Reference Service Policy

Columbia County Public Library

I.  Library Mission Statement

                The Columbia County Public Library provides popular materials and programs, assistance in learning to read, help and information for lifelong learning, PreK through 12^th grade student support, and answers to questions.

II. Goals of Reference Service

It is the goal of the Columbia County Public Library Reference Service to provide informational assistance to community members in fulfillment of the library's mission and long range plans in the following ways:

• To provide every user with accurate and timely information, or efficient referral on questions that cannot be adequately answered at the library.

• To meet current and anticipated user needs in accordance with the library's long range plans. 
• To assist and instruct users in the use of library resources and the development of personal search strategies. 
• To provide a service area with convenient access to staff, materials, technology and study areas.

III.  Purpose of Policy

            A written statement of policy serves as a training tool to ensure a standard of service.  Library users have the right to expect consistency in the services they receive whenever they contact the library for assistance.

IV. General Guidelines

            All persons are eligible to use the collections and services of the library, subject to specific policy and circulation restrictions.

• Each staff member or volunteer who serves at the Reference Desk personifies the library to every library user.

• Service to the public receives priority over other duties. 
• All persons and their information requests will be respected and treated with confidentiality.  Discussion with other staff will be limited to seeking assistance in finding the desired information. 
• All reference answers provided should have the source of the answer cited. 
• All requests for information should be handled as promptly and efficiently as possible. 
• The level of reference service that can reasonably be given and the length of time spent on each reference request at any particular time will vary depending on such factors as number of users, type of assistance desired and staffing.

V.  Reference Services Provided

1.     Information Service

• Staff will complete a thorough search of appropriate in-house and/or electronic sources to answer a reference question.  Users will be given the source of the information as well as the answer.
• Personal opinions and advice (including, but not limited to, tax advice, legal advice, and medical advice) will not be given as fact nor should judgments of the user's request be made.
• The user is responsible for synthesizing provided information.  Staff should not offer interpretation of information.
• If appropriate information is not available in the library, referral may be made to local resources, interlibrary loan or other libraries.
• All questions should be answered or an update given within 24 hours.  A longer time frame may be negotiated with the user.

2.     Instruction in the Use of Library Resources

• Upon the user's request or demonstrated need, staff will provide basic instruction in the use of the library and its resources.
• Questions regarding instruction in the use of the Internet are covered in the Internet policy.
• Library orientation tours and instructional programs for groups may be provided subject to advance request and available staffing.

3.     Bibliographic Verification                     

• Users frequently need assistance verifying bibliographic information such as author or title.  Staff may assist by demonstrating the use of the online catalog, by searching the on-line catalog from the reference desk or by using other on-line or print resources to answer these inquires.

4.     Development of  Bibliographies

• Bibliographies of library holdings and resources on frequently requested topics may be prepared at the discretion of the Director.

5.     Interlibrary Loan Service

• Interlibrary loan is a cooperative library-to-library arrangement for the loan and/or duplication of library materials.
• Reference staff will assist in the processing of interlibrary loan request forms in accordance with the established Interlibrary Loan Policy.

6.     Collection Development to Support Reference Service

• Any library user or staff member may make recommendations for collection development.  These suggestions should be given to the appropriate subject specialist with suggestions for reference or other nonfiction materials given to the Reference Librarian as a need is identified.

7.     Priorities of Service

• Priority in the delivery of service is determined by how staff time can be used most effectively to serve the greatest number of persons in the shortest time. 
• Highest priority should be given to requests from public officials and public employees in the performance of their official duties.
• A general guideline for service priorities is: in person requests, those by phone, by electronic means, and by mail.

VI.  Guidelines for Desk Duty

A.     Behavior and Attitudes

     1.     Approachability

• The presence of a user should be promptly acknowledged with a smile and a greeting.
• An attitude of helpfulness is essential to user satisfaction.
• Staff members should always be aware of how approachable they might appear to users in need of assistance.
• Limit conversations between staff members, and between staff and patrons, when people are waiting to be served.
• During lulls in service, staff members are encouraged to read professional journals or engage in other library-related activities while remaining approachable and maintaining an awareness of patrons and their need for assistance.

     2.     Mobility

• Quality service often demands that staff leave the reference desk to go to the location of needed materials.
• If a number of users are waiting for service, mobility may be restricted and users directed to resources instead.
• An effort should be made to follow up with users who were directed to resources.

     3.     Verification of Sources

• Completed requests as well as "requests in progress" should include a record of sources consulted.
• All information should be verified before providing reference answers.

     4.     Shift Changes

• When beginning a shift at the reference desk, staff members should review all messages to keep abreast of developments and to insure continuity of service.
• Upon ending a shift, each staff member is responsible for documenting current services or reference questions that need further action.  This includes, but is not limited to, briefing arriving staff on current status of items for pickup, calls to be returned, and other actions needed.

     5.     Handling Problems

• When dealing with an unhappy user, remain calm and respectful.
• All problems related to reference including difficult persons should be referred to the current Supervisor, the Branch Manager, the Assistant Director or the Director.
• When referring a person with a problem to a Supervisor, arrange for reference desk coverage at busy times and brief the staff member to whom the user is being referred.

B.     Telephone Service

     1.     Incoming Calls

• All calls should be answered promptly and clearly with proper identification.  A pleasant voice should be used.
• Callers looking for a member of the public thought to be present in the library should be forwarded to the supervisor on duty.
• Telephone questions, answers, and citations should be recorded in the message book provided.
• If a telephone question will require more than a minute or two to answer, take the caller's name and number.  Explain that the call will be returned as soon as the desired information has been located.  Calls should be returned with answers, referrals or updates within 24 hours.
• Reading information over the telephone should be limited to brief passages.  Whenever material is read, the source and publication date should be cited to the user.
• ILL requests may be taken over the phone.
• Bibliographic verification may be done over the phone.
• Holds may be placed by phone (as well as in person) for material that is currently in circulation.  Patrons also should be made aware of the opportunity to place their own holds on the library’s web page if they desire.
• Books and other material that may be needed to answer a telephone request may be pulled and held at the reference desk until the close of business the following day.  Include with the material a note with the patron's name and reshelving date.  If circulating material needs to be held for a longer time period, follow established circulation procedures.
• Only very brief and urgent personal calls should be taken at the Reference Desk, and these should not interfere with service to the public.

     2.     Outgoing calls

• Information calls should be returned with answers, referrals or updates as soon as possible and always within 24 hours. 
• Personal calls should be made away from the Reference desk during break times
• The Reference Desk phone is not for public use.  Children should be referred to the Circulation Desk.

VII.  Circulation of Reference Material

As a general rule materials in the reference collection are for in library use only.  Requests for exceptions should be referred to the Supervisor.

Reference materials may be exchanged between branches following the approved procedures as outlined on the "Request for Reference Materials" form.

VIII.  Special Categories of Reference Questions.

• Medical, legal, statistical, technical or tax questions – Library staff cannot interpret medical, legal, statistical, technical or tax information.  This includes tables, charts, equations, conversion formulas, laws, taxation and regulatory information or legal and medical definitions.  Library staff and volunteers do not have the expertise to make interpretations, even with first hand experience.  Encourage library users to personally read the material and to consult qualified experts.

• Questions for exams, puzzles, contests and bets – These will be treated like any other reference question.  A reasonable effort to locate an answer should be made.  Some questions in this category may be tricky and have more than one answer that seems correct.  The inquirer should be told that library staff cannot guarantee that the answer provided is the correct answer for any particular contest or bet.

• Genealogical questions – Staff may provide general assistance in genealogical research, guidance in locating items in the collection, and help in obtaining items through interlibrary loan and referral to the Lake City Family History Center, or other appropriate resource.  Staff may not perform actual genealogical research for patrons.

• Valuation of art, antiques, books and other collectibles – Valuation information should be limited to published information only.  Users should be encouraged to personally research the library collection of price guides and the Internet.  Value of many items is dependent on condition, and referrals may be made to appraisers listed in the phone books and other resources.

• Patent and copyright questions – Patent and copyright searching can be done by the library staff using the online resources available through the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

• Mathematical questions – Mathematical calculations will not be done for library users by library staff.

• Requests from correctional facilities – Reference requests from prison inmates will be accepted as staffing permits.  The information provided should be that which is readily available to the general public and may not be in violation of FAC 33-210.101.  Prohibited information would include that regarding building weapons, planning escapes, brewing alcohol or encouraging violence or criminal activity.

IX.  Evaluation of Reference Service and Review of Policy

Reference service will be continuously monitored and evaluated on an informal basis for effectiveness by assigned staff.  Feedback, ideas and suggestions from the public are always welcome. 

Staff will participate in annual gathering of statistics regarding usage and evaluation of services. 

Reference Service policy will be reviewed for changes and completeness as needed. 

X.    Intellectual Freedom

The Library Bill of Rights adopted by the American Library Association attached to this policy is hereby adopted as a part of the Library's Reference Service Policy. 

Attached:  Library Bill of Rights