Family history reference interview
From SLNSW
Interviews with Family Historians require a broad range of skills, some very simple, others more complex. Your clients will possess varying levels of prior knowledge and expertise when they first approach your library.
A small amount of extra time spent establishing exactly what the client requires can save additional time and frustration later (for clients and staff)
- Communication skills e.g. through active listening and questioning; appropriate body language; positive reinforcement of verbal and visual cues
- Technological skills e.g. using and maintaining equipment of different types, capabilities and ages
- Database Searching skills e.g. developing techniques and strategies for efficient use of key internet and subscription-only resources
- Teaching skills e.g. empowering clients through clear instruction and communication
- Detective skills e.g. considering all avenues open for research, and a few besides. Thinking outside of the box is a critical skill for librarians working with family historians
- Networking skills e.g. seeking out help and advice from other institutions and groups. The better your knowledge of the holdings of other institutions, the better your ability to quickly and efficiently direct clients
- People skills e.g. always considering and being sensitive to individual differences and possible emotional factors when interviewing family historians. You often have no insight into the emotional importance a person places on finding particular information. Motivating factors can be highly personal, and are not to be taken lightly. In delivering Family History services, you are dealing with the lives and deaths of real people. Treat all family historians and their inquiries with due respect.
Exercise
Explore some of the basic rules of Family History research on the Reference and Information Services Wiki
