Reference Desks in Public Libraries: What Happens and What To Know

With staffing and funding shortages and rapidly changing expectations from patrons, what is actually happening at the reference desk in today's libraries? Understanding the needs today's reference librarians face can be useful in developing ways to support those needs. Asking them to make...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Reference librarian 2014-07, Vol.55 (3), p.196-211
Main Author: Wilkins Jordan, Mary
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Competencies
customer service
Exact sciences and technology
Funding
Future developments
future of reference
Information and communication sciences
Information science. Documentation
Librarians
Library and information science
Library and information science. General aspects
library users
Public libraries
reference librarians
Reference services
reference skills
Sciences and techniques of general use
User needs
Workforce planning
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Description
Summary:With staffing and funding shortages and rapidly changing expectations from patrons, what is actually happening at the reference desk in today's libraries? Understanding the needs today's reference librarians face can be useful in developing ways to support those needs. Asking them to make some predictions on the future of public library reference work gives Library and Information Science (LIS) students, and libraries preparing for the future, a valuable look at the expertise provided by experience. This understanding will help make some realistic decisions about reference staffing and service needs and provide some guidance for those aspiring to careers in public library reference.
ISSN:0276-3877
1541-1117
DOI:10.1080/02763877.2014.910742