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 Granto “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 nameso 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 needo 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