CULLB401A: Contribute to client access to information 126 February 2005

REFERENCE INTERVIEW

CULLB401A: Contribute to client access to information 2

Reference Interview

A reference interview is the exchange between a librarian and a reader to communicate, refine or clarify a reference enquiry

It may be Email Chat Face to face

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Purpose of Reference Interview Library staff conduct a reference

interview in order to: Determine the information needs

of the client Assist the client to locate the

required information quickly Enable the library staff to assess

the client’s library skills Explain the library’s resources

and the services if required26 February 2005

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Client interaction skills

Determine an appropriate level of interaction

Interview clients to establish their needs Explain procedures for accessing

information Provide information in a language and

format appropriate for the client’s needs Obtain feedback on the appropriateness

of the information supplied

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Steps in a Reference Interview-1 Find out what information the client

wants: The client might carefully

explain what he or she wants but in many cases clients use an indirect approach

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Steps in a Reference Interview-2

Ask the client to clarify the topic. You must avoid

misunderstanding over the meaning of the question

Clarify the meaning of words Clarify the context

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Requests to confuse

Statistics on rape around Ballarat Rape is also a local name for canola

Everything you have about Whales ( Wales)

Information about Curtin John Curtin, Curtin University

Information about Archibald Leach Archibald Leach (real name of Cary Grant).

Archibald Leitch (designer of virtually every pre-war British football ground).

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Steps in a Reference Interview-3

Repeat or paraphrase the question to ensure you know what is the client means.

“ Archibald Leach, so that would be Cary Grant you are interested in”

Better to risk being wrong in the beginning than waste hours looking for the wrong thing

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Steps in a Reference Interview-4

Try to find out what the client already knows and what sources (if any) have been consulted.

Ask why the client wants to know but be tactful as some clients feel this is an invasion of their privacy

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Steps in a Reference Interview-5

Develop a search strategy The strategy will depend on the topic,

the level of detail required and the resources available.

Try to be innovative and tailor strategies to individual needs, not just use resources with which you feel familiar

Treat every reference enquiry as an excuse to expand your own knowledge

26 February 2005