Reference and Instruction: creating dynamic and effective services

2. THE BIG PICTURE
Who I am / my perspective
Reference and Instruction
Core services / New directions
What is effective? How do we know?
OPPORTUNITIES
to stretch, to grow, and to demonstrate our
value

3. Background
Perspective
Philosophy

4. BACKGROUND, PERSPECTIVE, PHILOSOPHY
Large, very busy, very diverse library
Two and sometimes three professionals on the weekdays
Large print reference and index collection
Print and static HTML pathfinders
Instruction to required research and composition course

5. BACKGROUND, PERSPECTIVE, PHILOSOPHY
Reference resources moved online
E-journals and indexes proliferated
Discontinued pathfinders in print
Instruction expanded
Web/Library 2.0

6. BACKGROUND, PERSPECTIVE, PHILOSOPHY
Fewer Librarians
Shared service desk: Information Commons
Reliance on electronic resources
Customizable research guides
More instruction online
Federated search and discovery layers

7. BACKGROUND, PERSPECTIVE, PHILOSOPHY
Shrinking budgets
Attrition
New areas of Library work
Reorganization
Smaller, multi-function unit
Saunders, L. (2012). The Reality of Reference: Responsibilities and Competencie
for Current Reference Librarians. Public Services Quarterly, 8(2), 114-135.

8. BACKGROUND, PERSPECTIVE, PHILOSOPHY
Information is a right
Strive to serve
Reevaluate
Renew

9. Core Services
New Directions

10. CORE SERVICES NEW DIRECTIONS
Central point of service
User comes to us
face-to-face
telephone
email
IM
text-a-librarian
appointments
orientation
tours

11. CORE SERVICES NEW DIRECTIONS
Outreach
We go to the user classroom visits
campus presentations
roaming reference
exhibits

12. CORE SERVICES NEW DIRECTIONS
Variations on a theme
Strategic placement
Embedding
Partnerships and
collaboration

13. CORE SERVICES NEW DIRECTIONS
One or two session visit
Resources and methods
Assignment based

14. CORE SERVICES NEW DIRECTIONS
Diversification
Teach concepts
Integrating Information Literacy
New active learning pedagogies
Assessment
Saunders, L. (2012). Identifying Core Reference Competencies from
an Employer’s Perspective: Implications for Instruction College
&Research Libraries, 73(4), 390-404.

15. What is effective
How do we know?

16. WHAT IS EFFECTIVE? HOW DO WE KNOW?
Do effective library services contribute to student
academic achievement?
Quantifiable impact
Library Instruction = retention?
Assessment in Action:
Academic Libraries and Student Success (AiA)
- http://www.ala.org/acrl/AiA
“Contribute to higher education assessment
work by creating approaches, strategies and
practices that document the contribution of
academic libraries to the overall goals and
missions of their institutions”

17. WHAT IS EFFECTIVE? HOW DO WE KNOW?
Information Literacy Competency Standards –
2000
Objectives for Information Literacy Instruction -
2001
LOEX conference
P.R.I.M.O. Peer-Reviewed Instructional Materials Online
E.R.I.A.L. Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries
A.N.T.S. ANimated Tutorial Sharing project

18. WHAT IS EFFECTIVE? HOW DO WE KNOW?
RELATIONSHI
PS

19. WHAT IS EFFECTIVE? HOW DO WE KNOW?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceanflynn/

20. WHAT IS EFFECTIVE? HOW DO WE KNOW?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nacaseven/

21. WHAT IS EFFECTIVE? HOW DO WE KNOW?

22. OPPORTUNITI
EST O S T R E T C H , T O G R O W, T O D E M O N S T R AT E O U R VA L U

23. OPPORTUNITIES
T O S T R E T C H , T O G R O W, T O D E M O N S T R AT E O U R VA L U E

24. OPPORTUNITIES
How can I become known across
campus?
commit to time away from the library
seek out speaking opportunities
volunteer for student events
Who are your faculty?
what do they write?
who do they cite?
what do they teach?
T O S T R E T C H , T O G R O W, T O D E M O N S T R AT E O U R VA L U E

25. OPPORTUNITIES
But I’m not a designer!
content always trumps flashy design
T O S T R E T C H , T O G R O W, T O D E M O N S T R AT E O U R VA L U E
Looking for
Interlibrary Loan?
Reserves?
Here is some text about how
to borrow from I-Share. Lots
of people end up here who
are looking for something else

26. OPPORTUNITIES
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/
T O S T R E T C H , T O G R O W, T O D E M O N S T R AT E O U R VA L U E
Bodnar, J., & Doshi, A. (2011). Asking the Right Questions: A Critique of
Facebook, Social Media, and Libraries. Public Services Quarterly, 7(3-4), 102-
110.

27. OPPORTUNITIES
Relationships directly enhance learning
Robust strategy providing focused and relevant
information
A predictably consistent schedule
Establish related but distinct channels of content
T O S T R E T C H , T O G R O W, T O D E M O N S T R AT E O U R VA L U E

28. OPPORTUNITIES
We are there and we should be there “just in case”…
T O S T R E T C H , T O G R O W, T O D E M O N S T R AT E O U R VA L U E
But with ubiquitous multiple online options for
research, and where efficiency is regarded above
all …we might be overlooked
To compete with the alternative and perhaps dubious
info options, we need to be active content creators as
well as information managers, guides and providers

29. OPPORTUNITIES
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sifu_renka/
T O S T R E T C H , T O G R O W, T O D E M O N S T R AT E O U R VA L U E

30. Thank you!
Slides, works cited, and suggested reading:
bitly.com/bundles/brantles/3
Contact: brantles@gmail.com