REFERENCE SERVICE POLICY

Mission of Reference Department

It is the mission of the Reference Department to effectively meet the informational, cultural, and recreational needs of every resident of the community by bringing the library's resources and potential users together through a variety of services. Reference service will be provided at all times that the library is open. The appropriate number of trained staff necessary to provide quality service will staff the reference desk.

Library Users

The Washington County Public Library includes the Main Library, four branches and a bookmobile. The Main Library provides both broad and specialized information and serves as a referral point for the other branches. Library users are all people seeking information whether in person, by telephone, by email, by FAX, by mail, or any other electronic conveyance. Reference services are available to all persons served by the Library regardless of age, sex, religion, race, social or economic status, or home library.

Reference Staff

Reference staff members, whether professional or paraprofessional, serve as the link between library resources and the patron. As such, it is important that the staff member be:

1. Knowledgeable about library materials and services.
2. Open and approachable; friendly but professional.
3. Able to communicate effectively with people.
4. Discreet in the handling of questions which might be confidential or sensitive.
5. Able to exercise good judgment in the interpretation of policy and in handling of exceptional situations.

The role of the reference staff is that of information provider, not interpreter or adviser. They shall provide instruction in the use of resources, enabling users to pursue information independently and effectively.

The reference staff does not evaluate the information. If the patron has trouble understanding the source, an alternative source shall be sought. Staff may advise patrons regarding the relative merits of sources and make recommendations regarding library materials when appropriate. Materials recommended shall be the most comprehensive and the most current available.

Confidentiality of the user requests must be respected at all times. Questions shall not be discussed outside the library, and names shall never be mentioned without the permission.

Staff shall use discretion when interviewing users. While it is important to conduct a thorough reference interview, this shall be done in such a way as to minimize discomfort to the user. The staff shall try to identify the issue in question without intruding on the user’s privacy. Staff shall be impartial and non-judgmental in handling users’ queries

On-going training is necessary in order to provide the highest level of service. Therefore, participation in library activities ranging from formal classroom instruction to informal groups sharing professional ideas is encouraged as is membership and participation in regional professional organizations, the Virginia Library Association and the American Library Association.

General Guidelines for Desk Service

Priorities

Service to the public receives priority over any other duties. Clerical tasks, conversations with co-workers and other professional assignments are secondary. In-person and telephone request for service should be handled in order of their arrival. Confidentiality of user requests must be respected at all times.

Recording Statistics

Accurate reference statistics regarding service to patrons should be recorded. Staff is urged to note questions that could not be answered or materials that could not be found as an aid to collection development.

Reporting Problems

If a staff member has a problem in dealing with a patron, the name and telephone number of the patron should be taken and a Patron Incident Form should be completed and given to the supervisor who will take appropriate action.

Incomplete Reference Transactions

Staff members are encouraged to consult with colleagues if they need help with a puzzling or difficult question. If the requested information cannot be provided within two (2) working days, the patron should be notified of the status of the request.

Referrals by Branches to the Main Library

Staff members at branch libraries should refer all questions that cannot be answered in-house to the Main Library. Generally, responses will be made to the branch librarian; however, some circumstances may require direct contact with the patron.

Referrals to Other Libraries and Agencies

Referrals to the Holston Association of Libraries, Inc. and other libraries and agencies may be made when appropriate. Patrons should be advised that they might contact the library for further assistance if they are not successful in obtaining help from the agency. At no time may staff refer the patron to individual practitioners--physicians, attorneys, mental health professionals, etc.

Referrals to Other Libraries

If the staff member feels that it is appropriate to refer the patron to another library, it is important to verify that the material needed is actually there.

Sources

In order to give the most accurate and authoritative answers possible, staff members should avoid personal opinions, philosophy, or evaluations; rather they should rely upon information obtained from reputable sources. The source of the answer should always be cited.

Instruction and Orientation Services

Instruction and orientation services in library use are an integral part of library service. In serving as the link between the collection and the community, the staff at all facilities interacts with individuals and groups. The Washington County Public Library is committed to providing information services both to the individual and to the group.

Instruction and orientation services in library use may range from basic instruction on how to use catalogs and reference tools to more formal assistance such as tours designed to increase the patron's knowledge of the library materials and services.

Time Limits

In general, fifteen minutes should be the maximum amount of time to work with a patron on a reference question or instructing a patron on use of the Internet. However, when the need arises and the staff member has time available, additional time may be devoted to the question.

Specific Desk Service Guidelines

Staff members must provide information but should not interpret that information. When appropriate, instruction should be provided in the use of resources, enabling users to pursue information independently and effectively.

In-person Reference

Basic Assistance: Never assume that a patron knows how to locate library materials. Assistance should be offered whenever a patron appears to need it. This may require accompanying the patron to a service area or electronic resource. Whenever patrons are sent to the stacks on their own, remind them to report back to the reference desk if they are unsuccessful in finding what they need.

Priority: If several people are waiting for assistance, requests that are either brief or that involve patron participation with staff guidance may be given priority over lengthy or complex questions that require large amounts of time. If a patron has a time-consuming request, which is delaying service to other patrons, the staff member should offer to complete the question at a later time.

Telephone, Mail, Email, and Telefacsimile Reference

Special care must be taken with telephone, mail, email, and telefacsimile since it is easy to misinterpret phone messages and written communications. Additional explanations or interpretations may be needed.

Telephone reference should be used for short, factual information questions which do not require extensive reading or interpretation on the part of staff members. Only factual information dates, names and addresses, specific citations, or catalog checks shall be given out over the telephone. Brief information may be read verbatim without interpretation. The source shall be given for all information provided.

If the answer to a telephone or mail requests is too involved to relate easily over the telephone, this should be explained to the patron and an invitation made for the patron to come to the library. Questions received through the mail or email shall be answered with full citations for the source.


Specific Question Guidelines

Medical, Legal and Business Information

The Library does not provide advice in the areas of medicine, law, and business. If legal information can be found in printed electronic sources, it is provided. However, complicated legal searches should not be undertaken nor should personal interpretations of legal matters be offered. In regard to telephone requests for medical information, brief definitions and descriptions from authoritative published sources may be provided. These sources should be quoted verbatim with no personal interpretation. The patron should be informed of the source from which the information is taken. Under no circumstances should staff offer advice in these areas, regardless of how commonplace the knowledge seems to be. If more information is required, the patron should be encouraged to examine the Library's collection or be referred to another source.

When asked for medical, legal, and business information, the staff member will follow the Guidelines for Medical, Legal, and Business Responses at General Reference Desks, prepared by the Standards and Guidelines Committee, Reference and Adult Services Division, American Library Association, latest revision. (See Attachment A)

School Assignments

Homework is intended to be a learning experience for the student. The role of the reference staff member is one of guidance in helping the student find the material or potential source of information to complete the homework assignment.

Every effort should be made to satisfactorily answer the student=s question and provide the sources for information and the instruction needed to use those sources. However, the student is expected to use the material in order to meet the requirements for the assignment. The Reference staff member should not write the paper for the student or organize the information into the exact configuration needed to fulfill the assignment.

If every effort has been made by the reference staff and the student to locate information without results, the student will be encouraged to return to the teacher for further instructions or an altered assignment.

Contest Questions

Simple, factual contest questions should be treated in the same manner as all other reference questions. Some contest questions are tricky and might have more than one answer, which seems correct. The Library does not guarantee that the answer provided is the correct answer for any particular contest. The staff should not conduct lengthy searches, interpret contest rules or do work which should be done by patrons.

Consumer Evaluations

The staff should help patrons locate objective consumer product information by showing them how to consult the indexes to Consumer Reports and related magazines, buying guides, and/or general indexes which may lead to product evaluations in other periodicals. The staff should not offer personal opinions recommending one product or another.

Book, Antique and Art Appraisals

Patrons may be referred to appropriate reference sources or to consultants or experts. Staff members should never give personal appraisals regarding the monetary value of a patron’s possessions or donations to the library.

Critical Analyses of Literary Works

Staff members should not provide personal critical analyses, interpretations, or judgments regarding the merit of literary or other works (including the patron=s own writing efforts).

Genealogical Questions

Staff members should provide general assistance in genealogical research, guidance in locating items in the collection, and help in obtaining resources through Interlibrary Loan, but should not engage in actual genealogical research for the patrons.

Compilations and Extensive Research

Patrons needing extensive compilations or research (bibliographies, lists, statistics, etc.) should be directed to the appropriate resources and offered as much assistance as staff time allows.

Mathematical Calculations

Staff members should not perform mathematical calculations for patrons. Information from table and formulas may be consulted, or an electronic calculator may be provided, but patrons should do their own calculations.

Criss-Cross and City Directories

Criss-cross or city directory inquiries will be answered by telephone or in person. No more than three listings will be provided per patron at any one time. Nearbys will not be provided.

Taxation Questions

Staff members should not provide advice in the interpretation of tax law or assistance in the selection of appropriate tax forms.