Roving Reference: Getting Found in the Stacks
I was thinking about some of the hurdles that face roving reference and I couldn’t get past the idea of librarians “getting lost in the stacks” or, maybe more accurately put, librarians “getting found in the stacks” by users. We can put signage on all we want to provide wayfinders for our users, but what happens when their target moves about the building?
- How is the librarian identifiable as a source of help and information?
- How can that librarian be sought out?
John Blyberg’s Growl notifications are an excellent step in the right direction, but that – as I interpret it – may only be a librarian-to-librarian connection. That is unless it can be hooked up into the catalog or and idea I have/took called hotspots. Stolen from the likes of Home Depot and other big box stories, hot spots are simply “call buttons” to get librarians back to the user’s location for assistance. I’m pretty sure John’s already thought of this…
One thing I have yet to see (as always prove me wrong if I am) is libraries branding their roving reference devices. With sites out there like Skinit and Schtickers, we could be making ourselves a bit more visible with our technologies by giving them a bit of flare with vinyl stickers. Both sites allow you to upload custom images and create your tailored skins for laptops, netbooks, iPods, and iPhones.
Creating a netbook skin is easy at Skinit.com
kyle, so funny you write about this, we were JUST talking about this very issue in our last staff meeting — how can we be more visible? i really like the idea of using stickers on our technology.
Kyle,
The Westerville Public Library in Ohio has red phones throughout the stacks that link up to the reference desk. It’s a kickass library.
I think the essential task in roving is to identify patrons who are at the point of wishing to be ‘bothered.’ Those that know they’re in need of assistance generally don’t have trouble tracking down a library staffperson, whether it be the reference desk or an unsuspecting page. I participated in a patron study that was looking at the community’s interest in roving, and many respondents said they didn’t wish to be greeted or interrupted outright. When I rove, I always keep that in mind and look for the people with confused looks, or those standing in the aisles with a small slip of paper, looking around. The last ‘trick’ to roving is knowing which physical sections of the building have great databases, like when a patron is trying to find a car repair manual, I’ll almost always walk them to the nearest terminal and show them the Chilton database.
At Canton Public Library, all of our rovers wear a red shirt or sweater with our logo on it, along with our usual name badge. Even as such, many patrons still ask “Do you work here?” It’s the best branding effort that can be reasonably expected of staff to participate in, yet it’s still not a guarantee that patrons will make the association. The next step, I suppose, is the “YES I can help you” red t-shirts all the employees wear at the Wayne State University campus bookstores.
@Brad
Thanks for the comment. NIce job, Westerville. That’s exactly what I’m talking about.
As someone who’s worked retail in a bookstore, I can definitely attest that it’s a bit awkward approaching someone who may or may not need assistance. You walk a tightrope between annoying your patron or helping her find what she needs. From a customer’s POV (and we could all talk about this experience), what’s most annoying is not finding help when you actually need it.
@sarah
If you go with this, I’d love to hear if there’s any response from staff/patrons.
I can’t wait to get in on the discussion and meet the rest of the staff! See ya, soon.
I second the comments made by Brad about choosing the right patrons to approach – the online catalogue terminals (with branding stickers of course!) are a great place to keep an eye out for confused looks.
Another tip is to offer an introduction, rather than ask a question. In other words, saying “Hi, my name is Warren. If you need a hand just ask me” can be less annoying than “Can I help you?”, which seems to get asked in retail stores a lot.
@Warren
You’re right on with the open introduction. It doesn’t require a real response and isn’t intrusive in any way. It’s implied in the introduction that help is to be had by that individual.
Nice!
~kyle~
Great ideas! For what it’s worth – might I share a ridiculously simple yet effective low-tech idea? Some Library staff like to take a simple clipboard and pen with them when they rove – and in workshops, I suggested that they customize it by printing a large sticker and putting it on the back of the clipboard. The library logo and name should appear, along with some welcoming phrase in very large letters like “Roving Librarian – Ask Me”, or “Information here!” When held the way most people hold clipboards (in your arm, against your chest) this sticker is quite visible and clearly identifies the person as Library staff. Several of my client Libraries are now using this simple idea – useful if you are not carrying a PDA or notebook computer.
Joan
Hi Joan!
That’s a great low-tech solution. It’s all about easy visibility.
Thanks for stopping by!
~Kyle~