Reference Desk Consultation Assignment

Martin, Pamela N.; Park, Lezlie

doi:10.5860/rusq.49n4.333

Cited by 18 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Although Washington State University libraries engaged in an extensive marketing campaign in 2003-2004 for its chat services (including posters, giveaways, and a focused Web presence), the number of chat reference sessions did not increase (Cummings et al, 2007). An exercise at Utah State University required students in three sections of a sophomore composition class to meet with a reference librarian for class points; despite this requirement, between 14% and 33% of the students did not meet with a reference librarian (Martin & Park, 2010).…”

Section: Reference Studies Reviewmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…These earlier encounters with librarians may help to relieve library anxiety, which can prevent or discourage students from approaching the librarian for assistance (Martin & Park, 2010). Seven of the nine surveyed students who reported using the River City Campus Library for reference assistance had prior experience asking a librarian for help.…”

Section: Prior Experiencementioning

confidence: 98%

“…Did those 11 students not need help because they had yet to be given an assignment that necessitated research or are they demonstrating a documented trend in people overestimating their information literacy skills? Martin and Park (2010) coded 7 (9%) responses in their study from students articulating that they did not need help from a librarianthey could do it on their own. Traditional students often assess their abilities to find, evaluate, and use information too highly.…”

Section: Campus Reference Usementioning

confidence: 98%

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Proprietary Reference: Do Students Use Library Help?

Wagner

2013

The Reference Librarian

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Data from a survey at a ground campus of a proprietary school are considered in the context of recent library science literature. Two surveys indicate that students prefer face-to-face communication with the library and learning about the library services through class visitations. Most of the respondents had not used library services. These trends suggest that proprietary school students are not entirely dissimilar from traditional students in learning and marketing preferences.

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Section: Reference Studies Reviewmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Prior Experiencementioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Campus Reference Usementioning

confidence: 98%

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Proprietary Reference: Do Students Use Library Help?

Wagner

2013

The Reference Librarian

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“…In a survey of 201 students at Central Missouri State University, Jenkins (2001) found that respondents understand the roles and functions of a reference librarian. In a similar study, Martin and Park (2010) conducted a reference desk consultation study of 76 Utah State University students enrolled in three English Composition classes. Participants were asked to consult with a reference librarian after participating in an initial information literacy class.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The quiet agora: Undergraduate perceptions of the academic library

Sare

Bales

Budzise-Weaver

2020

College & Undergraduate Libraries

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This research paper reports the findings of a grounded theory analysis of undergraduate perceptions of academic libraries serving their university community. The qualitative researchers employed long interviews to interview forty-one participants at various stages in their undergraduate career in order to determine how they perceive the academic library as an institution. Three theoretical categories emerged from the data analysis: (1) Constructing the Academic Library as Geographic Space, (2) Constructing the Academic Library as Idea, and (3) Constructing the Library Worker. The researchers found that participants may simultaneously view the academic library as physical geography and idealistic abstraction, and that the physical navigation of the library may remain hindered despite normative perceptions of the academic library.

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“…Librarians are increasingly expected to demonstrate the value of their services for improving student learning and success, and to make informed decisions based on empirical data. While research consultation services have been shown to be useful for students (Butler & Byrd, 2016), and although users report satisfaction with such services (Ishaq & Cornick, 1978;Magi & Mardeusz, 2013;Martin & Park, 2010;Rogers & Carrier, 2017), most previous studies evaluating research consultation services have tended to focus on the usage or effectiveness of the service (e.g., Attebury, Sprague, & Young, 2009;Watts & Mahfood, 2015). We still know little about the extent to which these services affect student learning in academic library settings specifically and in higher education more generally.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing the Reference Narrative: Assessing Student Learning in Research Consultations

Bradley¹,

Oehrli²,

Rieh³

et al. 2020

EBLIP

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Abstract Objective – As reference services continue to evolve, libraries must make evidence based decisions about their services. This study seeks to determine the value of reference services in relation to student learning acquired during research consultations, by soliciting students’ and librarians’ perceptions of consultation success and examining the degree of alignment between them. Methods – The alignment of students’ learning outcomes (reported skills and knowledge acquired) with librarians’ expectations for student learning during consultations was assessed. An online questionnaire was conducted to gather responses from students who had sought consultation services; 20 students participated. In-person interviews took place with eight librarians who had provided these consultations. The online questionnaire for students included questions about students’ assessments of their self-identified learning goals through consultation with a librarian and their success at applying the knowledge and skills gained. Librarian interviews elicited responses about students’ prior research experience, librarians’ objectives for student learning, librarians’ perceptions of student learning outcomes, and perceived consultation success. The responses of both the students and the librarians were coded, matched, and compared. Results – Students and librarians both considered the consultation process to be successful in advancing learning objectives and research skills. All students reported that the consultations met their expectations, and most reported that the skills acquired were applicable to their projects and significantly improved the quality of their work. Librarians expressed confidence that students had gained competency in the following skill sets: finding sources, search strategy development, topic exploration, specific tool use, and library organization and access. A high degree of alignment was observed in the identification by both students and librarians of “finding sources” as the skill set most in need of enhancement or assistance, while some disparity was noted in the ranking of “search strategy development,” which librarians ranked second and students ranked last. Conclusion – The data demonstrate that both students and librarians perceived individual research consultations as an effective means to meet student learning expectations. Study findings suggest that as reference models continue to change and reference desk usage declines, research consultations remain a valuable element in a library’s service model and an efficient use of human resources.

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Reference Desk Consultation Assignment

Cited by 18 publications

References 9 publications

Proprietary Reference: Do Students Use Library Help?

Proprietary Reference: Do Students Use Library Help?

The quiet agora: Undergraduate perceptions of the academic library

Advancing the Reference Narrative: Assessing Student Learning in Research Consultations

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