While working at the desk, don't feel like you need to respond to every question yourself. It is more important that you know which questions you can answer yourself, and which ones require someone else to help with!
From 8am to 5pm on weekdays, the full-time library staff take turns on “reference.” During these shifts, the person who is on reference duty supports Ask Here Desk staff by handling any long or in-depth queries ("reference questions"). To see which member of the library staff is on reference duty during your shift, check the shared Outlook calendar or the daily tasks sheet.
How do you know if a query is a reference question? DIG DEEPER. The initial question a patron asks might not reveal the scope of their needs. Start by digging into their query, then determine if you can handle it yourself or if you need to refer it.
Starter prompts for digging deeper—
Watch out for questions about very broad subjects. For example, when a patron asks, “Where are the books about American history?”, they may be looking for something more specific. If you realize this after digging deeper with them, get help from the reference staffer on duty.
Another thing to watch out for in the example above is the word “books.” Patrons unfamiliar with library research sometimes ask exclusively for books, not realizing that majority of our resources are online. If a patron has never searched for articles or used databases, that is another sign that you want to involve the reference staffer.
A reference question requires expertise to perform research or to develop information-finding skills. Examples—
You can probably handle most non-reference questions yourself, but if you need support, you can always ask your supervisor or a lead student! Examples—
For in-person questions, call the reference staffer on their office line and ask them to come to the Ask Here Desk.
For phone calls, forward the patron to the reference staffer, making sure to explain the query before fully transferring the call.
After 5pm, or on weekends, ask for the lead student's help. Otherwise, take down the patron's information and email it to the following morning's reference staffer.
When you handle a question yourself, remember to close with one or more of these cues, depending on the situation!
We want to make sure our patrons have the answers or skills that they need as information users. And, we want to make sure they leave with a good impression of the library so they feel comfortable coming back!
