What Do We Do Now?

Ryan, Marianne; Garrison, Julie A.

doi:10.5860/rusq.51n1.12

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…A study done by Garrison revealed that 80% of reference desk statistics and questions kept through Library Statistics (LibStats) had already informed what other academic libraries were already reporting. The majority of transactions could be answered by well trained staff and student assistants and the library had already shifted to staffing the majority of desk hours with student staff (Garrison, 2011). At this point, policy maker's (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this transition, Garrison (2011) noted that university libraries have identified several weaknesses with current practices and they are working toward making adjustments to improve the service. These include increased training and cross-departmental communication.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These include increased training and cross-departmental communication. The new library in the digital environment will also provide users with a different desk model (Garrison, 2011, Polger & Okamoto, 2010, consisting of several smaller pods that will allow working collaboratively with students. In this regard, Nolen (2010) recommended all questions that were asked by library users can become easier to apply in the context of chat or email reference.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reference Desk Service: Success or Failure?

Norazlin¹,

Rusuli²,

Tasmin³

et al. 2015

ASS

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At present, research related to library user satisfaction is a never ending journey. With this regard, this study seeks to assess the reference desk services and the users' satisfaction level at Malaysian academic libraries. Twenty respondents from Perpustakaan Tun Abdul Razak Library (PTAR), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam and Perpustakaan Tunku Tun Aminah Library (PTTA), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Johor was involved in this study. The result revealed that students of both libraries expressed the needs of services rendered by the reference desk, in terms of the usage and importance of the reference desk. Specifically, UTHM students preferred and online information searching compared to UiTM students. This means that, libraries can provide specific services to students who underutilized the reference desk. Hence, this study is used to seek whether reference desk services are still relevant (success) or not (failure) when experiencing declining reference desk services from the students' perspective. It is hoped that the findings of this study will be beneficial for increasing level of user satisfaction in order to retain reference desk services in the library.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reference Desk Service: Success or Failure?

Norazlin¹,

Rusuli²,

Tasmin³

et al. 2015

ASS

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Reference Reviewed and Re-Envisioned: Revamping Librarian and Desk-Centric Services with LibStARs and LibAnswers

Stevens¹

2013

The Journal of Academic Librarianship

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The first section of this article reviews the literature on the changing face of reference, beginning with a discussion of the national decline in reference transactions, its causes, and the likelihood that online reference services might one day halt or reverse the decline. It then analyzes definitions of the term "reference," pointing to a disconnect between those definitions and much of the work that actually takes place at reference desks. Next, critiques of desk-centric models of reference are examined, followed by a discussion of the persistence of the desk in so many academic libraries today. The analysis of the literature in section one informs the reenvisioning of reference services at CPP discussed in section two. Specifically, section two describes and assesses CPP's reference desk staffing shift from librarians to LibStARs (Library Student Assistant Researchers) and our implementation of LibAnswers in an effort to automate some reference transactions. The paper ends with an overview of the benefits of these new initiatives. INTRODUCTIONIn 1986, Ford offered reference librarians some cautiously worded but nevertheless provocative advice, encouraging them "to begin to think the unthinkable, exploring alternatives and possibly eliminating the reference desk."1 By 1994, Summerhill had responded to the call, arguing that "traditional reference services are not cost-effective" 2 and as a result, libraries should "detach reference services from the reference desk." 3 The following year saw an article by Ewing and Hauptman proclaiming, "traditional academic reference service…does not need to be rethought or reconfigured, it needs to be eliminated," 4 and soon thereafter a response from The first section of this article reviews the literature on the changing face of reference, beginning with a discussion of the national decline in reference transactions, its causes, and the likelihood that online reference services might one day halt or reverse the decline. It then analyzes definitions of the term "reference," pointing to a disconnect between those definitions and much of the work that actually takes place at reference desks. Next, critiques of desk-centric models of reference are examined, followed by a discussion of the persistence of the desk in so many academic libraries today. The analysis of the literature in section one informs the re-3 envisioning of reference services at CPP discussed in section two. Specifically, section two describes and assesses CPP's reference desk staffing shift from librarians to LibStARs (Library Student Assistant Researchers) and our implementation of LibAnswers in an effort to automate some reference transactions. The paper ends with an overview of the benefits of these new initiatives. WHAT'S WRONG WITH REFERENCE?In his frequently cited 1984 article, Miller posed the question "What's wrong with reference?" and then identified "reference sprawl" as the source of a "malaise" that was infecting "reference departments everywhere." 10 Our ever-expanding services, he argu...

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Robust to Overwhelming: A Case Study on Planned Abandonment for GIS Services

Watts

Laddusaw

2021

Journal of Library Administration

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What Do We Do Now?

Cited by 9 publications

References 2 publications

Reference Desk Service: Success or Failure?

Reference Desk Service: Success or Failure?

Reference Reviewed and Re-Envisioned: Revamping Librarian and Desk-Centric Services with LibStARs and LibAnswers

Robust to Overwhelming: A Case Study on Planned Abandonment for GIS Services

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