NSW public library wiki

Roving services, which incorporates reference, readers advisory and other services, are a way of taking customer service to the patron, rather than waiting for them to come to a fixed service point with an enquiry.

Roving is a term to describe a service where staff leave a fixed service point to find patrons within the library who require assistance. Your library may use a specific term to describe this service i.e. Roaming Reference, Mobile Reference.

A key element of roving is approachability. When you are providing a service away from a service point you have to be approachable and able to be interrupted. You need to not look so busy that people don’t want to ask you a question. You may be doing some shelving, or adding to a display, or you might be walking around looking for people to approach.

Roving is a different kind of service. You are leaving the desk, possibly spending more time with people while you are helping them with enquiries. You also have to think about how you approach people, and each staff member will have a different comfort zone, although it is important to remember that it is about the patron's comfort.

As well as enabling people to approach you when you are away from the desk library staff also need a non-threatening way of asking people who are browsing the shelves if they need help.

While libraries providing roving also have service desks, the design of the desk is changing. Some libraries have introduced smaller reference and information desks for staff. The small desks make them more approachable for patrons as they do not look like barriers. The smaller desks are also easier for staff to walk away from to help patrons because the design is more open.

Taking the reference and information service away from a desk to anywhere in the library requires a few changes. Sometimes this includes a change in the attitude of staff towards their patrons. Staff need to learn different ways of interacting with the community and with each other. Mobile technology can help with this.

What you will learn in Module 7

You will learn skills to enable you to provide a roving service in your library.

A key element of roving service is approachability.

As well as enabling people to approach you when you are away from the desk library staff also need a non-threatening way of asking people who are browsing the shelves if they need help.

• Approach people in a friendly way.
• Make sure you are not standing, or walking too close.
• Don’t say “do you need any help?” Most people will not respond well to this kind of question as of course they don’t need help, they just need a bit of guidance, or a few pointers, about how to use the library.
• A good phrase to use is “are you finding what you are looking for?” This allows people to answer with a simple yes or no, or to be able to say, not really which provides an opening to then start a reference interview. It also does not imply that someone is clueless about how to use libraries.
• Make eye contact.
• Face the person, not fully front on (slight angle), don't talk to their back. You can stand beside someone to talk to them (when they are browsing the shelves).
• When you are roving (and the term roving implies walking with purpose) it is important to stroll to see if someone needs assistance rather than walking briskly. The strolling makes you approachable, whereas a brisk walk makes you look like you are going somewhere else – which you may be.
• Wear approved staff identification. This could be a name tag, a badge, or an apron or jacket.
• Libraries can be confusing places, and your job is to help people find what they are looking for, without making them feel inadequate or silly.

Before starting roving make sure you are familiar with the services provided across the whole library as you will need to be able to do good referrals and know who you should contact for help. Check with your supervisor about local requirements. Talk with specialist staff in your library to find out about the key resources, questions and tools for each service point or key area of service (like children’s, young adult, readers advisory work and local studies).

If possible find someone to mentor you, or who will train you to help you learn more. This method increases communication between staff. It also means that staff are involved both as trainers and as being trained.

If there are different roving tools in your library, make sure you are familiar with how they are used.

While you are away from the desk or service point, check on the service point to see if there is anyone there who is waiting for assistance.

When beginning roving it can be helpful to have tally sheets to help track what percentage of enquiries you are answering this way. Staff can discuss the positive moments of roving reference at staff meetings.

Rove each time you are rostered on a reference and information services shift.

Have a look at the presentations by Woollahra and Shellharbour Libraries on how their staff rove (starting from 2 hours 36 minutes), from the 2023 reference seminar

Have a look at the presentations from the annual reference seminar in 2017 for some helpful examples. There are examples in other reference seminars as well including 2013 and 2015.

Exercises for roving

1. Try roving.
2. How do people respond to your approaches?
3. What skills do you need to practice?
4. What did you find easy about it?
5. What could have worked better?
6. Talk with your supervisor about this.

Module 7 Answers and review

Roving can be facilitated by smaller service desks and mobile technology. Think about where you might place some OPACs to help with roving reference – so you don’t have to bring the person with the question back to the desk. Would using a portable device be easier?

Portable devices are a great way to access your library's online catalogue and other resources for example ebooks and databases.

Your roving service should enable you to resolve issues for patrons while roving.

Talk with your supervisor about changes to the service point, or how rearranging the desk could help with roving reference.

Exercise for using technology

1. What devices does your library have to provide roving reference?

Module 7 Answers and review

Readers' advisory

Readers Advisory is a specific aspect of information request when working in a public library. This may be finding:

• read-a-likes
• other books in a series
• new authors
• books by a visiting author
• a story set in a particular location
• a particular genre - i.e. for a school assignment
• new genres and styles

Exercises for readers' advisory

1. What resources does your library have to support readers' advisory questions.

2. List the resources you can suggest to patrons that they can access from your Library Webpage

Module 7 Answers and review

Module 7 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