Helena Mc Keever

ID. 3112874
User Education and Reference Skills 72.271
Assignment 2
Task 1: Learning style preferences and the reference encounter
Reflection on how I can use my understandings of different learning styles to
help create successful reference encounters in the workplace. (400-500 words)
a) How my own learning style might influence how you interact with library
users when you are helping them in a reference encounter.
b) What are the strengths and weaknesses of your own learning style
preferences in reference work? Support this with reference to at least two
sources about how to do reference work.
c) The strategies you might use to overcome any weaknesses that your own
learning style preferences might cause in reference work.
When I am helping someone in a reference encounter I will likely use my
preferred learning styles. Fortunately my learning styles are generally well
balanced across the four dimensions (active/reflective, sensing /intuitive,
visual/verbal, and sequential/global). My strategies for modelling good
information literacy need to be informed by the knowledge that different people
have a range of learning style preferences. I will not necessarily instinctively
know another persons learning style because suggesting that they do the quiz is
not part of a usual reference encounter.
My learning style preferences knowledge comes from the online instrument of
Index of learning styles and strategies (Felder & Soloman, n.d). My results and
summarised strategies in my forum post show I am a balanced learner across the
index of preferences and have a moderate preference for visual over verbal
learning styles, I believe that this is a strength. The slight preference may mean
that I use maps and diagrams more than others and that I need to be aware and
to use verbal techniques to enable those with this preference.
To provide some insight into a potential customer, I asked my sister to complete
the test and was surprised to see such a different result, in particular she was a
very reflective learner with a score of 9. She explained how she needed time to
read and reflect on new material covered in her work place at the Hospital
working with blood matching for patients. I found this contrast helpful when I
considered the weakness of my learning style preference because targeting a
particular strength or weakness, such as highly reflective, does mean that you
should use the suggested strategies. Roy and Novotny (2000) suggest that since
not all learners are alike, it is safe to say that in any group of learners some will
have different learning preferences than the instructor and that whilst people
have natural and preferred ways to learn they need to improve on their
strategies. In addition, librarians working with adults have a particular
responsibility to encourageindependent and self regulated learning and to
teach critical thinking processes (Roy & Novotny, 2000).
Pea-Ayala, Alejandro (2012) suggests that a study of learning styles such as
visual/verbal is needed to support adaptive learning styles systems that
integrate with e-learning systems and adaptive learning activities. I think that
using more verbal techniques will be a way to balance my preferred visual
preference. I could use the phone more for example with colleagues and or break

tasks down verbally with a customer as opposed to giving directional advice by

pointing to a reference source such as telephone books. My weakness for verbal
learning could be aided with more effective group work where I hear a customers
or a colleagues explanations of material say at reference meetings and learn
more though others explanations. I can also write summaries or outlines of
course or work material in my own words.
Reference List
Felder, R.M., & Soloman, B.A. (n.d). Learning styles and strategies. Retrieved
from
http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm
Roy, L. & Novotny, E. (2000). How do we learn? Contributions of learning theory
to reference service and library instruction. The Reference Librarian 69/70
129-139. Retrieved from Library Literature and Information Science
database via EBSCOhost
Pea-Ayala, Alejandro (2012). Intelligent and Adaptive Educational-Learning
Systems: Achievements and Trends. Retrieved from http://eblib.com

Task 2: Analysis of two reference encounters

This essay will discuss and analysis two reference encounters: Case study 1:
Trouble at the reference desk and case study 2: Business library reference
encounter. It will provide a number of brief definitions of the reference interview.
Practical examples will also be provided that include my thoughts both on the
purpose of the reference interview and the behaviours that make an interaction
more likely to succeed
The reference interview is the interpersonal communication that occurs
between a reference librarian and a library user to determine the persons
specific need(s), which may turn out to be different from the reference question
initially posed a well trained reference librarian will sometimes initiate
communication if a hesitant user appears to need assistance (Reitz, J, 2007)
The reference interview is the conversation that takes place between the
librarian and a user who is looking for information to help them solve their
problem. The reference interview is a process (The Open Polytechnic of New
Zealand, 2013).
There are usually four main types of questions, Directional, ready reference,
specific search ,research, readers advisory and bibliographic questions and this is
what the reference librarian does all day. And then there are the other kind, my
friend has this book about a boy who saw a car and it did this and I think it was
yellow and do you have it or I need information on World War ll.
Negotiating the reference interview is about being ready for the interview before
you even ask a question. The key elements in the negotiation phase are:

To be approachable. Some people feel intimidated in the library and may

be shy about asking questions

Make eye contact

Look up when approached, smile, sit up, welcome customers, attentive

behaviour

Approach people rather than waiting for them to come to you, empathy

During the actual interview:

People dont always realise that information on any one subject can be found in
many different forms or source materials: books, magazines, e-books,
pamphlets, dvd, microform, internetand in many locations in the library: nonfiction, teen, magazines and reference.
Behaviour during the reference interview is about a set of key processes or
functions, for example:
Paraphrase repeat back what the customer has said
Active listening .. without making assumptions, cutting off or finishing sentences
(The Open Polytechnic, 2013)
Ask open questions.. these can not be answered yes or no
Clarify.. to make sure you are meeting the users needs
Verify when you think you are ready to search..ask one more time
Follow up with a follow up question does this answer your question?.
There are also unspoken rules that make up good reference interview behaviour.
These include

Not we dont have it but .. I can look for you and find out who may have
it

If you cant find an answer to pass the question on to other reference staff
or take a reference inquiry where you have time to research and to get
back to the person

To make sure you understand the question yourself before starting to try
and answer it

Or these

Name the source of the information when giving information

Look the answer up rather than going off the top of your head

Dont point take the person to the information or bring the info to the
person

Be as accurate and objective as possible

Be professional

Be positive

Involve the user in the search (The Open Polytechnic, 2013)

At the conclusion of a good reference interview you should have found out the
purpose or why the information is needed. You should have a deadline after
which the information is no longer needed. You should have an idea the type and
amount of information needed, how much and in what form.
Who/Where/What: Who needs the information? a student, a professional, a
parent; Where what prompted the question, homework, curiosity, course work
and What ; is the basic question.
Then to close the interview you should ask a follow up question such as Does
this completely answer your question? or Is there anything else I can help you
find? If I am going to answer no to my follow up question and am going to
continue to work on a question I will also let a user know who will be working on
the query and get the contact details and full information about the query. I can
also give the person some idea of when I will be getting back to them .
My words are supported by the views of other writers on this topic. Katz (2002)
describes how interview techniques such as listening, approachability, verbal and
nonverbal cues, dress and ideal behaviour all work to provide preparation for the
reference interview whilst Richardson, John suggests that analysis of the
questioning-answering process is key to the reference function. Jones (2011)
provides a range of examples of the way these definitions can be explored and
developed in a library setting. The course module also provides much relevant
instruction.
In case study one I am struck with how what a visual learning style the librarian
is using and how verbal the customer appears. I think of my own son who may
have a learning disorder such as aspergers when he will not always process
information unless it is broken down. I am critical of the pointing to the catalogue
when the catalogue is not visible and when I would usually take a patron to a
collection or to a to a new computer or catalogue - that is bring the information
to the person and not or the person to the information. The librarian also
interupts and should listen and actively listen that is not finish a persons
sentences. The directional instruction is not a clear visual cue. I think the patron
may not be able to process visual information well especially when this person
shakes her head at the catalogue search results. I think the person has a
dominant verbal learning style and makes more noise than the visual librarian.
There could be a better process of finding out what information this person is
really seeking. She should use the strategies of good reference behaviour as
outlined above in the reference interview. She should be more careful with her
directional queries and take the customer to the source to better model good
information seeking behaviour.
In the second case study we have a phone query that is sequential in nature it
moves along step at time however the result person gets some very specific and
excellent help from the librarian and has the strategies to set the librarian

working to compile a shortlist of articles from a database they had searched

before at the library but were now having trouble with. It was a more sequential
learning encounter in that the person had already been to the library and had a
demonstration and was now following up with the initial log in. The person was
able to take in the verbal instructions for search strategies the librarian gave and
was not put off and rang a second time for more detailed instructions after
initially hanging up the phone to begin the search. This librarian also asked about
the deadline for the information, Is 4 oclock tomorrow OK and they both
provided their full names to each other. In the first call no names were provided.
But the Caller has a successful and happy encounter finishing with,Thats great.
Thankyou very much.
When comparing the two case studies I see that one is face to face however not
well managed really. The other is over the phone and although initially tricky to
clarify what information was really needed this was the search suggestions
worked well. The customer was confident enough to ring again to get further
help and to ask the librarian to do dome detailed searching for him and to
provide it the following day. In real life at my library it is often difficult to ring the
Hastings Public library from home with not all branches having good phone
access and difficulty with phone wait times. The Open polytechnic library is very
good at this but often accessing e-books that do not download with a verbal
prompt from the Open Polytechnic librarian is not straightforward. The business
case study was more successful for the patron and the librarian used more of the
successful behaviours discussed above.

Reference List
American Library Association. (n.d). Guidelines for behavioral performances of
reference and information service providers Retrieved from
www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesbehavioural
Katz, W.A (2003). The reference interview. In introduction to reference work.
Volume II : Reference serrvices and reference processes. (8 th ed., pp.123140) Boston, MA:McGraw-Hill.

The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. (2013). Module 2: The Reference

Encounter. In 72.271 User Education and Reference Skills. Lower Hutt, New
Zealand: Author.
Reitz, J. (2007), Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science. Retrieved
from http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_A.aspx
Richardson, J. (1999) Understanding the Reference Transaction, College and
Research Libraries, May, pp 211-222.