<html><head><style type='text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style></head><body><div style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'>I'm a current Emporia student who's taking the introductory reference class. Although it is dry sometimes, I'm finding it really interesting overall, and it helps me get a grasp on the concept of information management in general. It's even making me consider becoming a reference librarian <br><br><hr id="zwchr"><b>From: </b>libs-or-request@listsmart.osl.state.or.us<br><b>To: </b>libs-or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us<br><b>Sent: </b>Wednesday, October 3, 2012 12:01:28 PM<br><b>Subject: </b>Libs-Or Digest, Vol 116, Issue 5<br><br>Send Libs-Or mailing list submissions to<br> libs-or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us<br><br>To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit<br> http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/libs-or<br>or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to<br> libs-or-request@listsmart.osl.state.or.us<br><br>You can reach the person managing the list at<br> libs-or-owner@listsmart.osl.state.or.us<br><br>When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific<br>than "Re: Contents of Libs-Or digest..."<br><br><br>You can examine full text of list messages in the relevant month's archive at:<br><br>http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/pipermail/libs-or/<br><br>Today's Topics:<br><br> 1. Re: does Oregon need reference librarians? (Alan Cordle)<br><br><br>----------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Message: 1<br>Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2012 12:01:20 -0700<br>From: Alan Cordle <acordle@pcc.edu><br>To: Max Macias <mmacias@pcc.edu><br>Cc: "libs-or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us"<br> <libs-or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us>, Emily Ford <fordemily@gmail.com><br>Subject: Re: [Libs-Or] does Oregon need reference librarians?<br>Message-ID:<br> <CA+Ta-YdQKy5M7m6Gxr90K8SDufWw0O8+BeWGEpktPDrO1_aDwA@mail.gmail.com><br>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"<br><br>Hi,<br><br>Back in the day (I attended library school part-time between 1993 and<br>1996), we not only had the required reference class, but for my track, in<br>academic reference, I had a humanities reference course and one in the<br>social sciences as well. I could have taken one in the sciences, but<br>didn't. I can't remember what others were offered. The classes were<br>invaluable. Database-wise, we were limited to Dialog and maybe Lexis-Nexis<br>if I remember correctly.<br><br>But what I loved, especially in my humanities class, was writing<br>evaluations of print reference sources. I believe that library school<br>faculty could create similar assignments for specialized databases that<br>would serve students well.<br><br>Like Max, I believe that reference is best learned through experience. I<br>really valued the time I learned from mentors at the reference desks where<br>I've worked. I've also noticed that some newer librarians (is it<br>generational?) think they know it all because they can type a keyword into<br>a database. Good reference is about listening to patrons and observing<br>colleagues.<br><br>Thanks,<br>Alan<br><br>On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 11:38 AM, Max Macias <mmacias@pcc.edu> wrote:<br><br>> Hi everyone,<br>><br>><br>> I had a reference class, and it was alright.<br>><br>> However, I really learned reference while working.<br>><br>> It would have been grand to have a reference internship--I think that<br>> would be the way to go for library schools.<br>><br>> Max<br>><br>> On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 11:36 AM, Katie Anderson <<br>> katie.anderson@state.or.us> wrote:<br>><br>>> Reference is alive and well in youth services! Children and teens might<br>>> not remember the details of an assignment, be embarrassed about the topic<br>>> they want to learn more about, or know how to describe what they need in a<br>>> way that makes sense to others. On top of that, they have wildly different<br>>> reading and comprehension levels. Knowing reference interview techniques is<br>>> critical to learning what kids and teens really need and identifying their<br>>> reading/listening level all while respecting their ability level and<br>>> privacy.<br>>><br>>> Katie Anderson, Library Development Services<br>>> * Youth Services Consultant * Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator *<br>>> Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301<br>>> katie.anderson@state.or.us, 503-378-2528<br>>> ------------------------------<br>>> *From:* libs-or-bounces@listsmart.osl.state.or.us [<br>>> libs-or-bounces@listsmart.osl.state.or.us] on behalf of Emily Ford [<br>>> fordemily@gmail.com]<br>>> *Sent:* Wednesday, October 03, 2012 10:28 AM<br>>> *To:* libs-or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us<br>>><br>>> *Subject:* [Libs-Or] does Oregon need reference librarians?<br>>><br>>> Caleb,<br>>> I'm so glad that you posted to Libs-Or about this. I wanted to but was<br>>> hesitant.<br>>><br>>> I took a stand alone reference course in library school. Some of it<br>>> seemed like busy work. But I go back to the I gained knowledge each time I<br>>> get a tough reference question.<br>>><br>>> But what was the greatest learning experience I had with reference as a<br>>> student was spending 6 months serving as a reference intern and then as an<br>>> employee in the trenches of adult services at Monroe County Public Library<br>>> in Bloomington, IN. Had I not had a course that covered the reference<br>>> interview, reference transactions, etc, my first few months at the public<br>>> library would have been awful. The course I took prepared with the theory,<br>>> armed me with resources and techniques. Translating them into practice was<br>>> fulfilling. How many students these days do reference internships? If they<br>>> don't, how can a small portion of a class prepare them for a future job<br>>> without course and/or reference "in the trenches" experiences?<br>>><br>>> My take: we do need reference librarians and reference is not dead. It<br>>> looks completely different, but it still happens. Sure, lots of L-Net<br>>> questions I answer are about library accounts, fines, etc and lots of<br>>> questions I answer at the PSU Library desk deal with printing in our<br>>> computer lab. But would I have been able to answer students questions about<br>>> finding tests and measures or survey instruments without being a trained<br>>> (in the classroom and in the trenches) reference librarian? Probably not.<br>>><br>>> Maybe the problem is not that reference is dead, but that the traditional<br>>> reference course curriculum is. How could a full on reference course<br>>> capture the breadth of "traditional" reference practices and also what's<br>>> happening with new technologies, new questions, and new literacies? There<br>>> must be a way.<br>>><br>>> Emily<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 10:01 AM, <<br>>> libs-or-request@listsmart.osl.state.or.us> wrote:<br>>><br>>>> Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 13:30:10 -0700<br>>>> From: Caleb Tucker-Raymond <calebt@multcolib.org><br>>>> To: "libs-or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us"<br>>>> <Libs-Or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us><br>>>> Subject: [Libs-Or] does Oregon need reference librarians?<br>>>> Message-ID:<br>>>> <CAPO-dkfzY2W0vaQahXifEw=<br>>>> k4LiWFT+Xh6ojW8Kx_i_048cX3A@mail.gmail.com><br>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"<br>>>><br>>>> Hi, everybody,<br>>>><br>>>> As seen on the Hack Library School blog,<br>>>> http://hacklibschool.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/whither-reference/, some<br>>>> library schools are no longer offering a standalone course in reference,<br>>>> but instead making reference a smaller component of a larger course. The<br>>>> rationale is that "reference is dead".<br>>>><br>>>> My first reaction was, "oh no! not again!"<br>>>><br>>>> But I'm interested to start a discussion here because what isn't<br>>>> mentioned<br>>>> in this post is that the author is discussing Emporia State University,<br>>>> which, through the Oregon cohorts of the School of Library and<br>>>> Information<br>>>> Management, is our local library school.<br>>>><br>>>> I attended Emporia's most recent local graduation this past August, and I<br>>>> got to hear some great speakers contemplate the future of libraries. In<br>>>> addition, I recall that both our state librarian, MaryKay Dahlgreen, and<br>>>> the then-president of the Oregon Library Association, Abigail Elder, also<br>>>> talked about how grateful we all are here in Oregon to have a library<br>>>> school bringing new professionals into our community. I'm grateful also.<br>>>><br>>>> Do we expect new professionals to begin their careers with knowledge of<br>>>> reference services and sources?<br>>>><br>>>> To fuel my own curiosity, I looked at the past three months of OLA<br>>>> Jobline<br>>>> announcements shared with this list. Of 55 descriptions for positions in<br>>>> Oregon, 11 mentioned reference service specifically - 20%. I didn't get<br>>>> into which of those required an MLS, but from looking at the titles, only<br>>>> one is for "reference librarian":<br>>>><br>>>> Archivist for Collections Management, Eugene, OR<br>>>> Information Resources and Instructional Librarian, Coos Bay, OR<br>>>> Library Assistant/Branch Lead Worker, Beaverton, OR<br>>>> Manager, Architecture and Allied Arts Library, Eugene, OR<br>>>> Part-Time Librarian, Happy Valley, OR<br>>>> Reference Assistant, Albany, OR<br>>>> Reference Assistant, Tigard, OR<br>>>> Reference Librarian, Grand Ronde, OR<br>>>> Research/Catalog Librarian, Portland, OR<br>>>> Special Collections Assoc., Portland, OR<br>>>> Youth Services Associate, Prineville, OR<br>>>><br>>>> I'm interested in hearing your perspective!<br>>>><br>>>> Caleb Tucker-Raymond<br>>>><br>>>> Statewide Reference Service Coordinator<br>>>> Multnomah County Library<br>>>> (503) 988-5438<br>>>> calebt@multco.us<br>>>> www.oregonlibraries.net<br>>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> _____________________________________________________<br>>> Libs-Or mailing list<br>>> Libs-Or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us<br>>> http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/libs-or<br>>> Hosted by the Oregon State Library. The Library is not responsible for<br>>> content.<br>>> Questions related to message content should be directed to list owner(s)<br>>> or the sender of the message, by phone or email.<br>>> Technical questions? Call 503-378-8800.<br>>><br>>><br>><br>><br>> --<br>> Max Macias<br>> TSS Training Team<br>> 971-722-8151<br>><br>><br>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>><br>> Training Team Twitter feed @TSSTrainer<https://twitter.com/#%21/TSSTrainer><br>><br>><br>><br>> PCC TSS Training Team Blog <http://blogs.pcc.edu/tss-training/><br>><br>><br>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>><br>> Are you an employee who is off-campus and wants to access a page behind<br>> the firewall, then you have to tweak the URL. Just add the following extra<br>> characters to the front of any Intranet web link:<br>> https://view.pcc.edu/login?url=-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>><br>><br>><br>> _____________________________________________________<br>> Libs-Or mailing list<br>> Libs-Or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us<br>> http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/libs-or<br>> Hosted by the Oregon State Library. The Library is not responsible for<br>> content.<br>> Questions related to message content should be directed to list owner(s)<br>> or the sender of the message, by phone or email.<br>> Technical questions? 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