1. "Reference services" is a term you hear in libraries. What do you think it means?
(Reference service is helping people use the library, including locating materials, using the library catalog, and using computers to access information.)
2. "User experience" is self-explanatory. What do you think libraries want to know about how people use the library?
Virtual
Virtual reference services are increasingly common. Librarians offer research support through:
In-Person
Services are also offered via phone and in-person desk support.
Smith & Wong (2016) define the reference interview as the "conversation between a member of the library reference staff and a library user for the purpose of clarifying the user’s needs and aiding the user in meeting those needs".
There are five steps to a reference interview:
1. Approachability,
2. Interest,
3. Listening/Inquiring,
4. Searching, and
5. Follow Up.
Read about these in-depth here:
https://www.archives.gov/files/boston/volunteers/reference-interviews.pdf
Smith, L. C. & Wong, M. A. (Eds.) (2016). Reference and information services. Libraries Unlimited.
Within libraries, "user experience" means increasing the usability of a library's website, software, systems, and physical space so they best serve users' needs.
UX information is gathered through two main research techniques:
UX Librarians bring together focus groups, study usage of web pages through heat maps, and redesign library services and places to better serve their audience. They have strong data analysis skills and the ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources.
This blog post is a good recap of UX designed for a library intern: