reference free-for-all

11 tic marks under reference, 3 under directional.

but there is a good chance i lost count somewhere along the way.

i was only at the reference desk for two hours, but got a ton of experience in all sorts of questions - from finding journal articles for a retired professor, to explaining to one student the merits of getting a nypl card so she would not have to buy her books for class, to assisting a cooper union student who needed materials but had no idea where to find them (in his defense, i didn't even know where some of the ting he wanted were kept either!)...the reference desk is always a learning experience for me - not just on how to provide quality service to people, but also on the nitty-gritty of the what, where and how of the library. having taken two reference classes already, i am still always surprised by the amount i have yet to learn. actually working at a desk, or even just observing for awhile, should be a requirement of all reference classes. it is easy to answer on a paper or exam what kind of sources would be the most beneficial, or create a catalog search for a topic, when you do not have a student looking at your every keystroke...

it is also always interesting to see the social dynamics at the reference desk - there are users who are shy and feel strange asking for help, but there are also those people who have a list of questions and rattle them off and expect to have bullet point answers fired right back. its important to take that second to think of a question to ask so you can regain your focus and decide how to help. it is natural to feel the pressure to give an answer or help right away, but being able to take a moment to think is so important. not that i am a master of this skill, but i wish i was! soon, grasshopper.

line management is an issue that came up while i was at the desk. it is sort of like teaching a class where one student is speaking and another is raising their hand - you want your attention on the speaker, but also need to acknowledge the student with the hand in the air so they know that you see them. at least if those who are waiting know you see them, i feel that they are more patient, which is always a good thing. at one point, there were two librarians and me and we were all helping someone and there were still people waiting! it was like we were giving it away for free. oh, wait.

doing virtual reference right now (IMing, email and blogging - its a 2.0 wizard of oz!) and not seeing any traffic, but hopefully that will change soon. every time i get asked a question i end up learning something...

******

just got a question! and i learned something! not only did i learn how to find a map of the inside of the library, but also how to successfully satisfy the user without actually knowing the precise answer to a question. not that i am happy i didn't give the best information possible, but i did give the the best information i had. and i think that's really all you can ask of someone, even if that someone is going to school for this stuff! (shouldn't violin music be swelling to crescendo now?!)

keep asking,

h

and you thought a master's degree was silly...

hello again, gentle reader! it has been awhile, but that is not due to lack of librarian-esque inactivity...so to catch you all (or you, singular) up...

i have been busy "2.0isizing" (not a word, but its ok. this is a blog.) the tutoring center where i work, complete with a blog, online reference sources for the students including a searchroll i created designed to search only reputable, helpful English language help sites and online chat writing tutoring in the evenings when the center is closed using Meebo. alas, while i finally have all of the staff on board with the new initiatives, the students are just starting to come around. they seem to love the web resources, chat tutoring is just starting to take off with some really good conversations happening lately...as for the blog though, i am inclined to say that its readership is most likely at the same level as this blog. i think i need to start investing in some serious ad space. facebook fan page perhaps?

i also just started my first real librarian job (well, archivist but thats close enough for me!) as a project archivist for the tamiment library, a center for research on labor and the left. i am cataloging 1960s photo negatives of the united federation of teachers (UFT) and creating a finding aid so that researchers may actually use these great materials. very interesting stuff - i just hope i can restrain myself and not spend all my time at work ogling the pictures and actually get them cataloged! [UPDATE: the finding aid is up and running! see it in all its researchable glory here, those of you who thirst for knowledge and a good database every now and again.]

i have also been busy spreading the gospel of "actually, library science is a master's degree." whether it is a testament to the fact that not enough people use/know how to use a library that they think a master's degree in this stuff is superfluous i cannot comment. however, anyone who asks if a master's degree is really necessary should attend an ALA meeting. i had the opportunity to tag along with my librarian "coach" to mid-winter in philidelphia in january; and if anyone has any doubt as to if librarianship is a "true" profession they should have poked their heads in as well. the remarkable amount of dedicated, professional and uniquely dressed librarians was a great peek into the inner workings of librarianship. the committee meeting i attended was run as i imagine any other professional (business, political, medical etc.) board would conduct business with sub-committees, votes, minutes and all the trimmings. the massive amount of vendors onsite selling their wares that support library and information science as a whole was astounding (as was the fact that there was a rocky impersonator milling about with fliers for some product or another). there were software, hardware and other equipment vendors, as well as library furniture companies, book publishers and library schools represented. i knew that libraries were supported by a number of different directions, but even i couldn't have imagined the sheer amount of sellers and services.

i also had the chance to attend a presentation on new types of reference utilizing such programs as myspace, slideshare, smartphones, twitter and even a demonstration of a type of reference that does not exist as of yet but may in the future. while i am obviously interested and excited about the different modes of communication in terms of reference service, i am also interested in the collaborative, collective experience of the user and the librarian and hope that the excitement of new technology does not overshadow the experience of good old human interaction...

well. i think that just about does it in terms of catch-up. stay tuned as i hopefully make my way through library management class, research methods and hopefully all the way to ALA in anaheim!

hh

ps: i am ending this post so i can leave to go to a yoga class at polytechnic's library. while one part of me thinks there is no better place to meditate than a place full of knowledge, the other wonders why there isn't studying going on in the room we use..!

web2.0 conference

so i went to my first librarian conference last week.
it was amazing! there were of course those people who would would think of as "traditional librarians," but there was also a good mix of librarians from all sorts of backgrounds. i had a great time just scanning the room and seeing the ranks that i am joining.

the best part about the variety of people in the room - traditional and tech-savvy, card catalogers and 2.0ers, young and old, public and academic - was that they were all there to discuss and embrace the use of 2.0 technology in the library.

i am taking a web2.0 class right now (which will be outdated soon i imagine - not just because more new technology is being developed almost daily, but also because perhaps a generation or two from now there will be no need for a "2.0" class since it will be some number above 2.0 already!) so am steeped in the possibilities that web2.0 holds for libraries and academic institutions in general. and while i am completely excited about this new wave of interaction between the library user and the library, that does not mean that everyone out there is. i have tried to incorporate 2.0 technologies at my job at a tutoring center, and while the wiki idea was completely shot down, i created a social network for the ESOL (english for speakers of other languages) students to meet, collaborate and practice their conversational written english in a fun, new way that (after much prodding and instruction) is now up and running with almost 40 members! many of the original concerns about designing the site have dissolved and only university policy concerns linger somewhat (mainly over university copyright/web site design) but nonetheless i am calling the social network a success. there are many lively debates and conversations on the forum - ranging from discussions of american vs. chinese health care systems, to concerns over how to show proper respect for your parents in english to what is the proper response to "may i help you?" when you walk into the store. the students seem to really be embracing the network, and get the chance to design their own pages, leave messages on other people's pages, blog, upload videos and pictures and meet people that they have seen at the tutoring center in a different, casual way. there are also links to del.icio.us tags, english games (like hangman, crosswords and jumbles) and grammar help tools on the site so students can portal directly from the site to other educational tools. and now even the center's director has her own page! while at first she was not too keen on the idea, after a pitch and a prototype, she was on board and even sent the site link to her boss who enjoys poking around it as well. now that it is up and running and self-sustaining, it was definitely worth all the road blocks and concerns about this new medium of communication and education that i dealt with before the launch of the site. getting to go on and see the students' grammar improving and the sophisticated expression of complex ideas in a foreign language is truly rewarding - not to mention fun!

so, there you have it - social networking can be educational! now procrastination via web2.0 is not solely advantageous. now more libraries need to jump on the 2.0 bandwagon! and as one presenter at the conference said, 2.0 is not the replacement of 1.0, but rather depends on having a strong, solid 1.0 foundation...i am not suggesting that libraries just get tag clouds on their catalogs or use del.icio.us to organize their subject guides, but rather add these features to extend their service to a new generation of users who are already familiar with these sorts of interfaces.

to 2.0...and beyond!
chat soon,
h

IM me..a ref question

IMing makes me nervous. first of all, i am not the most prodigious typer - so i downloaded firefox so it would spell check my IMs for me before i sent them off...secondly, it always seems that lost in the translation of the medium is that little thing i like to call "human contact" - the ability to hear various tones in a person's voice, see their facial expressions and to be able to tell if what they are saying is actually what they mean (unfortunately firefox couldnt fix this problem). so while i was incredibly excited to be trusted with the responsibility of being the IM AAL (ask a librarian), i was also nervous that those who were asking me questions would not get the best possible service since so many things can go misunderstood/not said via IM with a stranger.

i was wrong.

"the medium is the message" has never been proven more effectively than in the three hours spent and the five reference questions answered during my stint as a "real life librarian." those who IMed me were clear in their needs/wants, excited to be working via IM and not afraid to ask follow up questions if they were unclear about something. i had envisioned lots of anxiety embedded in the process of IMing a stranger with a reference question, but the majority of the users just jumped right in with their question as their first IM without even a nervous greeting or opening. it was refreshing actually to see people so confident in their information needs to utilize the service to their greatest advantage.
for example: (with screen names/time stamps removed for privacy reasons)
userA: how can i find scholarly, peer reviewed artcles online about the idea of "the Lost generation" in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises?
me: hello!
me: great question
userA: hey! thanks

userB: Is this the library help system?
me: yes it is! what can i help you with?
userB: I had a quick question. It's my first time trying to find articles in specific magazines via XXXX's system...It's very different from the way my undergrad system operated. FOr example, let's say I'm looking for Atlantic Monthly articles online. How would I search for that in [the catalog]?
*****
me: then in the journal title search box, type in atlantic monthly (or whatever you are looking for)
userB: Aha!
userB: I see.
me: another window will pop up with any matches and you can connect through there
userB: Thank yo very much. I think I was clicking on everything but that.
userB: Thank you for your help.


the users were also chatting in a friendly, informal way - as you would expect while IMing. i think they enjoyed the fact that i was also communicating with then using the IM vernacular..it makes asking for help (something very few college students and adults in general like to do) less intimidating (and dare i say it - enjoyable?)...
userC: thank you very much kind stranger
me: no problem! anything else i can help you with?
userC: great. perfect. no, thank you though. ciao
me: ttyl

also the availability of instant help right when you need it, where you need it (ie on your computer where you are more than likely already doing your research) is something that the users enjoyed, even if they were curious as to how may people actually use the service...
userD: Thanks, I'll try to find it there then-- thanks so much for your help,
userD: also, just a question, do you guys get a lot of IM's a day?
me: we get a good amount
me: it just makes it so much easier to IM someone to ask for help when youre already on the computer, you know?
userD: yeah, exactly, thats why when I saw it was I figured just to ask first, well this is all I need-- thanks so much, take care!
me: you too! good luck!

my concerns over IM reference assuaged, i am now a true believer in the practicality of this type of reference. i know there are concerns about engaging with users in this instant 2.0 way, but i think it is those facets of the communication that make it so user-friendly oddly enough. a user can get the help they need and can follow along with the librarian as they show them the way to the resource that will best suit their needs. if course if the question involves more work and detail, a follow up consultation either via email/phone or in person can be scheduled, but i think chat reference is an amazing tool in bringing all that the library has to offer to the user without the lag time.

on a more personal note, it was great to use IM reference for my first run at doing real reference work. even though it is "instant," the fact that the user could not see the various looks of confusion and panic i had when i would get a new IM made it a bit easier to acclimate me to the work. it was also great to be able to take a moment and search around online for the right webpage they needed, take a breath, and then write to them and assist them in getting to the same page. i think all LIS students should definitely take a turn at IM AAL (with their guardian library angel also online at the same time - just in case!) before hitting the real life desk. it was a great way to get my feet wet without the possibility of being knocked over by a wave...in front of the user at least!

librarians LOL and BRBing

i took an unscientific* survey this evening about using IM as a way to ask reference questions of librarians. my results were that while people would be more likely to IM a librarian than call (why go get the phone when youre already on the computer?), it was still sort of strange and invasive. i think this underlines one of the biggest problems with library reference (especially in the university setting) - students are afraid of it. whether its because people dont like to ask for help, or that people get strangely anxious when trying to come up with an opening line when they are going to IM a librarian, or even at a basic level that people dont know chat reference really exists, this anti-(chat) reference mentality must be squelched.

*"unscientific" = asking a friend over coffee.

now, i am not saying that no one will ask for help and that no one uses chat reference already, that is simply untrue. but chat could be more. much more...you are already on the computer, getting lost among all the e-journals and "not finding anything" (which one professor says actually means "i found too much")...why struggle around cyberspace aimlessly when you could just pop open a window and get instant help from someone whose job it is to know these things? it pretty amazing when you think about it.

so i think part of the answer is just to try to get the word out more. yes, it is on the library's website, but maybe thats not enough. i find that to be the case with libraries more often than not...they will have all these great services, but people still are reluctant to use them or are somehow still oblivious. im working on a solution, but am not there yet - - i am only one library school student!

on the other side of the chat coin, there is the library itself. why offer this service? ill tell you why. because it rocks.

but using chat reference, libraries are making themselves more accessible to users, sure, but thats not all. it encourages a new image of the library - one that is not just a building full of dusty old books, but a place, both physical and virtual, where people can go to for quality information and materials. people start their research online with google, why not be virtually available to the user like google is - but better? while chat will never replace the reference desk, phone or email reference all together, it it yet another way to open up the library to a whole group of people who may have otherwise felt either disconnected or confused by the library. even though it may take a little more finessing on the part of the librarian due to the lack of visual cues and the reference interview itself will have to be modified, it is not something librarians should be afraid of. live a little, embrace the old saying, "the medium is the message," and use brb or other chat phrases with the users.

libraries exist to collect information, organize it and make it accessible to users. why not do all three with IM? the collection is right there on the user's computer already, so help them see how its organized so they can access it! it will save time (the librarian can work with a few users at once if need be, and just think of the millions of hours that can be saved by just copy/pasting a url rather than spelling them all out!), ease the frustration of the user (chat reference is like a virtual help desk!) and, in my humble opinion, make libraries (even more) cool. cafes, amazon-esque catalogs and social networking software are already taking the library scene by storm, so why not give the users more than visual ambiance and show them what the library can really do for them?

libraries are going 2.0 faster than you can say "look at my trendy card-catalog-turned-dresser," and reference needs to be a part of that. tag clouds of popular searches and myspace profiles for libraries are great and all, but if people still cant find the article or book they are looking for, what good is it?

libraries can be social...go ahead, ask them out for coffee!

social networking in libraries has been on my mind lately. for class we have to design a social networking site that could be put to use in a library. so i have set out to think of and research ways in which this could be useful to users - especially the technologically hip teens/young adults.
according to an OCLC survey, the general public does not see a place for libraries in their social networking roles. there is very low interest among those surveyed in participating and/or contributing content to a library-hosted social network, and library directors themselves do not see where social networking could fit in in their own libraries. most people see the library as a place for learning and information, not socializing (whether in person or virtually). but is this a useful assessment of a library? i think that libraries and librarians are limited mainly due to public perception of what a library is and is not...it is not due to lack of creativity and progress-seeking personalities that libraries are seen through such a narrow lens.

i am setting out to change all this.

so, where do the results of this survey leave us? are libraries supposed to give up the idea all together? resign to the fact that book-clubs are the only, and will remain the only, "social network" that libraries can and will offer? most people who said that there could be a place for social networks in libraries saw them as being book-related (discussion groups, reader's advisory, etc). why not step out of the box? public libraries are community resources, so why not make a private social network for the community? get to know your neighbors and your neighborhood? social networks can connect more than just people, but they can connect businesses, events and other community resources to the people who would find some benefit from them - but maybe just do not know these services even exist.

tonight my social-network design group is meeting to see how we can best put all this together. ill keep ya'll (my diverse, extensive and dedicated readership) posted...

til we virtually meet again,
h

ps: the OCLC survey can be found in pdf form here ... enjoy!

overheard in new york...

on the subway:
student #1: oh my god, i cant believe they like made us go to the library! we were like walking around all the floors for like an hour trying to find a book and couldnt figure out how that place works! hahahaha! it was so ridiculous, we were just walking around all those books like laughing hysterically and didnt even find anything! it was sooooo funny!

holly: (cries a little to herself)

********
at the polytechinc tutoring center:
different student: so, do you go to poly too? what is your major?
holly: actually, i go to NYU. i am going to school to be a librarian.
student: really? you have to go to school for that?!
holly: :(
everyone else in the tutoring center: HAHAHAHA

******

sigh. in regards to libraries, the disillusionment of the youth is astonishing. despite all the web2.0 features the libraries now have - myspace pages, rss feeds, cafes, AIM chat with librarians, etc. - there is still a huge segment of the population relatively untouched by their local or school libraries (including college students!). i think that to some extent it is because the stacks themselves (as opposed to other library services - computers, printing, periodicals, reserve materials, DVDs) seem insurmountable and incomprehensible still. library of congress subject headings? dewey who? so many people are afraid to be wrong, to have to ask questions and to not know how something works (especially if it is something that in theory they should be relatively familiar with already) that they put off ever learning about the library and the way that books are arranged. of course people do not need to know the why of book classification, but the practical use of call numbers at least should not be such a mystery.

at nyu, every new student has to take some form of an expository writing class. i think that one of the lectures should be reserved for a short tour/introduction to the library so it is not so unfamiliar and intimidating. i know so many students would roll their eyes at this suggestion, but inside i am sure they would appreciate it.

this pervasive anxiety associated with the college library is the reason i want to work in an academic setting where i can work with students on information fluency and assuage their fears. college is intimidating in the first place. finding the books you need to do well should not be.