Role of service desk staff
From SLNSW
These staff carry out the reference process.
Contents |
Working with the public
Staff are the facilitators between patrons and information. Staff perform the mediation required to find and fill real information needs. Reference staff help patrons to be skilled information seekers. Library staff work in reference, information services, adult or children's services or circulation. They are responsible for conducting library work with regard for professional ethics and patron rights (see module 6).
Discovering needs
The service staff talk to patrons, discover needs and follow up to make sure those needs have been met. This is true for any type of library. Many people in your own library and throughout New South Wales work to support library service, but the service staff are the ones who have direct public contact. Staff must achieve certain competencies to provide quality reference services.
Competencies and guidelines for reference services
Professional competencies guidelines focus on the reference behaviours, the abilities, skills and knowledge that make reference and user services librarians unique from other professionals.
- Access: analysing and responding to needs for information services and understanding how services are designed and organized.
- Knowledge base: staying aware of, applying and sharing new concepts in the library and information services environment.
- Marketing/awareness/informing: evaluating services, communicating about them to others.
- Collaboration: maintaining positive relationships with clients and colleagues within the library and beyond.
- Evaluation and assessment of resources and services: understanding user needs, information services, trends, resources, methods of service delivery, common methods of access and interface, and knowledge of information service providers.
Adapted from Professional Competencies for Reference and User Services Librarians.
Working remotely
Skills and behaviours that you will be learning apply to in-house or to remote reference. The model behaviours of approachability, interest, listening, inquiring, searching and follow-up are still required when working remotely. Reference interviewing is generally covered in module 2. The specific online, remote and chat reference service behaviours, where face to face, non-verbal and visual cues are absent are also covered in module 2. Telephone and email reference behaviours are covered in module 3.
Major point: Public service staff performance is critical in meeting a community's information needs.
Exercises
1. Who is involved in reference service in your library? A whole department? A reference librarian? Anybody who's available? Just you? What is your role in the provision of reference and information services? Whether large or small, the reference service provided by the library is critical. Identify everyone at the library who provides reference services.
