[Libs-Or] What are reference desks called these days?

Wed Aug 24 10:55:50 PDT 2011

What a great conversation on libs-or today!

I just blogged about this at the invitation of Cindy Romaine, the President of SLA...

http://futureready365.sla.org/08/24/public-libraries-that-are-future-ready/

My opinion: “Desk reference” is dead!

Jim Scheppke, State Librarian
Oregon State Library
250 Winter St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-378-4367
(fax) 503-585-8059
jim.b.scheppke at state.or.us

[cid:3397028126_639956]Go Green, Keep it on screen - think before you print.

________________________________
From: Colin Rea <crea at fernridgelibrary.org>
Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:35:13 -0700
To: libs-or List <libs-or at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>
Subject: Re: [Libs-Or] What are reference desks called these days?

We just completed a renovation that was planned for in 2006.  We added a new desk, originally called a reference desk in the architectural plans.  When we begin to staff it in September, it will open as the ‘Answer Desk.’  It’s a much clearer representation of the service we will provide there.  I’m also going to run with the slogan ‘Ask and we shall retrieve!’…

Colin M. Rea
Director, Fern Ridge Library District
PO Box 397
88026 Territorial Road
Veneta, OR 97487
541.935.7512     fax 541.935.8013
www.fernridgelibrary.org
[cid:3397028126_619453] <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Veneta-OR/Fern-Ridge-Public-Library/113165985463> [cid:3397028126_627317]  <http://twitter.com/fernridgelib>

From: libs-or-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us [mailto:libs-or-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf Of Caleb Tucker-Raymond
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 10:02 AM
To: Libs-Or at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
Subject: Re: [Libs-Or] What are reference desks called these days?

Hello,

I think it depends on what you think the reference desk is for.

Certainly, there are library patrons who think of reference service the way libraries often do: as the best place to go to get either an authoritative answer to a quick question or a comprehensive tour of a subject through library resources and beyond. But I don't think most patrons fall into this category.

We're working on coming up with a new name for L-net, our statewide reference service, and run into this same problem. Ideally we want a name somewhere between the literal "ask a librarian" and the dreamy "answerland", but the name should describe the service, and for many people, "reference" doesn't convey a thing.

(You may enjoy John Kupersmith's "Library terms that users understand", a summary of 51 usability studies: http://www.jkup.net/terms.html.)

We ask patrons for feedback at the end of our L-net sessions, and in order to get a sense of how patrons describe their experience wit the service, I made a word-cloud out of their comments (http://www.oregonlibraries.net/system/files/comments.png). The words that jump out that librarians don't often use to describe reference service "help" and "helpful".

So patrons come to us for help instead of for reference service. Good enough for me!

I don't know what we should call reference desks, but "information commons" seems as good a place to start as any. For me, the important thing is to *position* ourselves to give friendly and helpful service, to act as patrons' partners in discovery rather than as authorities and gatekeepers. If we have more opportunities to give them reference service and knock their socks off, all the better.

Caleb Tucker-Raymond

Statewide Reference Service Coordinator
Multnomah County Library
(503) 988-5438
calebt at multco.us
www.oregonlibraries.net <http://www.oregonlibraries.net/>

On Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 6:05 PM, Hope Leman <hleman at samhealth.org> wrote:
Hi, all. I am just curious as to whether it is a librarian-led movement or pressure from non-librarians to rename what used to be reference desks. I just called the called the Oregon State University Valley Library to find out its summer hours after being confused by the wording on the Web site:

http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/hours

which said "Learning Commons Information Desk." As a patron, I got very befuddled and asked, "Is this what used to be the reference desk?" I wonder if other patrons are equally confused by these terms.

Hope Leman, MLIS
Research Information Technologist
Center for Health Research and Quality
Samaritan Health Services
815 NW 9th Street
Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 768-5712

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