can i help you now? how about now?
DESCRIPTION
Can I Help You Now? How About Now?. Providing Roaming Reference Without Becoming a Stalker Librarian. Presenters. Allison Ringness, Glendale Community College Nicole Sandberg, Glendale Community College. Project Background. LSTA Collections Category Grant - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Can I Help You Now? How About Now?
Providing Roaming Reference Without Becoming a Stalker Librarian
PresentersAllison Ringness, Glendale Community CollegeNicole Sandberg, Glendale Community College
Project Background• LSTA Collections Category Grant
o “Develop library services and provide all users access to information”
o Roaming reference a useful expansion of library services
• Grant Guidelineso Pre-testo Tie outcomes to needso Measurable outcomeso Grant guidelines contributed to project success
Literature Review• Lotts, Megan, and Stephanie Graves. "Using the Ipad for Reference Services." College &
Research Libraries News 72.4 (2011): 217-220. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013
• McCabe, Kealin M., and James R.W. MacDonald. "Roaming Reference: Reinvigorating Reference Through Point of Need Service." Partnership: The Canadian Journal Of Library & Information Practice & Research 6.2 (2011): 1-15. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
• International M-Libraries Conference, Ally, M., & Needham, G. (2010). M-libraries 2: A virtual library in everyone's pocket. London: Facet. Ask us upstairs' : bringing roaming reference to the Paley stacks. Fred Rowland, Adam Schambaugh
• MacDonald, James, and Kealin McCabe. "Iroam: Leveraging Mobile Technology To Provide Innovative Point Of Need Reference Services." Code4lib Journal 13 (2011): 1-7. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
Definitions• Alternative names
o Roving referenceo Mobile referenceo Point-of-need reference
• Roaming reference at GCCo Additional to reference desk
Stalker Librarian
Getty Images
Can I help you now?
How about now?
Survey Design• Establish the need
o Measure whether service removes barriers to access
• Short and sweeto Fast for students to
completeo Fast for librarians to code
• Codingo Service receivedo Location returned
Survey Delivery• Advertise in high-traffic
areas
• Low-tech toolso Colored papero Paper boxeso Coffee!
Allison Ringness
Roaming: When
• November 12-23, 2012• Day and early evening
• 34 shifts total
• Shifts covered class change• Observed at desk that this is a busy time
Roaming: Where• GCC Library
layouto Service deskso Computer
commonso Stacks
• Route• Through stacks
• Reference backup
http://lib.gccaz.edu/lmc/building/map/lmcmap.html
Roaming: Who• Full-time librarians
• Available to attend planning meetings
• Small group easily trained
• Able to gather feedback immediately after pilot
• Involvement in planning resulted in high buy-in www.beautiful-libraries.com
Roaming: What• 34 Roaming “shifts”
• One librarian per shift
• Continue regular reference desk service
• Look for lost, confused students
• Greet• If student refuses help, move on!
• Technology
• Statistics• Modified version of desk statistics
• Measure student reactionIntelFreePress via Wikimedia
Did Our Service Meet a Need?• 101 Interactions
• Plus normal Reference Desk traffic
• Although students had been to desk, not en route to desk when met in stacks
Did Students Really Want Roaming Reference?
Did Students Really Want Roaming Reference?
• Yes!
When do students need help?• Confidence not equal to competence
• Students thought they needed help finding books• But librarians answered more reference than directional
questions
Where do students need help?
Were we stalkers?
Were we stalkers?
No!
Project Conclusion
• Implementation • Need was established• Stakeholder buy-in• Unexpected learning opportunities
Questions