This article underwent fully-anonymous peer review in accordance with JLSC's peer review policy.

The goal of this quantitative study is to explore the effect of consolidating circulation and reference functions at a single service point in a specialized setting, namely, a large academic music and performing arts library. It analyzes reference transactions before and after the merging of reference and circulation service points. Transaction trends are evaluated based on location within the library, type of question, and question complexity. The authors find that there are significant impacts on reference staff time due to consolidating desks, but the closer proximity led to an increase in activity and allows for referrals that are more successful.

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1. This survey was deployed during the fall of 2019 and a significant portion of the analysis was completed in early spring 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. The writing was completed during the summer of 2020, at a time when libraries nationwide were providing few, if any, services in person. COVID-19 had already forced libraries to reconsider reference in an online environment and most certainly will continue to actuate drastic changes to services when institutions open their physical spaces to patrons. Additional research on the impacts of the virus on music reference services is needed.