[Publib] RE:roaming librarians

[Fred Beisser]

And for another professional view on the evolving role of reference 
librarians, self check-in/out and more eficient use of staff, see the 
following essay by Jamie LaRue, district director of Douglas County 
Libraries in Colorado:

http://www.libraryleadership.net/LaRue031708.asp

Fred Beisser
Trustee
www.elbertcountylibrary.org
(Colorado)


Joseph Gasparro wrote:

>When we implemented a similar system, there was a bit of opposition, I think the problem became that people were just used to sitting around waiting.  We've found though, that the number of people we help has increased when you actually ask if they need help.  I think if we were able to measure the amount of people who did not use the reference desk because they were hesitent to ask for help, that number would be quite large.
>
>Joe 
>---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
>From: "Christopher F. Bowen" <cbowen at downersgrovelibrary.org>
>Date:  Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:29:24 -0500
>
>  
>
>>When I became the director of the Downers Grove Public Library in 1989
>>we decided to try "roaming reference". Only then we called it "getting
>>out of our chairs and going into the stacks to see if patrons needed
>>help finding stuff on the shelves." Of course the Department Heads were
>>horrified when I first raised the idea. Patrons won't want us to bother
>>them while they are browsing, and talking in the stacks will bother
>>other patrons. (Remember the old days when libraries were quiet places!)
>>So I asked just the three department heads (Reference, Readers Advisory,
>>and Children's Services) to try it for a few weeks and promised that we
>>would drop it if it turned out to be a bad idea. Low and behold, while
>>patrons were surprised at first, no one got mad when they were
>>approached and asked for help. The DH's agreed that they were reaching
>>patrons who would never have come to the desk on their own. With the
>>DH's enthusiastic support we asked all of the staff to try it. Again,
>>much horror at the idea, but I promised we would evaluate after three
>>months. One of the staff who was the most resistant to the idea at first
>>summarized the reaction perfectly when she said, "The first time I
>>approached a patron she looked at me like I was crazy and said she
>>didn't need any help; but when I came down the aisle a little later, the
>>same patron stopped me and said that she couldn't find what she was
>>looking for and maybe she did need some help."
>>
>>At the three month evaluation everyone agreed that this was a good idea
>>and it has become routine for service desk staff. Every quarter hour or
>>so one of staff at each service desk makes a circuit of the department
>>and asks patrons who are browsing if they can help them find something.
>>If it is really busy and patrons are stacked up at the desk waiting for
>>help, staff may not have time to make the rounds; but when they are on
>>the way back to the desks after taking a patron into the stacks to find
>>materials, they check in with other patrons. The  process has helped to
>>train our patrons that library staff is actually here to help them, and
>>it is OK to seek help if one needs it.
>>
>>I know of a neighboring library that is experimenting with roaming
>>reference using notebook computers so they can check the catalog or
>>databases on the fly. We haven't tried that, but when we did our
>>building project nine years ago, staff was adamant about wanting OPACs
>>in the stacks so they could easily get to the on-line catalog to help
>>patrons there. A few years ago we added access to our on-line databases
>>and library-selected websites on the OPACs, so staff can do full service
>>reference back in the stacks, as well.
>>
>>A resounding yes to getting-out-of-your-chair-and-going-into-stacks
>>reference.
>>
>>Christopher F. Bowen
>>Library Director
>>Downers Grove Public Library
>>1050 Curtiss Street
>>Downers Grove, IL 60515-4606
>>630-963-2595
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>Subject: [Publib] Roaming librarians
>>To: <publib at webjunction.org>
>>Message-ID: <1183B2BAF9BE724B85476AAB7B15D8FD04329EF1 at EVS2.coj.net>
>>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>>I work at a fairly large downtown public library, and we are just
>>beginning to study the use of "roaming" librarians, as opposed to
>>librarians chained to a desk. 
>>
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>>    
>>
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