Quality reference service: A preliminary case study

Journal of Academic Librarianship

Volumn 22, Issue 6, 1996, Pages 423-429

  Stalker, John C ^a   Murfin, Marjorie E ^b  

^a OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0030295951     PISSN: 00991333     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/S0099-1333(96)90002-6     Document Type: Article

References (17)

1. The listed reasons for dissatisfaction are: (1) not enough, (2) need more in-depth, (3) not relevant enough, (4) want different viewpoint, (5) nor sure if information is correct, (6) found nothing, (7) couldn't find information in source, (8) need more simple, and (9) too much.
2. The WOREP criteria below have been developed from study of the distribution of success scores, and in light of what is desirable, balanced with what is possible.
3. Murfin Marjorie, Gugelchuk Gary M. Development and Testing of a Reference Transaction Assessment Instrument. College & Research Libraries. 48:July 1987;314-338.
4. American Library Association. Evaluation of Reference and Adult Services Committee. The Reference Assessment Manual. 1995;Pierian Press, Ann Arbor, MI.
5. Bunge Charles A. Gathering and Using Patron and Librarian Perceptions of Question-Answering Success. Allen Bryce. Evaluation of Public Services and Public Services Personnel. 1991;59-83 University of Illinois, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Urbana-Champaign.
6. Bunge Charles A. Reference Questions - Data from the Field. RQ. 27:Fall 1987;15-18.
7. Murfin Marjorie, Bunge Charles A. Evaluating Reference Service from the Patron Point of View: Some Interim National Survey Results. The Reference Librarian. 11:Fall/Winter 1984;175-182.
8. Gray Carolyn M. Systems Thinking in Information Service Delivery. Journal of Library Administration. 20:(3/4):1995;25-43.
9. Herman Douglas. But Does It Work? Evaluating the Brandeis Reference Model. Reference Services Review. 22:(4):1994;17-28.
10. Massey-Burzio Virginia. Rethinking the Reference Desk. Lipow Anne G. Rethinking Reference in Academic Libraries. 1993;43-48 Library Solutions Press, Berkeley, CA.
11. Massey-Burzio Virginia. Reference Encounters of a Different Kind: A Symposium. Journal of Academic Librarianship. 18:November 1992;276-286.
12. For more details on the training program, see Gray, "Systems Thinking...", p.41.
13. Loss of success when busy was measured in the following way. Patron-reported sucess when the librarian checked "busy" was compared to the same success when the librarian did not check busy and reported helping with the search. This gives a figure for top potential, not confounded by the factor of directing (which WOREP has found to have a negative effect on success). In deciding wether a loss associated with being busy had occured, two measures of being busy were compared and the largest loss recorded. If neither meaure showed a loss, the library was judged as not being affected. The measures used were: success on all transactions recorded as busy, and success on the subset of transactions recorded as busy and search. Both measures were considered for the following reasons: The first has the advantage of representing the full loss on all busy questions. However, if a substantial portion of easy questions were successfully directed, the effect of being busy on harder questions might be masked in this measure. To check for this possibility, it is also appropriate to look at success in the subset of busy qestions which where a search was done, to see if there is a loss here, since these may tend to be harder questions.
14. Gers Ralph, Seward Lillie J. Improving Reference Performance: Results of a Statewide Study. Library Journal. 110:November 1985;32-35.
15. Dyson Lillie J. Improving Reference Services: A Maryland Training Program Brings Positive Results. Public Libraries. 31:September/October 1992;284-289.
16. Woodard Beth. The Effectiveness of an Information Desk Staffed by Graduate Students and Nonprofessionals at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. College & Research Libraries. 50:July 1989;455-467.
17. Whitlatch Jo Bell. Reference Service Effectiveness. RQ. 30:Winter 1990;205-220.