Dances With Books

RUSA  (that's Reference and User Services Association, one of ALA's many substations, for those out there who don't habla librarianese) posted in their blog that they recently approved a new definition of "reference." I am now taking the text from their post, following by the plain English translation for the rest of us:

Definition of Reference
Approved by RUSA Board, 1-14-08

Submitted by subgroup of RSS Executive Committee

Reference Transactions are information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others to meet particular information needs. Reference transactions do not include formal instruction or exchanges that provide assistance with locations, schedules, equipment, supplies, or policy statements.

Reference Work includes reference transactions and other activities that involve the creation, management, and assessment of information or research resources, tools, and services.

(The following bullets clarify what is meant by terms within the Reference Work definition.)

       Creation and management of information resources includes the development and maintenance of research collections, research guides, catalogs, databases, web sites, search engines, etc., that patrons can use independently, in-house or remotely, to satisfy their information needs.

    Assessment activities include the measurement and evaluation of reference work, resources, and services.

Now, let us put this in plain English. What this means is that the actual daily work that we do in reference desks does not count as reference work. Check this out:

"Reference transactions do not include formal instruction or exchanges that provide assistance with locations, schedules, equipment, supplies, or policy statements."  So, the following do NOT count as reference transactions:

• Patron: "Where is the bathroom?" (assistance with a location).
• Patron: "How late are you open?" or "What are your hours?" or "what time was storytime?" (assistance with a schedule. Actually, using a written schedule or flyer would be using an information resource to assist the patron, but apparently that is not good enough).
  
• Patron: "How do I move the mouse?" or "How do I print out my resume?" (assistance with equipment).
  
• Patron: "Can I borrow your stapler?" often followed by "the stapler is out, can you put in some more staples?" (assistance with supplies).
  
• Patron: "I don't want this book in the library. You should ban it." After you point out the appeals procedure, that would be assistance with a policy statement.
  
• And needless to say, according to the RUSA folks, any teaching you may end up doing at the desk probably does not fit the definition either.
  

So, in other words, if you are not actually looking up something in a thick reference book, or on a website that is actually a valid and evaluated website, it pretty much is not reference work. Because the actions above do NOT fit the criteria of "an information consultation." It's reassuring to know that the national organization dedicated to reference services has defined reference work for us so we know when we are doing work and when we are just shooting the breeze. 

As for reference work itself, notice the helpful clarification bullets they provide:

" Creation and management of information resources includes the development and maintenance of research collections, research guides, catalogs, databases, web sites, search engines, etc., that patrons can use independently, in-house or remotely, to satisfy their information needs.       

Assessment activities include the measurement and evaluation of reference work, resources, and services."

Again, in plain English. When you create a schedule of activities and services offered in your library, that would be an "etc." on the list above that "patrons can use independently, in-house or remotely, to satisfy information needs." The key is the patron has to use it independently. If you actually share it with the patron, to go with the schedule sample, it is no longer a reference transaction, even though making it was reference work. Get that?

Also notice we are looking at the "creation and management of information resources" that consider "research collections." No word whatsoever of leisure reading or other more casual needs. It's research, damn it. Even though a lot of Readers' Advisory gets done where? Wait for it. . . . yep, you guessed it, at the reference desk. Though RA might count as a reference transaction. Let's do the litmus test.

• Did you recommend that romance novel because you read it and thus you knew to recommend it off the top of your head? Nope.
  
• Did you do that same recommendation after using an information resource to meet that particular need, say something like The Romance Reader's Advisory: A Guide to Love in the Stacks (which by the way, is an ALA publication, therefore, it probably is an approved information resource)? Yes, because you used an information resource to meet the specific need, or so you would think. (Everyone knows you can't just wing the answer out of the ether. That's library school 101). However, since it is romance, that does not count as research or information, since it is fluff, therefore, nope, not a reference transaction.
  

You get the idea. So, if you are asked whether you are doing reference work or not, now you have a handy definition in plain English.

P.S. I do clarify that I am firm believer in not apologizing for your reading tastes. If romance is your thing, rock on. I'll be happy to help you find the next one for your reading pleasure. Or fantasy, or mystery, or any other genre.