Conducting the Reference Interview

Here is the first practical how-to for librarians packed with solid advice, exercises, and strategies for mastering the art of efficiently discovering exactly what users want to know." For fifteen years, Ross and Nilsen have been collecting and assessing true accounts from librarians in their workshops on what works and what doesn't in reference interviews. Now, with countless specific examples drawn from actual transactions, they clearly illustrate the most effective approaches and troubleshooting techniques. This how-to features models of human communication such as sense-making and microtraining, exercises for avoiding common pitfalls, and dozens of examples of both successful and problematic reference interviews printed next to constructive critiques and suggestions from the authors. Ross and Nilsen have demonstrated that complex communication behaviors can be broken down into constituent parts that can be taught, one at a time, and that successful reference interviewing skills can be acquired and mastered. There is a great wealth of experience and practical advice in this How-To-Do-It Manual - perfect both for working librarians and any student doing coursework on reference.
Use it to get on the same page with each and every user that approaches your reference desk today.