The reference interview is a critical part of the reference process. The interview finds out what information library patrons need. Conducting a successful reference interview is a skill that requires understanding and practice.

What you will learn in Module 2:

• The steps of the reference process
• What is a reference interview
• How do you get started when you don't understand the question
• How do you know when the request is satisfied

Module 2 explains skills you need to answer the question, 'What do patrons really want to know?'.

Overview

Reference service is a way for libraries to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Filling information needs requires discovering the need behind a patron's first question. Patrons may not clearly express their information needs.

Filling the information gap, or finding out what is behind the opening question is an ongoing reference process that includes discussion and follow-up by library staff. There are the four basic steps in the reference process:

• Reaching out
• Determining what the patron needs
• The reference interview
• Meeting the needs and follow-up

Skills and steps in the reference interview include: -

• paraphrasing,
• asking open questions,
• clarifying,
• verifying,
• getting all the needed information,
• the 6 pieces of evidence,
• following up, and
• ending the interview.

Watch the first 60 minutes of this video for helpful information on the reference interview

Listening - the most important part of the reference interview

Listening to a patron is a skill that can be developed. Asking the right questions is necessary for a successful reference service. You won't find the right answers if you don't know the right questions. Persevere, be creative and practice the techniques you will learn in this module to develop your skills.

Interviewing in person, online or by telephone

Reference interviewing skills are the same for remote reference. Use effective interpersonal communication and recommended reference behaviours see Module 3 People skills, reference behaviours. Be sure to follow workplace procedures regarding confidentiality.

Major point: The reference interview answers the question, 'What does the patron want to know?'

Exercise for maintaining confidentiality

1. You have been asked to update your workplace procedures and polices relating to confidentiality and the provision of information services.

• Where can you locate these guidelines?
• What amendments are necessary to update the documents?
• Why are these changes required?
• Where can you find other information to help you with this task (i.e, ALIA, IFLA, ASLA)

Module 2 Answers and review

Paraphrasing is a useful technique that will help you discover a patron's information need. You rephrase what the patron said without adding any thoughts or questions of your own. You mirror the patron's thoughts showing the patron what the question looks like to you. These are statements, not a question. If you make it a question, it may sound like you are surprised that the person would ask such a question.

• You want to know the state flower of New South Wales
• You want to know the name of your member of Parliament
• You want information on land rights

Paraphrasing has three outcomes

1. It lets the patron know that you are listening to them.
2. It demonstrates that you have heard correctly.
3. It provides an opportunity for the patron to clarify or expand their original request with more information.

Examples

The patron says 'I really need information on New South Wales. I've looked all over the place and haven't found what I want. I tried those books over there and they didn't help and I'm still looking. I just can't seem to find what I need'. You can say 'You want information relating to New South Wales' or 'You are researching to find information about the State of New South Wales“.

Major point: Paraphrasing is a useful technique to discover more information.

Exercises for paraphrase

How would you paraphrase the following questions?

1. I have a 1978 Torana, that needs repairing.
2. I'd like to get some ideas on building a chair.

Module 2 Answers and review

Remote interviewing

Paraphrasing is the first part of the process that helps you detemine what the customer needs. It helps you to clarify and verify their request. You still need to follow this step in the reference process when undertaking remote interviewing.

IFLA defines online reference, virtual reference, digital reference, e-reference, internet information services, live reference and real-time reference as terms sometimes used interchangeably to describe reference services that utilise computer technology in some way.

IFLA digital reference guidelines

ALA RUSA Guidelines for implementing and maintaining virtual reference services

Give patrons a chance to tell you what they are after

Open questions are an effective way to give your patrons the freedom to express information needs in their own words, while at the same time guiding them in the direction that will best help you find the material that will fill their information need or assist them to find the information.

Always give your patrons a chance to tell you what their questions are. An open or neutral question is one that can't be answered by yes or no. These are sometimes called probes. You have probably had experiences like the following which are a common result of asking closed questions:

• Do you need this for a school project? No.
• Do you need this for a trip you are going on? Yes.

Why use open questions?

Closed questions don't help define the patron's topic. It's more efficient and effective to ask what type of information on the topic they are looking for. Help the patron talk to you about their information need.

It is best to ask open, but not leading questions. Using open questions also helps you if you don't know about the topic. You can ask an open question like “Can you tell me more about that?”.

Major point: Open questions are effective for discovering a patron's information need.

Exercises for open questions

Give examples of open questions you could ask in response to the following queries:

1. I need information on a Torana?
2. Do you have any material on Turkey?
3. Where's the small business section?

Module 2 Answers and review

Clarify, moving the interview along after the opening questions.

Getting the details right

Clarifying is a technique you can use when you are further along in the reference interview. Remember you begin the interview with paraphrasing and open questions. You may need to clarify a point by asking for a particular bit of information. For example, you may have discovered that the patron wants images of Broken Hill for a presentation. Before you proceed you need to find out whether they would like a book containing images, a digital file or a print (paper or a 3D print).

You can obtain the missing information most effectively by using a clarifying question specifically asking for a particular bit of information. Remember to use clarifying questions later in the reference interview process to confirm a particular point.

How do you clarify questions in remote or online reference situations?

Clarifying questions are also part of the reference interview during telephone, online/remote reference sessions.

Suggested methods for remote interview questioning in email/chat/instant message (IM) sessions:

• Clarify the information need - allow the patron to fully explain their request before responding.
• Use open-ended questions to encourage the patron to expand on the request e.g. “please tell me more about your topic?” or “what additional information can you give me?” or “how much information do you need?”.
• Use questions to refine the search query e.g. “what have you already found?” or “what format do you need- books, journal articles, e-resources etc.” or “do you need current or historical information?”
• You need to maintain your professionalism in online communication.

Refer to Section 2.3 and 2.4 Guidelines for Chat Sessions IFLA digital reference guidelines

Major point: Clarify to fully understand what is being asked.

Exercises for clarify

How would you clarify the patron's request in the following examples?

1. Do you have sex education resources for kids?
2. I have the reference for a particular journal article. How can I obtain a copy of the article?

Module 2 Answers and review

Be sure you have it right before starting a search.

Check one last time…

You can verify by restating the question and asking if you have the details correct. Do not jump to conclusions. Listen to the patron all the way through before deciding what the question is and how you plan to find the information. This important step can save you time searching for something the patron didn't really want in the first place.

When you think you have the question clearly in mind and are ready to search for the relevant information, confirm the details with the patron before searching.

Examples

• So what you specifically want to know is the population of New South Wales in 2021? Is that right?
• What you really need is a recipe for tomato sauce to serve 400 people?
• Am I correct that you are looking for a distributor of sheet metal in Tamworth?
• So then you need three or four articles on COVID-19 for your assignment due on March 1. Is that correct?
• What you are specifically looking for, is the Indian born population of Australia, at the last Census, by age and gender. Is that right?

This last check ensures that you and the patron understand what you will be searching for.

Good examples of bad assumptions

Sometimes we think we know what the question is before the patron even finishes talking.

We presume the man with the greasy hands who asks about car books is obviously going to want a repair manual, and that the 12-year-old who asks for a book on Queensland is doing a school project.

Maybe not. The man may be writing a novel and needs to know what kind of cars were popular in the 1920s and the 12-year-old may be going on a holiday.

Major point: Verify the specific question with the patron before beginning the search.

Exercise for verify

1. What questions would you ask to verify if information is needed for a school assignment or if it is needed as travel research?

Module 2 Answers and review

What information should you get from the reference interview?

The result of a good interview.

At the conclusion of a good reference interview you should have the following six pieces of evidence. These six pieces of evidence define the patron's information need:

1. Purpose
2. Deadline
3. Type and amount
4. Who
5. Where
6. The clarified and verified question

You can use open questions, paraphrasing, clarifying and verifying. To prompt patrons to volunteer this information efficiently and easily you might need to ask for some information directly, for example “what is the deadline?”. Most of this information will come out naturally during the reference interview.

Purpose

Why is the information needed? What does the patron plan to do with it? Material needed for an assignment on Indonesia will be very different from the material needed for travel to Indonesia. You need this information (purpose) from the patron to help you find the right answer.

Deadline

Is there a date after which the information will no longer be useful to the patron? Ask what is the last day you could provide the information to them and still meet their needs. If they say as soon as possible suggest that a specific date is helpful.

Type and amount

How much information is needed? In what format will it be most useful?

Some material may be best understood as a picture or chart or even in a different language.

Who

How knowledgeable is the patron on this subject? Is the person an expert or a beginner? Are they a child, young person, adult or expert in the field? What information does the patron already have?

A person asking for information about a disease might be a doctor, nurse, student, patient or relative. Each of these people will have a different information need.

Where

Where did the patron hear about this? What is their source? What prompted the question? You can sometimes contact the original source to find more information on a specific topic.

Clarified and verified question

Before you commence searching for information, be sure you understand what is required by the patron.

Major point: What does the patron really want to know? If you don't understand, use your reference interviewing skills.

Exercises for 6 pieces of evidence

1. “Do you have stuff on the brown snake?” What type of question should you ask at this point? Give an example.
2. The patron wants this information for a school project, but doesn't say so. What type of question would you ask to find this out? Give an example.
3. You still don't have the information need pinned down. What type of question would you use to get them to tell you that “The report has to be on an endangered species in New South Wales, and I'd rather do one on birds, but the teacher used that snake as an example, and I didn't know anything else to use.”? Give an example.
4. You show them a list of endangered species in New South Wales and they choose the Long-footed Potoroo (a marsupial, not a bird). Before you actually get them information on the potoroo, what type of question should you ask? Give an example.
5. After you help them locate information for their report, what type of question should you ask? Give an example.
6. What can you do if you don't find any information in your library on the Long-footed Potoroo?

Module 2 Answers and review

Remote reference requires many of the same interviewing skills you have learned in this module, the physical requirements and the nature of the online environment will require mastering the skills of interviewing with remote services technology. You may be using video conferencing, chat environment, email, or social media platforms as a means of communication.

These are the features of different communications.

Face to face including video conferencing:

• Communicating is direct. The patron sees and hears you.
• Visual cues give you information.
• Silence is OK if the patron can see what you're doing.
• Managing the time you spend with each patron is based on seeing other users waiting.
• Responsibility for follow-up can be transferred to the patron.
• The process is sequential as you go through the reference interview.

Chat environment:

• Communicating is complex as you manage software.
• Keying is slow and you need to allow time for the question to be typed
• Continue to keep the patron informed of the steps you are taking
• There are no visual cues to give you information about the patron or the patron's response to the dialogue.
• The staff need to be proactive in following-up on transactions.

Email:

• Communicating is complex as there may be a time delay between questions and answers.
• Make sure you read the whole email before replying.
• There are no visual cues to give you information about the patron or the patron's response to the dialogue.
• Acknowledgment of receipt, and information about turnaround times should be provided to patrons.
• The staff need to be proactive in following-up on transactions.

Social media:

• Communicating is complex as there may be a time delay between questions and answers.
• Make sure you read the whole message before replying.
• There are few clues to give you information about the patron or the patron's response to the dialogue.
• Acknowledgment of receipt, and information about turnaround times should be provided to patrons.
• The staff need to be proactive in following-up on transactions.
• Keying is slow and you need to allow time for the question to be typed
• Continue to keep the patron informed of the steps you are taking

Keeping the patron informed and comfortable in the online world

The reference process requires putting your patrons at ease and keeping them informed.

Some specific tips for remote reference services:

• Be friendly and professional
• Use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalisation
• Use the patron's name
• Include an explanation of your search process or strategy in your responses
• Let the patron know what you are doing
• Send information in small pieces not large paragraphs to help communication and reduce delay time
• Cite all resources quoted or used in responses using a recognised format
• Use terminology that is understandable to the patron

These suggested actions for remote services have been added to the reference actions checklist ref-ex.

Major point: Remote reference services use the same reference interviewing steps.

After you think you have answered a patron's question always ask a follow-up question such as:

• Does this completely answer your question?
• Do you have everything you need?
• Is there anything else I can help you find?

Make the patron feel comfortable to return to ask another question should they need to.

Follow-up questions ensure you have provided what the patron needed. Offer your patron the chance to tell you that the information was not suitable. Ask a follow-up question at the completion of every reference transaction.

Ending the reference interview

If the answer is 'no' to your follow-up (does that completely answer your question?) and you are going to continue to help the patron find information, make sure you do three things:

• Get the patron's name and phone number or email address and verify the spelling and number.
• Give the patron a realistic idea of when you might be calling or emailing back.
• Establish a definite time when the patron is available and expecting to hear from you.

Let the patron know who you are in case they want to contact you. Follow your library policy. If you have been talking online by e-mail or by telephone with a patron, when appropriate you may suggest that the patron visit the library. For example the patron would benefit from browsing the collection.

Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers

The Library Council of NSW has produced the following Standards and Guidelines for NSW public libraries. Guideline 6 - Information and readers’ advisory services provides valuable information.

Living Learning Libraries: a population approach Standards and Guidelines for NSW Public Libraries

Major point: The only way to be sure you've met the need is to ask. Bring each reference interview to an appropriate close.

Exercises for follow up and ending the reference interview

1. What is the purpose of follow-up questions?
2. In addition to the examples given think of at least two more ways to say 'do you have everything you need?' that you would be comfortable using as a follow-up question at the end of a reference interview.

Module 2 Answers and review

Module 2 Answers and review

Reference Excellence - self paced reference and information services training

About Reference Excellence

Module 1 Overview of the reference process

Module 2 Reference interview skills and question types

Module 3 People skills, reference behaviours

Module 4 Search strategies

Module 5 Reference resources

Module 6 Ethics and legislation

Module 7 Roving reference

Module 8 Local studies

Module 9 Family history

Module 10 Children

Module 11 Young adults

Module 12 Corporate library services

Module 13 Technology reference services