{"id":63693,"date":"2014-03-06T11:30:20","date_gmt":"2014-03-06T16:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=63693"},"modified":"2014-03-06T10:11:20","modified_gmt":"2014-03-06T15:11:20","slug":"working-at-a-public-library-reference-desk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=63693","title":{"rendered":"Working at a Public Library Reference Desk"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Clare Sobotka, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ Idaho<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Working at a Public Library Reference Desk<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Clare<\/a>For three months now, I have been working as a substitute reference librarian\u00a0for the adult and youth reference desks at my local public library. I thought I would\u00a0share a little about my experience, because graduate school reference courses give a\u00a0limited picture of what work in a public library is like.<\/p>\n

Subbing<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a substitute I have two, three, or four hour shifts. One of my favorite parts\u00a0of the job is that I get to move around. In the adult section, I open study rooms and go\u00a0over to the computers to answer tech questions or fix the printer, or stand at a desk\u00a0where patrons can come speak with me. In the youth section I sit at a desk, but I get up\u00a0a lot to help kids and parents find items, go to the circulation area to pick up an item\u00a0that has been checked in but not reshelved, or walk around the youth section to pull\u00a0books for display and organize a little. When I\u2019m not helping people, I\u2019m usually working\u00a0on booklists.<\/p>\n

People<\/strong><\/p>\n

My other favorite thing is all the different people I get to interact with. I come\u00a0home with some good stories (it\u2019s important to respect patron\u2019s privacy, I don\u2019t use\u00a0names or give any identifying information when telling these stories to other people,\u00a0unless a patron specifically told me to \u201csay hi to your mother!\u201d). Sometimes the\u00a0things I learn are sad, but most interactions are neutral or funny. People are strange\u00a0creatures. Working at the reference desk gives you an intimate look into a tiny portion\u00a0of someone\u2019s life. From the guide books someone requests I know where they are going\u00a0on vacation, when they ask with help printing an e-mail I see their financial status, or\u00a0from a conversation with a little girl I learn that her mother gave her older sister up for\u00a0adoption. People forget extra copies of their resume or their tax information, or ask for\u00a0books on marriage counseling or alcoholism. I get to speak with patrons who may be\u00a0developmentally disabled, mentally ill, or homeless. Some people are cranky, and some\u00a0are very friendly or grateful. Sometimes the flow of people is slow, and sometimes a line\u00a0forms at the desk.<\/p>\n

Checking and Teching<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t do many traditional reference interviews or reader\u2019s advisory sessions\u00a0for adults. What I do a lot of in the adult section: checking to see if a book is in, putting\u00a0holds on materials, writing down call numbers, writing down library card numbers\u00a0for patrons so they can use the computer, answering tech questions in the computer\u00a0area (such as how to format something in Word), opening and closing study rooms,\u00a0accepting payment for copies, addressing questions about downloading digital items,\u00a0and answering directional questions (where the copier is etc.).<\/p>\n

There is a wide spectrum\u00a0of computer literacy; I\u2019ve helped someone who didn\u2019t know how to use a mouse, but\u00a0I\u2019m more likely to guide an individual on how to scan a document or transfer a file to a\u00a0flashdrive. Surprisingly, I have had several questions related to microfilm use. I thought\u00a0that was something mostly used in academic libraries, but in my town it is the most\u00a0reliable way of finding articles from the local paper, even from the past few years. In the\u00a0adult section I deal with occasional policy violations, such as confronting someone who\u00a0has used the computers above and beyond the normal time limit. I don\u2019t ask people\u00a0to be quiet, except when their music is really loud and I suspect it\u2019s bothering other\u00a0patrons, or there is someone practically yelling into their cell phone. Honestly, enforcing\u00a0rules is the hardest part of my job, as confronting people does not come naturally to\u00a0me. It gets easier with practice.<\/p>\n

The Kids are Alright<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the youth section I get fewer tech questions and do more reader\u2019s advisory for\u00a0youth. It\u2019s fun to see what\u2019s popular with kids. Not a shift goes by where I\u2019m not asked\u00a0about a Lego book. Star Wars and Barbie follow next in popularity. One reference source\u00a0I do use in the youth section regularly is fictfact.com<\/a>; it\u2019s great for figuring out the\u00a0publishing order of a fiction series.<\/p>\n

Teamwork!<\/strong><\/p>\n

It has been important to know that I have the support of my fellow librarians\u00a0and staff members, all of whom are more experienced than I am. There is usually\u00a0someone to provide backup if there is a line at the desk, if I need help talking to an\u00a0agitated patron, or if I get asked a question I can\u2019t answer. That seems to happen a lot.\u00a0Sometimes when I ask another librarian for help, I realize from watching and listening\u00a0to them that I hadn\u2019t asked the patron enough questions to figure out what they really\u00a0needed, which would then have made it easier to find a solution. I have plenty to learn.<\/p>\n

Introverts Succeed!<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m naturally an introvert, but I\u2019ve found that I don\u2019t need to be a social\u00a0superstar to provide good customer service to patrons. Eye contact and being attentive\u00a0go a long way, with an upbeat tone of voice and a smile when manageable. My\u00a0reference shift is my \u201con\u201d time. When I talk with people during that time I do well; my\u00a0mind is fully prepared to interact with other people because I expect it to happen and\u00a0I\u2019m out of my own mind space. Making small talk and\/or providing pleasant customer\u00a0service becomes easier with practice, and I\u2019ve enjoyed the personal challenge it has\u00a0presented me. I think it helps that I take pleasure in aiding people and being useful. I\u00a0have found that with reference that I don\u2019t need to be a genius and don\u2019t need to know\u00a0every reference source. It\u2019s okay to make mistakes, and I have made them. While it isn\u2019t\u00a0for everyone, I\u2019ve found public library reference to be a fun and rewarding experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Clare Sobotka, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ Idaho Working at a Public Library Reference Desk For three months now, I have been working as a substitute reference librarian\u00a0for the adult and youth reference desks at my local public library. I thought I would\u00a0share a little about my experience, because graduate school reference courses give a\u00a0limited picture of…<\/p>\n

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