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Reference
Renaissance
Current and
Future Trends
Edited by Marie L. Radford and R. David Lankes
Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
New York
London
Published by Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
100 William St., Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038
Copyright © 2010 Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
Individual chapters © 2010 by the contributors.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of this book, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is prohibited.
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National
Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,
ANSI Z39.48-1992.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Reference renaissance : current and future trends / edited by Marie L. Radford and R.
David Lankes.
p. cm.
Chapters updated from original presentations at the Reference Renaissance: Current
and Future Trends conference, sponsored by the Bibliographical Center for Research of
Aurora, Colorado, and Reference and User Services Association, a Division of the American Library Association, August 4–5, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-55570-680-7 (alk. paper)
1. Reference services (Libraries)—Congresses. 2. Electronic reference services
(Libraries)—Congresses. 3. Internet in library reference services—Congresses. I. Radford,
Marie L. II. Lankes, R. David.
Z711.R4455 2010
025.5'2—dc22
2010000229
This book is dedicated to the vision and hard work
of reference librarians and support staff
who are the true creators of the Reference Renaissance.
Contents
List of Tables, Figures, and Appendixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ix
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xiii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Marie L. Radford and R. David Lankes
xv
Part I: The State of Reference Services: An Overview
Reference in the Age of Wikipedia, or Not . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
David W. Lewis, Keynote Speaker
3
Theory Meets Practice: Educators and Directors Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plenary Panel
Plenary Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Remarks by R. David Lankes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Remarks by Carla J. Stoffle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Remarks by James LaRue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Remarks by Marie L. Radford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
17
17
21
28
34
Part II: What Research Tells Us about Reference
Section II.1: Virtual Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
1. Getting Better All the Time: Improving Communication and Accuracy
in Virtual Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Marie L. Radford and Lynn Silipigni Connaway
39
2. Balance of Power and Negotiation of Meaning in Virtual Reference
Learning Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mary Kickham-Samy
55
3. Giving Users Options for Chat Reference: Effects of QuestionPoint’s
Instant Message Widget on Chat Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Virginia Cole
71
Section II.2: Approaches, Values, and Philosophy of Reference Services . . .
81
4. Unconscious Cognition in the Genesis of Reference Queries . . . . . . . . .
Glynn Harmon and Lynn Westbrook
81
v
vi Reference Renaissance
5. Systems-Centered versus User-Centered Librarianship:
A Cognitive Sociological View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hannah Kwon
99
6. Reference Librarians’ Personal Theories of Practice: A New
Approach to Studying Reference Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Amy VanScoy
Section II.3: Innovative Service Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
7. New Route to an Old Resource: Facilitating Access to Library
Research Guides for the Self-Serve Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Stephanie Alexander, Jennifer Gerke, and Kathryn Lage
8. Meeting Users’ Needs through New Reference Service Models . . . . . . 153
Kay Ann Cassell
Part III: Reference in Action: Reports from the Field
Section III.1: Virtual Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
9. Apples and Oranges: Creating a Hybrid Virtual Reference Service
with Proprietary Chat Reference Software and Free Instant
Messaging Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Lorrie Evans, Nina McHale, and Karen Sobel
10. California’s AskNow Law Librarian Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Ralph Stahlberg and Mary Pinard
11. Expanding Service and Enhancing Learning: Preliminary Report
on a Novel Virtual Reference Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Andrea Wright and Feili Tu
Section III.2: Search Engines and Virtual Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
12. You Virtually Can’t Miss Us: Harnessing Virtual Tools to Enhance
the Quality of Our Reference Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Judy Ng, Ivy Lee Huey Shin, and Yit Chin Chuan
13. Google 2.0: Benefits and Burdens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Wayne Bivens-Tatum
14. Stayin’ Alive in the Google Age: Adding Custom Search Engines
for Better Internet Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Lilia Murray
Contents vii
Section III.3: Innovative Service Models and Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
15. Innovations from the Inside Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Lisa A. Ancelet and Lorin Flores Fisher
16. Neoreference: Looking for New Models in Response
to Disjunctive Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Susan Beatty and Helen Clarke
17. Drawing in the Community for Reference Services at Wilkinson
Public Library in Telluride, Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Sarah Lawton
18. You Bought It, Now Sell It: Creating a Reference Renaissance
in the Public Library by Marketing Collections and Services . . . . . . . . 269
Bernadine Goldman, Lizzie Eastwood, and Karen Long
Section III.4: Staff Development and Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
19. Utilizing New Staff Training Initiatives to Develop and Implement
Reference Competencies at the University of Nevada,
Las Vegas Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Victoria Nozero and Sidney Lowe
20. Reference Training through a Co-mentoring Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Louise Klusek and Christopher Tuthill
About the Editors and Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
List of Tables, Figures,
and Appendixes
Tables
Table 2.1
Descriptive Statistics for Participation Variables . . . . . . . . . .
61
Table 2.2
Comparison of Total Amount of Participation
between Librarian and Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
62
Correlation Coefficients for Librarian and Student
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
62
Table 2.3
Table 5.1
Three Paradigms of Librarianship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Table 6.1
Examples of Personal Theories of Practice from
Research in Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Table 7.1.
Guides in the Top 50 Most Accessed CU Boulder
Libraries Web Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Table 7.2
Subject Guides Visits by Hour of the Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Table 7.3
Navigation Method Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Table 7.4
Browse Page Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Table 7.5
Ten Most Common Searches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Table 7.6
Searches That Generate the Highest Number
of Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Table 7.7
Ten Most Frequently Accessed Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Table 7.8
Guide Use Over Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Table 11.1
Standard AAL Service Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Table 11.2
AAL Participating Institutions, 2007–2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Table 11.3
Expanded AAL Service Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Table 12.1
Percentage of Positive Feedback Received . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Table 12.2
Web Access Statistics for Singapore Infopedia . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Table 18.1
Reference Collection Usage, 2007 and 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Table 18.2
Comparison of IM to Plugoo Use by Time of Day,
Late 2007–Early 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Table 19.1
Research and Information Service Pool Expectations . . . . . . 282
ix
x Reference Renaissance
Figures
Figure I.1
Important Skills for the Future of Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
Figure 1.1
Average Wait Time for Live Chat Users until Librarian
Enters Chat Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
Scatter Plot of the Correlations between Number
of Questions the Librarian and the Student Asked
and the Length of the Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
63
Scatter Plot of Correlations between the Six Participation
Variables and the Librarians’ Assessment of the Session . . . .
64
Bivariate Correlation for Length of Session and
Librarians’ Session Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
65
Cornell Users’ Questions Answered by Cornell Librarians,
March 10–June 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
74
Figure 3.2
Transaction Length in Seconds, April 28–May 16 . . . . . . . . .
76
Figure 3.3
Type of Question, April 28–May 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
76
Figure 7.1
Research and Subject Guides Database Homepage . . . . . . . . 130
Figure 7.2
Previous Subject Guides Web Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Figure 7.3
Reference Transactions at CU Boulder Libraries
2000–2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Figure 7.4
Sample Keyword Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Figure 7.5
Sample Academic Department or Library Browse Display . . . 141
Figure 9.1
Auraria Library Homepage with AskAuraria Chat Active . . . 168
Figure 9.2
Auraria Library Homepage with AskColorado “Rollover” . . 168
Figure 9.3
LibraryH3lp’s “Design Public Services” Interface . . . . . . . . . 169
Figure 11.1
Special Feature Utilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Figure 11.2
Type of Resource Utilized to Answer Question(s) . . . . . . . . . 192
Figure 11.3
Transcript Analysis Averages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Figure 11.4
Overall Session Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Figure 12.1
Input Template—Landing Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Figure 12.2
Input Template—New Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Figure 12.3
Input Template—End Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Figure 12.4
Network of Specialists Screenshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Figure 12.5
Number of Visitors to Singapore Infopedia
from 2007–2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Figure 13.1
Example of iGoogle Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Figure 2.1
Figure 2.2
Figure 2.3
Figure 3.1
List of Tables, Figures, and Appendixes xi
Figure 14.1
Example of MSU Internet Resource Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Figure 14.2
Steps to Create a Custom Search Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Figure 14.3
Formatting Your URLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Figure 14.4
Example of “My Search Engines” Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Figure 14.5
Example of Google CSE Embedded in MSU’s Library
on Blackboard Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Figure 14.6
Example of Waterfield Library Image Added to
Google CSE Homepage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Figure 16.1
Reference Collection Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Appendixes
Appendix 1.1
Appendix 1.2
Appendix 1.3
Appendix 1.4
Radford Category Scheme for Interpersonal
Communication in Chat Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
48
Sample Transcript with Relational Facilitators:
Mathematics in the Islamic Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
49
Sample Transcript with Relational Barriers:
Mesopotamian Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50
Checklist of Recommendations for Facilitating
Interpersonal Communication in Chat Reference . . . . . . .
52
Appendix 11.1
The University of South Carolina ASERL
“Ask-a-Librarian” Internship or Practicum
Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Appendix 11.2
Docutek: Communication, Reference Interview Skills,
Searching and Information Finding Skills, and
Technology Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Appendix 20.1
Essays from the Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Appendix 20.2
Survey of Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Acknowledgments
The editors would like to thank everyone who contributed to the development of
this book and to the planning and incredible success of the Reference Renaissance: Current and Future Trends conference. In particular, we would like to
thank the conference Chair, Brenda K. Bailey-Hainer, President and CEO, BCR
(Bibliographical Center for Research, Colorado) and Justine Schaffner, Library
Services Consultant, BCR. Without their efforts the conference would simply not
have taken place.
We would also like to thank the members of the conference planning committee, especially those who served as chapter reviewers and consultants for this
book: Bill Pardue, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL; Kay Cassell, Rutgers,
the State University of New Jersey; Nancy Huling, University of Washington; M.
Kathleen Kern, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Amy VanScoy, North
Carolina State University Libraries; and Lynn Westbrook, University of Texas,
Austin. Nicolette Sosulski of Syracuse University also provided editorial assistance.
In addition, special recognition goes to the major conference sponsors: BCR,
RUSA and Tutor.com and to these other sponsors: Compendium Library Service,
OCLC, Reference Universe (Paratext), Serial Solutions and the University of
Denver.
We give our thanks to each of the speakers, presenters, panel participants,
and attendees, who provided an exciting conference in terms of their forwardlooking vision, dedication, and enthusiasm for the Reference Renaissance.
A debt of gratitude is also due to Neal-Schuman Publishers, in particular to
Charles Harmon, director of publishing and to the members of the editorial staff.
Marie L. Radford also is thankful for the love, gentle encouragement, and
ever sage advice of her husband, Gary P. Radford.
xiii
Introduction
Marie L. Radford and R. David Lankes
The rumors of the “death of reference” have been greatly exaggerated. The
theme of a “Reference Renaissance,” the conference that serves as the foundation for this volume, was taken from the title of an editorial by Diane Zabel, in
the Reference and User Services Quarterly, winter 2007 issue (Vol. 47, no. 2).
Zable wrote of a “resurgence of interest in reference” (p. 108) and that “reference is experiencing a regeneration, a reference renaissance” (p. 109). This
renaissance can be seen in the return to core values of service excellence in
libraries and to the rising surge of innovative reference initiatives via virtual
venues such as instant messaging, text messaging, and other emerging modes.
Web 2.0 applications have presented an array of avenues for reaching tech savvy
library users, including reference blogs, wikis, and library pages on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Virtual reference “desks” are also
appearing in 3D digital worlds such as Second Life.
This volume demonstrates an exploration of the rapid growth and changing
nature of reference, as an escalating array of information technologies blend with
traditional reference service to create vibrant hybrids. It is a definitive statement
that the reference renaissance continues. The march of rethinking reference that
began over a decade ago with experiments with e-mail and new service models
has now progressed through a spate of technological experiments, to new concepts of reference as moving beyond the desk. Through this process of refinement
and invention a movement has been created, which was bonded in a series of
conferences that explored the intimacies of human communication. This movement sought to not only keep reference relevant but to push forward the values
of libraries in everyday life. A look over this decade shows that reference has
been transformed from an area focused on resources and artifacts to one that
explores a human process of questioning, contextualizing, and learning.
Reference Renaissance: Current and Future Trends was designed to capture
the latest in the work of the reference movement. Its essence captures up-to-date
work in reference presented at a recent conference of the same name. This highly
successful conference, which drew over 500 participants, was sponsored by the
Bibliographical Center for Research of Aurora, Colorado, and the Reference and
User Services Association, a Division of the American Library Association. It
xv
xvi Reference Renaissance
built on the legacy of the virtual reference desk (VRD) series of seven conferences
that ended in 2005. It has embraced the expanded VRD mission to incorporate
the multitude of established, emerging, and merging types of reference service,
including traditional and virtual reference. Updating the information presented
at the conference, this volume explores all aspects of reference in a broad range
of contexts, including libraries and information centers in academic, public,
school, corporate, and other special library environments. It succeeded in capturing the current innovation in the field and providing a look ahead to the trends
that will forge the reference future.
The chapters that follow are updated from the original conference presentations. They analyze issues, identify and describe practices, advance organizational
and technological systems, propose standards, and/or suggest innovative
approaches that reveal an exciting and unfolding reference landscape. Each has
been rigorously reviewed by experts. Reference Renaissance: Current and Future
Trends features three parts: “The State of Reference Services,” “What Research
Tells Us about Reference,” and “Reference in Action: Reports from the Field.”
In Part I, David W. Lewis provides his thoughts on “Reference in the Age of
Wikipedia, Or Not . . .” in which he provides provocative ideas about the current
reference landscape vis-à-vis the easy availability of information through the
Internet. Next, James LaRue and Carla Stoffle provide the library directors’ viewpoint, and we (Marie and Dave) put forth the library and information science
faculty perspective on what is the most critical skill in reference staff, what innovative things they/we are doing to improve reference services or to improve
library school education, and what are their/our predictions for the future.
In Part II, eight cutting-edge chapters grouped under topic areas of Virtual
Reference; Approaches, Values, and Philosophy of Reference Services; and Innovative Service Models present research-based reports and thought-provoking
essays.
Part III features eleven reports from the field that describe reference initiatives or staffing models that have already been successfully implemented or that
discuss digital reference tools. These are grouped under topic areas of Virtual
Reference, Search Engines and Virtual Tools, Innovative Service Models and
Marketing, and Staff Development and Training.
Reference Renaissance: Current and Future Trends represents a snapshot of
current reference practice as well as a glimpse into the exciting reference future
we are creating. At this writing, the second Reference Renaissance conference is
being planned. This event will provide yet another opportunity for researchers,
practitioners, and students to exchange information, service approaches, and
exciting ideas to ensure the continuation of the Reference Renaissance.