.
Asynchronous or synchronous
Conducted at a reference desk, via phone, SMS, email, or while roving the library
Information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others to meet particular information needs
What does my client already know about this topic?
What does my client want to know?
What is the most important part of the question?
Who is their favourite author?
What would you like to know about coffee?
Would you like to know about best brewing practices?
What have you done so far that’s been helpful in finding information?
What have you done so far that’s been helpful in finding information?
If I could find you an ideal source, what kind of information would it include?
Do you want books or articles?
Restate what you DO understand
Take ownership of the problem
Write it down
Ask a colleague for help
Speak loudly and slowly
Be respectful
Let the client retain control of the interview.
Do not presume that they require specialized resources.
Speak slowly and use simple words.
Know the limitations of your library and be prepared to direct the client to other sources for help, or acquire materials from another library on behalf of your client
Treat your client as an individual. Ask him/her for feedback and assistance on how to best serve them.
Creating bibliographies of reading materials based on genre, appeal, and reading level
Assessing the type of user a patron was, then prescribing a list of books to read
Selecting literacy works of importance to local groups to encourage higher literacy levels in the community
Place, Available, Contact, Topic
Polite, Accessible, Customer Service, Thank-you
Positive, Accessible, Comfortable, Task Present, Accessible, Capable, Task
Present, Accessible, Capable, Task
One of the core services offered by public libraries
Clients visit the library in-person and virtually and ask for assistance because library staff can provide a carefully curated selection of materials
Library staff select materials from their own collections and beyond, selected with the client’s specific reading preferences in mind
Library staff suggest materials based on what the client feels like today and what the client has enjoyed in the past
Finding aids like Novelist, Goodreads and Bibliocommons
Keeping current on reading trends
Encouraging conversations about reading by supporting book clubs with special borrowing privileges
Creating genre or theme based displays
Assisting users with creating an account and using tools like Goodreads, Bibliocommons and Novelist
Helping a reader find a book they will enjoy by learning what appeals to them in a story as well as their preferred genre
A class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique, or the like
A specific artistic period (eg. Romantic Period)
A point in the plot where the villain is revealed
A reader’s reaction to certain elements in a story
A book’s artwork and marketing towards a specific audience
A display created by library staff with a specific theme
Gothic, romantic, western
Watercolours, geometric, sensory
Breakneck, engrossing, fast paced, relaxed, unhurried
A question that helps you identify if your client is looking for a book that will make them feel a certain way
A question that helps you identify the pacing, setting or characters in a book that a client read in the past
A question that helps you identify the items on the client’s Amazon wish-list
Is a brief summary of the plot without revealing the ending
A short conversation that provides the listener with a review of the merits of a book
A short presentation, usually 30 seconds to 2 minutes, that conveys the essential flavor of the book and the element in the book that is likely to appeal to a reader
A critical analysis of the book and how it compares to other books with a similar style
Trained staff should be able to answer the questions in less than 15 minutes
Questions are answered using an encyclopedia, dictionary or almanac
No additional user training is required in order to access (or understand) the answer
CIA Factbook
BBC Country Profiles
World Almanac
Canadian Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia Britannica
Merck Manual
World Book Encyclopedia
InfoPlease!
High precision
High recall
Each item that is included in the database.
All of the details about one item ina database.
All of the details about a book in the catalogue.
An individual cell in a database, such as the title or the subject.
True
False
Best practices, design*, garden*, vegetable*, backyard*
Best practices, designing, gardens, vegetables, backyard
Gardens, building or design*, vegetables, backyard
True
False
True
False
True
False
True
False
True
False