference services, this book discusses the origins of reference service, its founding principles, the pleasures and pitfalls of the reference encounter, delivering high-quality service, and much, much more In a clever juxtaposition of the fundamentals of reference service provision with top-notch thinking about the role of the reference librarian and what makes a reference unit effective, Philosophies of Reference Service advocates for continuing familiarity with books in the reference section, recognizing the diversity of service users, and using collegiality in the work environment to boost productivity. It discusses why reference service should move toward instructing people in mediums, not systems, as well as: achieving consistency in reference service through "shared values" the concept of tiered reference services (based on survey research) the little-discussed "art" of reference desk scheduling the importance of knowing your user and making appropriate accommodations partnerships in reference services techniques for conducting reference rovering the advantages of print fostering widely grounded research through reference service why reference librarians share with the corporate world many of the same desired outcomes with regard to service provision Designed to assist readers in defining and developing their own approaches to reference service delivery, Philosophies of Reference Service offers reference librarians insight, practical knowledge, and guidelines for keeping on top of new reference techniques, establishing a partnership between the library and the user population, and maximizing the helpful nature of reference service.