The Second Half of Reference: an Analysis of Point-Of-Need Roving Reference Questions

The Second Half of Reference: An Analysis of Point-of-Need Roving Reference Questions Ruth M. Mirtz At the University of Mississippi, a limited roving ref- a better sense of the kinds of questions, the range of erence program was initiated in September of 2011 questions, and the problems created by the questions in order to extend reference service. More students, in roving reference. Understanding the kinds of ques- faculty, and visitors were congregating at the second tions received by roving librarians can help design floor entrance because of the installation of a Star- more effective roving reference programs. bucks coffee shop. This increase in traffic flow on the Further, this analysis is one step toward deepening second floor meant many patrons were visiting the our understanding of reference interactions beyond library but never walking past the reference desk, lo- the kinds of questions received through traditional cated on the first floor. In addition, more technology reference services. A careful look at roving reference had been added on the second floor. The library had questions will advise librarians to think in terms of also eliminated a service point and relocated some scaffolded reference as well as tiered reference. While heavily used materials. Because the reference librar- reference librarians have always known that a one- ians were getting stopped more often in the hallways stop consultation was not the beginning and end of and were observing more students asking questions a student’s research process, this analysis indicates on the second floor, they instituted a limited roving just how varied and complex a student’s library needs reference program to help patrons on the second and are. The questions reveal that roving reference offers third floors of the library building. With the help of the ability to complete the “second half” of reference an iPad, and after a period of experimentation, rov- transactions by continuing to support students as they ing librarians now use two stations in large study areas move to unknown or complex parts of their research. and walk through the entire library during the busiest The analysis shows how roving reference provides in- hours of the day. tegrated, scaffolded reference and research support, This analysis studied 130 roving reference ques- rather than a simple expansion of service. tions collected over an academic year, focusing on the questions that required expert help and compar- Literature Review ing them to traditional reference desk questions. Al- Roving reference takes many forms; it might be though the hours of operation for the roving reference roaming, incidental, remote, extended, or outpost program are small and the questions are considerably reference. Each form is created to meet a particular fewer than those at the main reference desk, analyz- need of academic patrons, even outside of the library ing the questions answered through roving reference building, and they may have additional characteris- is useful for several reasons. This analysis gives aca- tics, such as active or passive approaches to patrons. demic reference librarians who have a roving refer- The two most common types are 1) moving about in ence program, or who are considering starting one, the library but away from the static reference desk,1 Ruth M. Mirtz is Reference Librarian in the J. D. Williams Library at the University of Mississippi, e-mail: [email protected] 518 The Second Half of Reference 519 and 2) offering reference in another building on cam- the library while roving.9 Among the issues discussed pus.2 However, what is true of all roving reference with in-library roving reference programs are staffing, programs is that they succeed because they are spe- schedules, marketing, and signage. Michael Smith cific to each institution as “niche” reference of a sort. and Barbara Pietraszewski report a number of staffing Generally a problem presents itself that can be at least and scheduling problems, including resistance from partially solved by roving reference, such as a library some of the reference librarians.10 Technology is a ma- move or a group of patrons whose needs are not met jor concern, as well. Some of the literature on roving at the traditional reference desk. For instance, Megan reference focuses solely on the technology needed to Dempsey describes a reference model that resulted make roving reference effective or efficient.11 Roving from increased enrollment and fewer library staff: reference has always relied on technology to increase roving reference was integrated into a new reference the reach and depth of what librarians can do away model which assigned “on-call” status to librarians from the reference desk, starting with phones and who roved and answered chat questions during their PDAs and now using tablets and cell phones. How- shifts, shifting directional and informational ques- ever, Kealin McCabe and James MacDonald note that tions to the check-out desk staff.3 after significant struggles and experimentation with Several articles about roving reference in the li- mobile technology, it was the locational factor, not the brary building list the benefits: reaching shy or reti- specific technology, that made their roaming refer- cent patrons and giving individualized and hands- ence program successful.12 on instruction at the point of need.4 Eileen Kramer The research on roving reference thus reflects reports that roving reference answered a significant the broadly defined nature of these programs and the number of questions that would not have been asked concomitant problems of managing these particular- at the desk, although her research was undertaken ized, flexible, and experimental programs. However, in 1994 when students were working at dedicated within the larger scope of reference services, roving OPAC and database computer terminals.5 She con- reference is often lumped into the problems related to cludes that roving reference “reaches more students” declining numbers at the reference desk and the need and “produced both more sophisticated and more to remain relevant as students do more and more thorough service than its conventional counter- research online and away from the library building. p ar t .” 6 Katherine Penner describes a similar problem Susan Swords Steffan mentions roving reference as in a recent article, where she sees students reluctant one possible way to redefine library services as in- to come to the reference desk because of physical formation literacy instruction, thus moving librar- or space limitations. Penner also mentions that stu- ians further away from the reference desk in order to dents feel anxiety about using the library and that improve interactions with students.13 Brian Matthews roving reference is one more proactive way to adapt describes how reference services need to be preemp- to our patrons’ needs.7 While most of the roving ref- tive, which means actively seeking students in those erence programs described in the literature are ini- online and remote locations.14 The present study of tiated by librarians’ perceptions of students needs, roving reference questions can contribute to this lit- Anne Cooper Moore and Kimberly Wells surveyed erature by defining how roving reference is similar to students using the information commons at Univer- but different from traditional desk reference or vir- sity of Massachusetts-Amherst and found that stu- tual or chat reference. dents wanted a library staff presence, such as a roving librarian, for assistance in the library.8 Methodology and Data Collection A significant portion of literature about roving Roving reference at the J. D. Williams Library at the reference has focused on the implementation of roving University of Mississippi is part of a larger reference reference programs. This emphasis is understandable program which includes a traditional face-to-face because of the many logistical problems in starting reference desk and chat service, as well as phone and and maintaining a roving reference program. Ques- email reference. The reference desk is busy enough tions that have been addressed include how and when to prohibit roaming or roving during desk shifts (a to approach patrons, what kind of badge or identifica- problem noted by McCabe and MacDonald15). In ad- tion to wear, and how not to look like one is policing dition some subject librarians conduct remote refer- April 10–13, 2013, Indianapolis, IN 520 Ruth M. Mirtz ence outside of the library and facilitate tutor training Results at the writing center and the athletic center. Roving Roving reference questions were coded first into five librarians are also instructional librarians and sub- categories (see Table 1). Reference category questions ject specialists, giving them a wide range of research were those that were research-related or concerned skills at all levels. The roving reference program in this library materials, such as “How do I find copies of analysis was limited to inside the library building and Newsweek?” Printing and copying category questions only during the busiest times over the lunch hour, for were strictly about mechanical matters. Directional a maximum of 8 hours a week (or about 12% of over- category questions were not related to research, such all staffed reference hours). Our reference department as “Where are the instruction classrooms?” Miscel- initially considered roving as a supplemental refer- laneous questions were those that didn’t fit into any ence and an extension of the regular desk hours which pattern, such as “Is that an iPad?” Finally, computer extend from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days. questions were those only about software or hardware This analysis studied 130 roving reference ques- problems not related to research, such as creating tions collected over an academic year. Roving librar- email attachments or rebooting computers. These cat- ians were asked to record all the questions they were egories reflect similar kinds of questions collected at asked.

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