Philosophy Statements
My information service philosophy is: the reference librarian should provide library patrons with access to information that is current and correct, be knowledgeable about up-to-date information tools, be willing to instruct patrons how to be independent searchers, and be able to achieve these services in a respectful, non-judgmental manner.
The Hamilton Library CIS / BHSD service philosophy1 echoes many aspects of my own philosophy. Hamilton librarians provide information that is “valid and true,” are “prepared to teach the user how to search for information,” and do so with a “non-judgmental and attentive attitude.” Additionally, this service philosophy emphasizes user satisfaction: “what the user wants is what we provide.”
In their published standards, the American Library Association’s RUSA Task Force on Professional Competencies focuses “on the abilities, skills, and knowledge that make reference and user services librarians unique from other professions.” 2 Aspects of my reference philosophy are reflected in the competency areas of access and knowledge base. Other RUSA competency areas are: marketing/awareness/informing; collaboration; and evaluation and assessment of resources and services.
Fieldwork Objectives
By observing reference interactions I hoped to achieve the following objectives:
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Identify reference interview techniques and evaluate their success.
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Determine the kinds of services academic reference librarians provide.
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Discover how the Hamilton reference service philosophy is achieved in librarians’ daily duties.
Meeting My Objectives
To meet these objectives, I spent 10 hours as an observer at the Hamilton Library BHSD Reference Desk. The 10 hours were achieved in 1-2 hour increments, over several weeks from April-May, 2005. I varied the time of day of my observations, and found that mid-morning and early afternoon were particularly busy times. For the most part, I sat quietly behind the reference librarians, watching their interactions with patrons, and taking notes. It was often difficult to hear, so I concentrated on body language and general attitude. Sometimes the librarian invited me to stand next to the workstation to watch the search process and to hear the reference interview more clearly. These occasions provided valuable information and great observation material for this paper. By coincidence, several of my observation sessions were attended by the same classmate, at a time when the same librarian was on duty, causing her to exclaim one day, “You two again?” This did not hinder the observation process, however; instead the librarian on duty became used to us and answered our questions freely and with gusto.
1Central Information Services / Business, Humanities, and Social Sciences Department, Hamilton Library, “Philosophy of Reference” [LIS601 handout] (UH Manoa, 1997).
2American Library Association, "Professional Competencies for Reference and User Services Librarians," RUSAReferenceGuidelines [home page on-line]; available from http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaprotools/referenceguide/professional.htm; Internet; accessed 9 May 2005.
