Tonight I was directed to Library Journal to read Jean Costello's unsettling blog post about her experience with local reference services, Why I Don't Use Libraries for Reference Anymore. I try to remain upbeat about the future of reference, but this post kind of did me in. I was going to respond to her, but decided to post my response here instead:
As the head of a reference division in a public library, I cringed as I read your post. And I live in fear that one day, a patron just like you will visit my staff and have a similar experience. But one point your post brought home to me was one I've been concerned about for awhile and am not sure how to address.
Back in the day, when we used books (almost exclusively) to answer reference questions, we were answering more questions just like yours. The staff was familiar with that kind of question and was better armed to answer it -- not because our resources were deeper then, but because the staff's experience was. As I look over the questions we are asked today, I find very few that require the kind of knowledge of resources that yours did. In fact, I'm not sure how many of my staff would even know look for poetry explication sources to answer your question. I know that some of them would, but the younger/newer ones might not think of looking for an explication resource unless they had been lit majors. They may not even know the term to start looking for it.
This isn't entirely a matter of poor training -- if it were, I wouldn't be as worried about it. It's a matter of using knowledge of resources plus acquiring more knowledge over time -- and that's just something that isn't happening like it used to. I can train staff to use databases and books, but if they rarely have the need to use them after training, they lose what they learned. (Reference work ain't like riding a bicycle.) I can also send out a tough weekly reference question as a training tool, but even that is only putting a tiny band-aid on an ever-growing sore. If our reference staffs don't get constant reinforcement and regular challenges (the kind that can only be had by assisting patrons like you on a regular basis), they won't grow into knowledgeable critical thinkers, and reference service will slowly atrophy into the the kind of service described in your post -- a source of pleasant conversation and general information.
Ms. Smart - thanks so much for your consideration of my essay. Your points are so well taken. I appreciate how out-of-the-ordinary the type of service I'm seeking is for the libraries in my area. Library work today strikes me as very challenging, particularly in the smaller public libraries that are staffed by a handful of individuals who must do everything from turning off the alarm systems in the morning to [name all traditional library services here], managing meeting rooms, programming, promotion, updating the website, and in the case of some directors also managing the facilities. There's only so much that can be done given the way these libraries are currently conceived, structured and funded.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I hope came through in my essay is the continuing need for reference services.
I'm also gratified that it has helped catalyze conversation about the need, challenges and possibly new ways of thinking about our library systems nationally. With best regards, Jean