The Future of Public Library Reference
Justin Hoenke
The days of the reference desk being the heart of the public library are gone. “There used to be a phalanx of librarians at the reference desk at my public library,” said librarian Lia Horton during a personal interview on September 16, 2011. “Their desk was front and center and you went there for any questions you had. That’s gone now. Things have changed.” What remains is a skeletal group of reference librarians, standing on the front line maintaining the peace. What happened to the patrons who used to storm the reference desk to find what they were looking for? They are most likely on their laptops finding exactly what they need in a matter of seconds.
Technology has drastically changed how reference librarians work. As James Keehbler, Director of the Piscataway (New Jersey) Public Library noted, “There are less reference questions, period. Nobody can convince me otherwise” (personal communication via Google Chat, September 16, 2011). As patrons become more comfortable with technology, the role of the librarian will change even more. This chapter investigates the impact of technology and the changing landscape of public library reference to see how the reference librarian fits into the picture of the twenty-first-century library.
The Presumed Death of Reference
At the time of this writing, the idea that “reference is dead” has been floating around. Eli Neiburger, the associate director for IT (information technology) and production at the Ann Arbor (Michigan) District Library, advocated that in order to advance the mission of the library, reference staff would need to be cut to pave the way to employ “geeks” in the library to look after the technology (Kelley 2011).
Neiburger continued: “Despite the fact that a trained librarian can bring value to a reference interaction, the patron today, acclimated to Google searches, does not feel that way, and librarians cannot change their mind” (Kelley 2011). As more and more information is disseminated on the Internet, access to this information is at more and more people’s fingertips. On his blog, Swiss Army Librarian, Brian Herzog (2010) wrote that “for kids growing up with the Internet of today, this is their Web 1.0—because they’ve never known anything else.”
But is reference dead? While exchange of information from the librarian to the patron may no longer be the model, the reference librarian is still alive and kicking. Still, the reference librarian as the information gatekeeper is a role that is no longer sustainable. To move ahead, reference librarians do not need to drastically cut ties to the past. Instead, they should embrace the past while at the same time changing to better accommodate the future of the profession. Reference librarians, once the gatekeepers of information, can now take that information to the next level with their patrons and educate them. Neiburger used the analogy of a travel agent: “Travel agents were outmoded because people felt they had better access to the information than they could get from the travel agents. We’re in a similar sort of spot” (Kelley 2011).
New Roles for Today’s Reference Librarian
The Librarian as Translator of Information
A role that librarians can embrace is that of a translator of information. It is a role that the reference librarian has perfected over the years through a never-ending series of interactions with patrons, yet the influence of technology has caused a shift in the expectations of patrons. Marion Peterson, a reference librarian at the Walker Memorial Library in Westbrook, Maine, is a perfect example of this new role in action. In a personal communication via e-mail on September 16, 2011, Peterson stated, “I’m not certain I do ‘reference’ these days; I am social worker, hand-holder, cheerleader, computer techie (limited!), and listener. Each library/librarian and the services we offer are directly related to our community and to our patrons.” The reference librarian today is the modern-day hydra, with each head acting a different role for the patrons using the library.
Peterson’s description of her day-to-day work is a snapshot of what most public librarians who are working in any kind of reference are doing. So much of the role that the reference librarian plays has become less about offering a specific service to patrons. Instead, what the reference librarian does is offer a service that really cannot be described in one word or singular concept. It is sort of this job that is out there, floating in the ether. Reference librarians provide a service, but this service is not specific and is difficult to define. One minute it can be helping someone find a particular book, and the next minute it could entail editing a résumé. This kind of job has its major benefits (how could someone ever get bored?), yet at the same time it has given librarians a bit of an identity crisis. What does a reference librarian actually do? This chapter argues that the role of librarian is akin to that of a music producer. A music producer’s role is to help the artist translate what is in his or her head into something tangible and listenable. The producer (the librarian) listens to the artist (the patron) and his or her needs and then translates those demands into something that the engineer (aka databases, books, media) can understand. The end product is something that predominantly shows the work of the patron, but the expertise of the librarian is seen as well.
However, questions remain. How can the reference librarian adapt to this change when there is so much to do? Is it not best to be really good at one thing instead of average at all of these other little things? This idea is no longer sustainable if public library reference wishes to remain relevant in the twenty-first century. Reference librarians need to adapt and embrace the roles of educator and collaborator.
The Librarian as Trainer
One model that could shape the future of public library reference is the concept of the librarian as educator/trainer. The goals of the modern-day librarian working reference should be in line with that of an educator. Looking closely at school librarians points toward ideas of what should be done in regard to training communities. In the article “Pivot Points for Change,” Buffy Hamilton (2010) highlighted two key points to engage patrons: maintain traditional means of connecting, sharing, and productivity, but embrace innovation and encourage collaboration and sharing. These key points offer the reference librarian of the twenty-first century an outline as the public library changes. The following two sections in this chapter explore these concepts more completely.
Librarians are a community resource. Modern librarians must balance their undying love for the library profession with an approach that is more social. Being right there on the front line of the battle with the patrons is the first step. Today’s reference librarian must become part of the overall fabric of the community.
If patrons are not coming into the library to seek something specific anymore, why are they still coming? Sure, most of them want a specific item that the library holds, but there has to be something more than that. That patrons will adopt certain librarians as their favorite librarians, whom they consult no matter what kind of support they need, shows that being a librarian is about the bigger picture of acting as a community resource first and a librarian second. The Falmouth (Massachusetts) Public Library followed this trend by holding an event called “The Library as a Community Resource.” This event focused on partnerships the library had formed with groups and individual people in Falmouth to better serve the community (Bordonaro 2011).
Technological support is another tool in the librarian utility belt that must be mastered. A lot of today’s reference work centers around the questions “How can I do this?,” “How can I share this?,” and “How can I create this?” Reference librarians today must take it upon themselves to explore technology and provide patrons with a quality experience.
Michael Stephens and Aaron Schmidt take the stance that user experience (UX) is a key element on which public libraries need to focus to effectively engage patrons. The key takeaway from the writings of Stephens and Schmidt (2011) is that “[g]ood information architecture combats information overload.” This suggests that the librarian who thinks of the patron and his or her needs first will be one step ahead, having already provided tech support through good UX.
Finally, one of the best ways for librarians to adapt to the added role of a trainer is to immerse themselves in a setting where they will be faced with unique experiences. Librarians who are fresh out of graduate school may find it beneficial to spend a good bit of time on the public reference desk. Working “in the trenches” gives a librarian real-life experience.
The day-to-day interactions librarians have with patrons are shaping the library of the future. Every library has patrons who come in every day and have their specific routines. These are the patrons who are using library services the most. These are the patrons to whom libraries should be reaching out. Opening up communication with our patrons is the first step. It starts with a hello, and in time, this simple introduction could lead to the patron becoming a more active user of the library, one who is more engaged in and values the reference services offered.
Collaboration and Information Sharing
Cloud computing can be defined as an “updated version of utility computing: basically virtual servers available over the Internet” (Knorr and Gruman 2011). What this breaks down to is simple: cloud computing allows users to access information and tools that are stored off-site. Many times, these tools are collaborative in nature. The idea of having a program or a file stored somewhere other than on a device that only one person can access (e.g., USB drive, hard drive, disc) opens it up to be something that encourages collaboration.
Many handy and free tools out there embrace cloud computing. One example of a cloud computing tool used by many public library patrons today is Google Docs, which is a free, web-based collection of productivity tools including a word processor, spreadsheets, and more. Patrons who have a Google account have access to Google Docs and can access all of these tools for their personal use. Access to this type of resource allows libraries greater flexibility in collaborating with patrons. Patrons can share documents and questions with librarians with great ease, with no worries about file formats or any kind of system compatibility. Another online tool that uses cloud computing to encourage sharing and collaboration is Evernote, basically an online notebook that stores writings, images, and more. An individual can use Evernote to collect ideas, notes, research, and more and then share these with the reference librarian to facilitate collaboration. Finally, a newer online tool that librarians have been looking into for possible uses to engage patrons is Pinterest, which acts as an online pinboard for things the user finds on the Internet. The Library as Incubator Project (2012) uses Pinterest to develop pinboards with specific themes on how libraries can work with artists and art organizations to develop creative programs that engage patrons.
Easy access to collaboration gives librarians more time to focus on what patrons need. This is key to the twenty-first-century reference librarians’ success in clearly communicating their worth to the community.
Balancing the Traditional and the Trendy
In regard to serving younger generations, library reference is a whole different ball game. One notable change that the reference librarian will see in providing younger patrons with reference is that, as the years pass, interest in obtaining the information through the physical printed medium has waned. To keep current with this trend, librarians who serve children and teens have turned their focus away from building a solid print reference collection and toward digital reference and finding quality tools and information that can be accessed online for free. In the 2011 Periodicals Price Survey at Library Journal, EBSCO reported that “more than 80 percent of librarian respondents indicated that they were likely to move print plus online subscriptions to online only in order to achieve budget goals” (Bosch, Henderson, and Klusendorf 2011). Looking at it from a broad perspective, this is still part of the mission of providing access to quality information and tools to the community. Providing younger patrons with access to resources they can use as they multitask online has become a tool librarians can use to engage patrons more fully.
One of the greater obstacles that reference librarians face when working with students is the belief that the “container” actually affects the quality of information. Librarians know that what an online database or a well-produced online document gives patrons is no less in terms of quality than information found in a printed reference source. However, looking at this from a different perspective shows that this is not the case with patrons. Teen library patrons who come into the library for assistance with a simple research paper often remark that one of the rules for their work is that they cannot use the Internet. This is a blow to librarians, as it immediately rules out using a credible online database purchased by the library exactly for this reason.
Rebecca Hill (2010), in her article on multitasking teens, pointed out some staggering statistics that show just how dramatically the container in which information is delivered is changing: “Cell phone ownership has increased from 39 percent in 2004 to 66 percent in 2010. Seventy six percent own iPods. According to U.S. Census data, 76.6 percent of all three to seventeen year olds live in a household with Internet access” (33). These statistics clearly point toward the shift that is happening in regard to how the younger generation is accessing information. In finding, developing, and sharing these tools with younger patrons, the reference librarian will be assisting in creating a community that is information literate. Hill also explained that information literacy means that libraries have the unique opportunity to take the lead in teaching teens how to use . . . technologies appropriately through programming” (35). The only way that public reference librarians can effectively create a more informed citizenry of patrons is to meet them where they are gathered, and a big part of that rests in librarians being able to understand, use, and disseminate information through the containers that patrons are using.
The final step that public librarians need to take is one that involves a bit of advocacy. Public librarians need to better communicate their worth and expand services to illustrate how they benefit public education. Whether this involves providing patrons with classes on effective research and database use or performing outreach to local teachers to show them the tools libraries offer to students, libraries must undertake these efforts to survive and weave themselves into the community. Libraries need to be staffed with librarian-educators who have the opportunity to teach community members the digital skills they need. Susie Andretta (2009) from the London Metropolitan University stated that “libraries are already meeting the challenges of transliteracy by crossing the divide between printed, digital and virtual worlds to address the constantly changing needs of the learners they support” (2). The interactions that librarians have with their patrons will help bridge the digital divide and improve transliteracy.
The easiest thing to learn and, at the same time, the easiest thing to forget about reference work is that it is all about people. Aaron Schmidt (2011) wrote, “Quality reference work takes more than just being able to construct a complicated Boolean search; it takes social intelligence, too.” Librarians often overlook this simple ingredient when connecting with other people. Reference librarians should be kind to one another and to patrons when working at the reference desk. This is a key ingredient in reference librarianship, especially given that the role of the reference librarian is to work with the community. Reference librarianship involves interaction with other people. Being kind to one another allows the reference interactions to flourish and gives patrons the quality service they were looking for when they came to the library.
Reference librarians must embrace the idea that expanded services are needed to reflect patron needs. Librarians need to embrace the educator role. One-on-one reference interactions are great, but librarians should consider the possibilities of educating communities through library programs.
The interactions the community has with the librarians do not have to be about tools that the library purchases or training patrons. Librarians have always been known as information seekers. Reference librarians and their passion to explore and learn has helped this far, and it is something that should not be forgotten as reference librarianship evolves. Searching out new ways of approaching librarianship is something that should be actively pursued by everyone in the profession. This idea, which is akin to playing in the sandbox, allows part of the reference librarian’s job to be all about exploring.
A good example of seeking out new ways of approaching librarianship is through use of tools such as Historypin (www.historypin.com), an online, user-generated archive of historical photos and personal recollections. Patrons using this service can use the location and date of an image to “pin” it to Google Maps. When collected, these photos offer anyone viewing a Historypin map a detailed, historical look at their surroundings. Librarians not only can use this service themselves to add photos and information to their local communities’ Historypin maps but also can encourage their patrons to do the same. This is a great way to build a local collection and move the information into the twenty-first century. Libraries that can mobilize some volunteers to digitize photos and upload them to Historypin can enrich their collection. Libraries could even partner with local tourism organizations to give people with mobile phones a walking history tour of the city or develop library programming aimed at local historians who use their talents and Historypin to grow the local collections.
The Library Patron of the Future
Today’s teenagers will become our adult users soon, and with that, a radical shift in how the library is used will happen. Simply stated, teens are not using the library the way that librarians envision most people are using the library. In her article “What’s Right with This Picture? Chicago’s YOUmedia Reinvents the Public Library,” Karen Springen (2011) provided an in-depth examination of what public library reference may look like very soon. Instead of relying on librarians as their information seekers, library patrons are on the hunt for information themselves.
YOUmedia, a space in the Chicago Public Library that is aimed at providing services to teens, is described as a “free digital media workshop where paid teen mentors share the latest scoop on everything from graphic design and digital photography to designing digital games and creating fan fiction and films” (Springen 2011). The guiding principle behind the YOUmedia center is best summarized by Springen (2011): “Creative learning—using digital media and other technology—is the key.” The tools traditionally offered by libraries, combined with resources like the ones mentioned earlier in this chapter, all sewn together with the social intelligence that the public reference librarian uses with patrons will help guide the library patrons of the future.
It is clear that a monumental shift has occurred with the way patrons use libraries. Patrons in the past came to the library to seek a specific thing, whereas the teen library users of today, the adult library users of the future, are seeking experiences. Justin Busque, a teen patron at the Portland (Maine) Public Library, put it this way: “I come here to hang out, to talk with people I enjoy being around, and to just enjoy life.” With this knowledge, reference librarians can see teen populations using the library as the litmus test for how libraries can radically restructure their ideas and approaches toward reference.
The Changing Landscape of Print Reference
So far, this chapter has focused mainly on providing reference in a digital age, but what about print reference? With all due respect to the wonderful printed book, print reference in the public library is going the way of the dodo. As people turn more and more to computers for information, reference books are left on the shelves to collect dust.
In 2008, Sue Polanka noted that print reference was on its way out, and her insights are still spot on today:
Why isn’t our print reference collection getting used? Partly because it’s invisible! There are several factors that explain the invisibility predicament. First, the Y factor. For Generation Y, born with a laptop, cell phone, and iPod in their hands, print reference books are not part of the research process and probably never will be.
Buried behind rows of shelves, these hulking masses of reference books were sitting there in 2008, waiting for someone to use them. And they are still sitting there, waiting for someone to use them.
This is not to say that print reference collections should all be recycled at this very moment. At this time, which is one of serious transition for public libraries, print reference still holds a great deal of worth for patrons. While topics like digital reference and real-time collaboration are very much a reality, they are still quite new to the patrons who are using our libraries. For many patrons, their way of viewing the library is steeped in the belief that the library is the collector of the printed word. Librarians need to make sure that the public library is as cutting-edge as possible, but not so much so that a segment of users is left behind.
There is great cost associated with investing in print reference. These hulking sets of books are not just a drop in the financial bucket, but a long-term investment. Libraries that still invest portions of their budgets into print reference have to look closely at a few factors. First, and perhaps the most important thing to consider, is whether the information in these books will be out of date by the time they are cataloged and shelved. In a quickly changing world, how can the printed reference book stay relevant? The answer is that it cannot. When choosing print reference resources, librarians must select titles with information that will likely remain relevant for some years to come, thus validating the investment in these materials. The next questions to be asked rely on the investigation skills of the librarian: Is there other information out there that can be easily accessed and delivered to patrons in a way that they can use it? Can the librarian find the materials patrons need online and prepare some kind of print package in lieu of purchased reference materials? This idea echoes the words of Keehbler at the start of this chapter: with fewer reference questions, librarians should be taking the extra time to provide more in-depth and more personalized service. This goes against the thinking presented by Neiburger (Kelley 2011), as it would most certainly call for an increased need in public library reference staff. However, it does present a possible way forward, one whereby print reference can be slowly phased out in favor of digital reference. The service that then takes the place of print reference is one based solely on human interaction, with the librarians as the experts and guides and the patrons as the learners. This offers public library reference a brighter future, one guided by the always strong belief that no matter how much the world changes, librarians will always still have one another for help.
What is clear is that a two-part solution is needed if libraries are to continue to invest a significant portion of budgets toward reference. Libraries need to be investing in quality digital reference and, at the same time, training staff to teach the community how to access this wealth of knowledge. Librarians are the generals whose job is to train patrons and communities to become an army of information seekers.
Approaches to Digital Reference Delivery
The question of how to deliver content to patrons is something reference librarians should be looking at very closely. Providing patrons with e-mail links to articles will work sometimes, but there has to be more to the transactions than that. Librarians today must understand their options for delivering material. They must become masters of creating PDFs, updating wikis, and, yes, still something as simple as making copies for patrons. They must adapt to the needs of the patrons first. A good example of this can be seen in the digital reference setup that the Topeka and Shawnee County (Kansas) Public Library (http://tscpl.org) has adopted. Although they are still referring to the databases by the product names, librarians have grouped the databases by subject and provided each database with a simple explanation that patrons can read to help them understand what they are using.
The solution of turning completely toward digital reference is not without its flaws. Digital reference collections may be hidden from the public view, and if users cannot find them, are they really there? Polanka (2008) shared insight into this idea:
I’ve already discussed how ineffective the catalog is in retrieving content inside our titles. Unfortunately, this leaves the user with searching the vendor interfaces—all of them, individually. This is cumbersome and ineffective. It’s time for publishers to start playing together in the same “searchbox.”
Here is where librarians need to become more active with the vendors from whom they are purchasing databases. The interfaces seen and used for digital reference sources vary wildly. A librarian might become a master of one of these databases only to have to turn around and learn a whole new system for another database. This certainly is hard on librarians, but imagine how difficult it is for patrons. In a world where Google returns instant search results, who wants to spend time learning the eccentricities of a database?
So what can librarians do? They can demand better products and customization from vendors. Databases that allow librarians and patrons to customize the experience will provide for a greater overall experience for all involved. A good example of taking initiative and working directly with vendors comes from the recent discussions between the leaders of the American Library Association and publishers regarding e-books and library lending (Kelley 2012).
The other alternative libraries can look toward is a hybrid model, one that combines both cumbersome database searches and instant Google results. After all, is not balance a good thing? Libraries must embrace the instant results of Google and teach patrons how to use them effectively. This kind of education in using Google can also lead patrons to understand what constitutes an effective database search. A Google search is actually a good example of what not to do when using a database. It can also be a good example of how to locate materials that may not be otherwise available through databases. Blogs and social media are great examples of just how important a Google search can be for a patron. Over the past few years, the use of blogging and social media as news sources has been on the rise. It has graduated from being viewed solely as a hobby or a means of personal communication into a serious form of journalism. In her discussion of the Crystal Cox (a blogger who was sued for defamation) case, Ellyn Angelotti (2011) of the Poynter Institute argued in her New York Times piece, “Blogs compete with mainstream media every day. In some cases, they have become more trustworthy as sources of information than some old school practitioners.” News agencies such as the New York Times Company, CNN, and others have all turned to blogging to share breaking news and opinion pieces. Tools such as Google Blog Search (www.google.com/blogsearch) can go a long way for patrons. Effective use of social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, and more, can also lead patrons to better search results. Libraries are already holding classes, for example, the “Facebook for Seniors” class offered by the Portland Public Library (2012). Showing patrons these tools and teaching them about the culture and style of blogging and social media will open their eyes to a new form of information.
There is also the tricky subject of e-books. While, at the time of this writing, everything having to do with e-books seems a bit up in the air, a clearer path is slowly coming to the surface, as evidenced by the meeting between the American Library Association and book publishers (Kelley 2012). As with Google Docs and other collaborative tools in the previous sections, e-books allow the librarian to easily share ideas and information with patrons. One interesting example is the ability to share notes and passages through the Amazon Kindle with others via Facebook and Twitter. Patrons who actively use these networks can then interact with their librarians over them and share information through e-books.
Conclusion
The future of reference in the public library will be heavily influenced by the connection between the patron and the librarian, much like the examples mentioned earlier in this chapter. This personalized service allows the librarian to be better in tune with the needs of the specific patron. In an uncertain future, where only certain book publishers allow their e-books to be circulated in libraries and where access to the Internet allows the patron to easily find information without assistance, developing a connection with patrons allows libraries to have a unique advantage: the personalized touch.
In “Using Social Media to Connect with Teens,” the author (Hoenke 2010) discussed how using social media profiles to interact with patrons opened up a new level in providing reference to patrons:
When one teen found that [he] and I shared an interest in [the band] The Mars Volta, he came running in the library one day in disbelief. He was excited that I was into the same music as him. He now comes in a few times each week and we spend a good fifteen minutes or so talking about music. This is just one of countless examples of how opening up my personal social networking accounts to teens has made it easier for me to connect with them and provide them with quality service. In the end, it makes you more of a real person to them. They become your friend and they trust you. The upside to this? They’re using the library . . . and they love it.
To reinvent reference in the public library, the librarians of the future will take center stage and use their position to help empower a community toward greatness.
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Hill, Rebecca. 2010. “The World of Multitasking Teens: How Library Programming Is Changing to Meet These Needs.” Young Adult Library Services 8 (4): 33–36.
Hoenke, Justin. 2010. “Using Social Media to Connect with Teens.” Tame the Web (blog), March 17. http://tametheweb.com/2010/03/17/using-social-media-to-connect-with-teens.
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———. 2012. “ALA Leaders Also to Meet with Executives from Random House.” Library Journal, January 26. www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/01/ebooks/ala-leaders-also-to-meet-with-executives-from-random-house.
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Springen, Karen. 2011. “What’s Right with This Picture? Chicago’s YOUmedia Reinvents the Public Library.” School Library Journal: Library News, Reviews and Views, March 1. www.slj.com/2011/03/technology/whats-right-with-this-picture-chicagos-youmedia-reinvents-the-public-library/#_.
Stephens, Michael, and Aaron Schmidt. 2011. “Putting the UX in Education: The User Experience + Office Hours.” Library Journal, July 15. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2011/07/library-education/putting-the-ux-in-education-the-user-experience-office-hours.