(via David Ward, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Come join the RUSA RSS Research and Statistics Committee for a lively presentation of exciting new research in the field of reference services. Our presenters, selected using a blind review process, will discuss findings from their current original research projects. The Reference Research Forum continues to be one of the most popular and valuable programs during the ALA Annual Conference.
The event will take place on Sunday, June 25, from 10:30 to 11:30 AM, in MCP
W180. To register for the Forum, visit the ALA Annual Program.
New Discoveries in Reference: The 24th Annual Reference Research Forum
Saturday, June 23rd
2:30pm-3:30pm
Morial Convention Center Room 289
“Reframing Reference through Participatory Visual Methods”
Eamon Tewell, Reference & Instruction Librarian, Long Island University, Brooklyn
How can academic librarians improve reference services for marginalized students? How can research into these questions center students’ ideas and lived experiences? This study uses Photovoice, a participatory method that combines photography, interviews, and discussion to create change regarding an issue. Attendees will gain insight into how 11 students from historically marginalized backgrounds seek information in their everyday activities, and learn about students’ recommendations and potential implications for the development and redesign of reference services.
“Reference on Demand: Testing an ‘Uber Reference’ Service in an Academic Library”
Brian D. Moss, Reference Services Manager, University of Kansas Libraries
In an effort to overcome students’ reluctance to approach library staff, we have begun testing an “Uber reference” model that allows patrons to summon library staff to group study areas within the library. This presentation will present the findings of a pilot study within a large academic library, examining the effectiveness of this on-demand reference service. The presentation will conclude with suggestions for how other libraries can implement their own on-demand reference services, drawing upon the lessons learned through this pilot study.
“You Didn’t Say ‘Hola’: What Happens When the Reference Script Is Altered”
Julie Marie Frye, Education Library Head, Indiana University
Maria Hasler Barker, Assistant Professor, Sam Houston State University
Grounded in a Critical Theory framework (Habermas, 1984), we used conversation analysis (Schegloff, 2007) to examine 20 hours of digitally-recorded reference desk activity at a public library in a US-Mexico border city. This study contributes to an understanding of how the reference initiation type can affect the efficiency and effectiveness of bilingual transactions. Our findings illuminate cross-cultural communicative differences for scholars and practitioners who seek to improve bilingual patron comfort in libraries.