1. INFO 521
Week 2: The Reference Interview

2. Agenda
• Last week
– Introduced ourselves
– Discussed important concepts
• Mental models, information, reference service
• History of reference service
• This week
– Reference interviewing
• Questions & question negotiation
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3. What is a “Reference Librarian”?
• A qualified person who works in a reference library or
provides reference service
• Qualifications: ALA accredited degree, etc.
• Functions: Reference librarians supply information
and control the retrieval systems
– How do we supply information?—by answering reference
questions.
– What retrieval systems do we use?—LCSH, Database
structures, OPACs, Internet Search tools, etc.

4. A Reference Librarian is also…
• One who helps when search engines fail
• One who finds authoritative information
• One who finds unbiased information
• One who helps to find information that is not freely
accessible
• One who helps users to figure out what they
want/need
The larger question and the one at the core of this
course is how do we do these things?

5. The Reference Interview
This lecture introduces the topic of reference
interviewing and the types of reference
questions one might encounter.
It also covers the question negotiation process
and question strategies that lend themselves to
a successful interview.
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6. Definition
• Reference interview – a dialogue between someone in need
of information and someone able to give assistance in finding
it. (Katz)
• 50-60% of all interactions are not reference interviews but are
directional and ready reference.
– Directional– provides assistance in finding and using library services,
collections and facilities.
• Where is the…?
– Ready reference—questions asking for simple, factual answers; the
answer should be readily ascertainable from available information
sources. Questions are clear, concise– and require no further
consultation with the patron before the answer is found.
• What is the population of NJ?
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7. Taxonomy of Reference Questions
Reference questions have been classified into
the following 7 types (Katz, 2000):
1. Description
– Questions asking for a description of something,
briefer in length than the original thing (basically,
an abstract).
2. Readers advisory
– Questions asking for assistance in the choice of
books or the gathering of data.
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8. Taxonomy of Reference Questions
3. Bibliographic instruction
– Questions asking for assistance in use of
information source(s).
4. Research
– Questions asking for involved answers; the answer
should require some effort and wide use of
information sources to formulate.
5. Citation list
– Questions asking for a list of information sources
on a particular subject.
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9. Taxonomy of Reference Questions
6. Analysis
– Questions asking for some form of data analysis,
whatever that data might be-scientific, social,
financial, etc. Questions of this type might ask for
trends, pro or con arguments, cause and effect,
compare and contrast, etc.
7. Critique
– Questions asking for an evaluative discussion of a
particular subject. (E.g., a movie review, Cliffs
notes-like analyses of a book).
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10. The Reference Interview
The reference interview has 4 parts.
1. Opening the interview
2. Searching for information
3. Closure (response)
4. Follow-up
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11. Reference Interview Success
• Success in negotiating an answer depends
upon how well the librarian handles the
interview situation.
• Certain library-related factors will influence
the reference transaction.
– Environment/setting of the reference service
– Dialogue with the patron
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12. Environment/setting
The setting influences the reference transaction.
Guidelines for making the environment welcoming:
• Physical environment
The Reference station should be: visible, clearly marked,
informal, unimposing, (not an institutional barrier).
• I’ve heard of one reference desk referred to as the battleship.
• A sign which reads, “Please interrupt” is an option for reference
librarians who must complete tasks/reports at the desk.
• Where is the reference desk located? What height is it? Are there
chairs for the patrons to sit while they speak with you?
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13. 1. Opening the interview
• Setting an approachable tone can be done by
using certain techniques:
– Body language - Smile or make eye contact. Reference
Librarian should look approachable (not busy with paper
work, engrossed in his computer screen).
– Self-revelation—Introduce yourself
– Greeting- Greet the inquirer, be on the same level: signal
an understanding of patrons’ needs through verbal or non-
verbal confirmation
• I try to stand to greet the patron or have a chair at the same level.
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14. 2. Searching for information
• Stage two involves the search for information. This
has several components:
– Question negotiation process
– Questioning strategies
– Conducting the search for information
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15. Communication/question negotiation
process
• Robert Taylor (1968) identified 4 stages in the
question negotiation
1. Unexpressed need for information (visceral)
2. Within-brain description (conscious need for info)
3. Formal statement of info need
4. The compromised need or question-- patron is asking it in
a way that he believes the information system or
librarian will understand it
• The librarian’s task is to work through these stages
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16. Communication/question negotiation
process
Taylor: A librarian uses filters to sift questions.
Questions go through 5 filters that assist in the search
for answers
1. Determine the subject
2. Understand the user
3. Determine the objective and motivation of patron
4. Determine the relationship of the inquiry to file
organization: Potential sources: OPAC, Union List,
Database, Index
5. Determine the anticipated or acceptable answer: Level of
information wanted; time frame for answer.
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17. Communication/question negotiation
process
• Problems can occur in the process:
– The question may not be asked with precision.
• For example—The patron asks, “Where are your books on English
Literature?” The patron really wants any material on the image of
the ‘dark tower’ in English literature”.
• Another example—The patron asks, “How do I interpret Picasso’s
painting, “Winter?”. The patron actually needs information on the
influence of Japanese art on Picasso’s work.
I believe that patrons know what they want or need and it is
my job to help them figure out the question that will lead to
finding the answer.
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18. Communication/question negotiation
process
• Another problem that can occur is due to our
mental models/constructs
• The mental constructs of patrons may not match those
of librarians or vice versa.
• Remember the “Eagles” example from the beginning of
the term?
• Here’s another—a patron of high school age says, “I
need a book on “Malcom the Tenth.”
– Can you figure out what he really needs?
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19. Strategies for Reference Questioning
• Researchers have identified various clarifying
questioning strategies that are used in a
typical reference query:
– Closed
– Open-ended
– Neutral
Very important: Each type is useful at points in the
dialogue.
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20. Question Strategies
Closed Questions involves an attempt by the librarian to match
the user to the more familiar parts of the information system.
The patron’s response is a “yes or no”. This restricts the freedom
of the user’s response.
• Examples of this type of questioning are:
– Is this for a project?
– Do you want American or Canadian authors?
– Do you need current or historical information?
– Can you use an internet source?
• Disadvantage: Have you ever played the game Twenty
Questions?
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21. Question Strategies – Open Questions
Open questions are useful at the beginning of a reference interview,
as a tool to gain more information from an inquirer. Gives the user
more control.
• Can be used to:
– Find out what a person wants
– Get a description of a problem or event
– Encourage the person to elaborate
– Get clarification
– Examples:
– Tell me more about topic “X” ...
– What else can you tell me about your topic…
• Disadvantage: User may need direction to stay focused on task
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22. Question Strategies – Neutral Questions
Neutral questions are a subset of Open Questions, as they
require more than one or two word answers but differ in that
they do not reveal bias toward a correct or acceptable answer.
• Focuses on expanding or narrowing the subject, bibliographic
details, or format of material sought
• Based on Dervin’s sense-making approach: situation --- gap -
-- use
• The Librarian learns about the situation, the gaps, and the
expected uses by using neutral questioning strategies.
• The next slide provides an example.
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23. Neutral Questions
• Situation:
– Tell me how this problem/question arose?
– What are you trying to do in this situation?
• Gap:
– What would you like to know about X?
– What seems to be missing in your understanding of X?
– What are you trying to understand?
• Use:
– How will you use this information?
– How will this help you? What will it help you to do?
– If you could have exactly the help you wanted, what would it be?
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24. Neutral questioning
• In sum, neutral questioning is a strategy for
controlling the reference interview while
giving users the freedom to unfold their
needs, stories, wants, in a human way.
• Neutral questioning helps to avoid premature
diagnosis and allows users to retain control
over the description of need.
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25. Question Strategies
• All three types of questions are necessary and
appropriate. It is up to the librarian to
determine which to use, which is often
dictated by the environment or setting.
• The following slide presents typical clarifying
statements.
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26. Typical Reference Interview Queries
• When is the information needed?
• How much time do you have now to spend in finding an
answer?
• Any specific sources you must use/not use?
• What kind of information is needed-- a definition, a history, a
news story, etc.
• How much/what information do you already have?
• How is the information going to be used?
• Is “popular” or “technical” information needed?
• Do you need general information, or specific information?
• How long should the information be?
• Are you asking for information for yourself, or for someone
else?
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27. 3. Closure (response)
The third part in which you provide your answer requires that you
use the same attentive behavior. Some ways in which this can be
accomplished:
– Verify spelling and other possible factual errors in the original query
• I had a patron ask for information on the drug, “lacmital”. The drug is
actually called, “lamictal”.
• A faculty member needed information on a reading program called, “fast
forward”. After a little searching I determined that the correct title was : Fast
ForWord.
– Identify sources appropriate to the client's need that have the highest
probability of containing information relevant to the patron's query
– Summarize the query
– Explain the search strategy/sequence that you are taking
– Cite the source of the answer (According to the Statistical Abstract volume
97, 2008, Table 21 the number of persons in the workforce is ….)
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28. 4. Follow-up
• Closure actually ends with a concluding expression that
allows for some feedback and evaluation such as
– “Does this answer your question?”
– “Is this what you need?”
– “Is this what you were looking for?”
• Follow up is required if the patron is not satisfied. The
librarian may:
– Encourage the client to return.
– Consult other librarians or experts to find more information.
– Refer the patron to other sources/institutions after making sure the
other source has required the information.
– Set up a research appointment.
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29. Conclusion:
Despite all of this theory and research….
• Sometimes you just have to say, “I’m not clear about what you
need. Let’s start again”.
• Assume nothing!
• Remember the patron and librarian have their own mental
models which can lead to a comedy of errors: What the
librarian says v. what the client hears..
– Librarian says: Value Line Patron hears: Volume Nine
– Librarian says: House plans Patron hears: house plants
– Librarian says: Bibliographies Patron hears: biographies
– Librarian says: UNIX Patron hears: eunuchs
– Librarian says: Euthanasia….Patron hears:
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30. Youth in Asia?
• And for the patron of high school age who
needed info on Malcolm the Tenth:
• He was Asian and really needed a biography
on Malcolm X.
• As you work on the IPL you are likely to
encounter this kind of situation.
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31. The end for now…
• This week
– Discussion about reference interviewing
– Begin ipl2 training
– Read Assignment 1
• Next week
– We will discuss the digital reference environment
in greater detail.