Reference Observation Journal

CIMT 631
Megan Farnsworth

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal

Background Information The West Des Moines Public Library is located in West Des Moines, Iowa. The first library opened in Valley Junction (now known as West Des Moines) in 1934. The 450-volume library was housed in the home of one of the members of the Valley Junction Civic Club. The library grew and moved into six other buildings, including the West Des Moines City Hall, before a permanent facility was built in 1966. In 1996, the West Des Moines Public Library moved into its current facility. The library shared the space with West Des Moines city offices for several years before finally gaining use of the entire 51,000 square foot space (West Des Moines Public Library, 2012). The West Des Moines Public Library is located on a busy divided street. The building next door houses the West Des Moines Police Department, West Des Moines City Hall, and other city government offices. The library serves the community of West Des Moines as well as residents in Polk, Dallas, Warren, and Madison counties. According to the United States Census Bureau (2012), West Des Moines has a population of 56,609 people. The city is predominantly white (88.4%) followed by Hispanic/Latino (5.2%), Asian (4.8%), Black, (3.3%), Multi-racial (1.9%), and American Indian and Alaska Native (0.2%). Population statistics show that 7.1% of residents are under 5 years old, 24.1% of residents are under 18 years old, and 10.6% of residents are 65 years old and over. Females make up 51.7% of residents. High school graduates represent 95.2% of the population with 49.5% of the residents having post-secondary degrees. The median household income in West Des Moines from 2006-2010 was $63,978.

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal The West Des Moines Public Library has a policy manual that guides the daily operations of the library. Some of these policies contain information that is relevant to the reference section of the library. Borrowing policies outline library card eligibility requirements, the number of library materials that may be checked out at a time, and the duration of the loan for library materials. Policies also establish the fees that are associated with obtaining materials through interlibrary loan; the charge for interlibrary

loan at the West Des Moines Public Library is $2. Additional policies address the use of public meeting rooms and study rooms, selection criteria for library materials, and the use of the Internet, library computers, and printers. It is important for reference librarians to be familiar with all of the librarys policies and procedures and to be able to explain the policies and procedures to library patrons. I observed Louise Alcorn, Reference Technology Librarian for the West Des Moines Public Library. Louise has been employed in this position since 1996. She earned a Master of Information and Library Studies degree from the University of Michigan School of Information. I was able to observe during two busy weekday evenings. The second floor of the library was bustling with patrons using the computers, studying at tables, tutoring in the study rooms, and seeking assistance at the reference desk. Reference Observation #1: Tuesday, September 25, 2012, 6:20-8:45 P.M. 6:20- Louise was helping a patron with a computer issue when I arrived. The patron had physical and mental disabilities that made communication difficult and affected his ability to type. She was trying to assist him with the computer while

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal also staffing the reference desk. The patron was trying to fill out a 75-question online dating profile. 6:22- Louise gave the key to a patron who had reserved a study room. Louise explained that patrons are required to leave their library card, drivers license, or other photo identification at the reference desk until they have returned the key for the study rooms. 6:25- Louise activated a patrons library card in order to use the computer. 6:29- Louise reserved a study room for a patron.

6:29- Louise added money to a patrons library card to allow him to print from the computer. The cost of printing is 20 cents per black-and-white page and 50 cents per color page. 6:30- A patron arrived to use a study room for a counseling appointment. The reservation was not in the reservation book; however, the reservation was entered into the computer. The patron was able to secure the room. 6:32- A patron inquired about reserving a study room. All of the rooms were booked until 7:30, so the patron booked the room for 7:30. 6:40- Louise continued to help the patron with his online dating application. 6:54- Louise directed a group to their meeting in the librarys community room downstairs. 6:59- A patron returned headphones to the reference desk. 6:59- A patron returned headphones to the reference desk because they werent working properly. He checked out a different pair and returned to his computer. 7:01- Louise returned to assist the patron with the online dating profile.

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal 7:02- A patron inquired about the location of a group meeting in one of the reserved rooms. Louise directed him to the community room on the first floor of the facility. 7:03- Louise asked a young patron to turn down the volume on his headphones and to be quiet. He was laughing very loudly and disturbing some of the nearby patrons. 7:09- A patron returned headphones to the reference desk. 7:13- A patron returned a room key for a study room. Louise asked the patron if

the lights were turned off and the door was locked when she left the room. Louise explained that she reiterates the rules each time to remind the patrons of the expectations for the use of the study rooms. 7:19- A patron needed to set up a PIN in order to activate his library card for computer use. 7:21- A patron requested reference books with examples of rsums, specifically narrative, outcome-based rsums. Louise searched the Horizon library catalog and found several books that might be useful. She explained the pros and cons of each of the rsum books. She recommended the books How to Sell Yourself and What Color is Your Parachute? She also recommended Napoleon Hills Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement that provides information on how to sell yourself to potential employers. She then directed the patron to the appropriate section of the library where the materials were located. 7:22- A patron returned headphones to the reference desk. 7:32- A patron returned headphones to the reference desk.

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal 7:33- A patron inquired about a rsum skills workshop. The patron could not attend last years session and wanted information about the presenter. Louise informed the patron that no rsum workshops were scheduled at this time. The patron left contact information with the librarian if a workshop was scheduled. 7:34- A patron borrowed dry-erase markers for use in the study room. 7:35- A patron returned the key to a study room. 7:38- Louise answered a phone call from the information desk regarding a public scanner. She said that staff members are able to scan documents and email them to patrons in PDF format. 7:40- The patron working on the dating site came to the desk to inform Louise that he was unable to submit his dating profile. She suggested that he bring someone with him to type the information, as she is unable to spend all of her time at his computer workstation while also manning the reference desk. He

indicated that he would bring a friend who was familiar with the site the next time he came to the library. 7:42- A patron needed Louise to scan some passport documents. She scanned the documents and emailed them to him. 7:44- A patron returned the key to a study room. 7:49- A patron needed help finding books in The Clique series by the author Lisi Harrison. Louise directed her to the correct section of the library. The patron returned a few minutes later because she couldnt locate the book. Louise looked in the online catalog and determined that the book was checked out. She asked the patron if she wanted to be put on the hold list for the book. She also directed

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal

the patron to other titles by the author in the paperback section of the library. The patron returned about ten minutes later to put one of the books on hold. 7:54- A patron came to the reference desk looking for a stapler. Louise informed him that there was a stapler available for patron use in the copy center. 7:58- The patron who had documents scanned returned to the reference desk. He checked his email at a library computer, and the documents did not come through. Louise changed the documents to PDF format and emailed the documents to him in one file. The patron returned and asked for four documents to be scanned again due to incomplete or fuzzy images. 8:13- A patron needed a guest computer pass. 8:21- Louise set up a library card for a patron to access the computer. He also pre-paid for 15 pages of printing. 8:30- A patron activated a guest computer pass and added money for printing. 8:32- A patron requested a guest computer pass. 8:32- Two patrons returned study room keys. 8:33- A patron asked for directions to the bathroom. Louise directed him to the restrooms on the first floor of the facility since he was ready to leave. 8:35- A patron added more money to his account for printing. 8:38- A patron alerted Louise that the Internet was experiencing interrupted connections on Gmail and other sites. She asked him several questions to try to determine the specific sites that were experiencing connection problems in order to alert the technical staff to the specific problems. She indicated that they had the largest Internet pipeline available, but the pipeline was still having difficulty

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal keeping up with the demand at the library. Louise also explained that patrons occasionally experienced problems using certain email servers. Reference Observation #2: Tuesday, October 2, 2012, 5:30-8:30 P.M. 5:34- A patron asked how to pay for printing. Louise explained that the library allows $1 of free printing per day. The patron added money to his library card to cover the cost of his printing. 5:37- A patron requested a guest computer pass. 5:42- A patron requested a guest computer pass. 5:43- Louise gave the key to a patron who had reserved a study room. 5:50- A patron requested a guest computer pass. 5:51- A patron returned headphones to the reference desk. 5:58- A patron wanted to reserve a study room. There were no rooms available

for more than a 30-minute window. The patron declined the room and moved to a table in the main part of the library. 6:06- A patron requested a guest computer pass. 6:09- A patron needed directions to the bathroom. Louise directed him to the upstairs bathrooms. 6:10- A patron requested a guest computer pass. 6:14- A patron added money to a guest pass for printing. 6:15- A patron returned a study room key and informed Louise that he was unable to lock the study room door. She gave him some advice on how the turn the key to lock the door. Louise then took the key and locked the study room door. When she returned, Louise informed me that the doors are difficult to lock at

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal times. She gave the patron tips on locking the door so he would be able to lock the room independently next time. 6:16- A patron returned headphones to the reference desk. 6:19- A patron reserved a study room. 6:26- Louise gave a key to a patron who had reserved a study room. 6:27- Louise answered a phone call from the information desk. A patron was requesting information about BBC shows in the library collection. Louise conducted a search of the Horizon online catalog using the keywords British

OR BBC. She informed the information desk staff that the library had DVDs of Ballykissangel and Sherlock from the BBC. 6:29- A patron came to the reference desk asking questions about the library display for Banned Books Week. The patron wondered if the Bible was banned in the West Des Moines Public Library. Louise explained that the West Des Moines Public Library has never banned a book. She told him that the poster in the display highlights books that have been challenged throughout the years, including the Bible. She gave the patron a flier with the address of the American Library Association Banned Books webpage for a list of even more challenged and banned books. 6:31- A patron needed help locating library materials regarding event planning for conferences. She conducted a search for materials using the WorldCat online catalog and had a list of titles that she needed to locate. Louise provided the call number for The Complete Idiots Guide to Meeting and Event Planning (658.456). She also looked up wedding planning in the online catalog and

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal 10 directed the patron to the wedding planning section (395.22) for more information. Louise advised the patron to look near those call numbers on the shelf for similar titles. She also advised the patron to conduct a periodical search for event planning. The patron said that she had tried searching EBSCO from home but was unable to access information. Louise reminded the patron to access EBSCO through the West Des Moines Library website. Louise then conducted an EBSCO search and was able to find more information about event planning. Successful Meetings was available in full-text through the EBSCO database. Meeting and Conventions was only available as bibliographic records but could be accessed through interlibrary loan. Louise showed the patron how to search EBSCO databases using advanced search terms. 6:41- A patron needed to add more time to his guest computer pass. 6:42- A patron returned the key to a study room. 6:42- A patron was unable to access the computer using her library card. Louise noticed that the library card was expired and updated the patrons contact information. The patron was then able to use the updated card to access the computer. 6:44- A patron needed to activate his library card and set a PIN to use the library computers. 6:44- Louise answered a phone call for a patron needing to renew an item. She transferred the call to the circulation desk.

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal 11 6:45- Louise answered a phone call from the information desk. She reminded the staff member about the procedure for linking an old card number to the updated library card. 6:48- The patron who needed help with event planning returned to the information desk. The patron wanted to access some materials through interlibrary loan. Louise searched for event planning on the Des Moines Public Library online catalog, but she did not locate any of the titles that the patron was seeking. Louise showed the patron the interlibrary loan request form on the West Des Moines Public Library website. The patron also wanted to know if any of the titles were available as ebooks. Louise searched the catalog for available ebooks and informed the patron that almost all of the ebooks in the library collection are fiction books. Louise gave the patron a pamphlet on how to use WILBOR Overdrive on her laptop to access ebooks. She also informed the patron that ebooks are not available for interlibrary loan. 7:01- A patron needed help finding the book 031.02 Rip on the library shelf. The librarian accompanied the patron to the correct section of the library and helped her locate the book on the shelf. 7:06- A patron needed to set up a PIN to use her library card to access the computer. The patrons daughter needed a guest computer pass. The daughter also needed help finding information to help her with a science project. Louise conducted a keyword search of the Horizon catalog using the terms chemistry, biology, and science fair projects to locate appropriate materials in the library collection. Louise wrote down several titles and call numbers in both the

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal 12 childrens and adult nonfiction sections of the library where the patron could look to find materials to assist her with the science project. 7:10- A patron needed help locating the adult biography section of the library. Louise directed her to the correct section. 7:16- Louise answered a phone call from the information desk regarding a missing flash drive. There were no flash drives in the lost and found box. She returned the patrons phone call and determined that the flash drive was left at the library that evening. Louise looked at the computer workstation where the patron had been working earlier in the evening and found the flash drive still plugged into the computer. She marked the flash drive with the patrons contact information and kept it at the reference desk for the patron to collect the next time that she visited the library. 7:23- A patron wanted to locate books on calligraphy. Louise directed her to the 745.6 section of the library. The patron returned a few minutes later to show the librarian the four books on calligraphy that she had located. Louise directed her to the circulation desk downstairs to check out the materials. 7:25- A patron returned the key to a study room. 7:27- A patron needed to set up a PIN for computer access and added money to her library card for printing. 7:35- A patron returned the key to a study room. 7:36- A patron wanted to request a book for purchase for the library collection. Louise showed the patron the form on the West Des Moines Public Library website where patrons can suggest materials for purchase. Louise encouraged the

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal 13 patron to fill out the online form requesting a book on bullying and suicide for teens. She also encouraged the patron to make a note that the title was for teens; this would enable the form to be directed to the staff member in charge of purchasing for the teen collection. 7:37- A patron returned the key to a study room. 7:56- A patron needed assistance because her computer was locked. Louise showed her how to fix the problem. She also helped the patron adjust the page settings so her document in Microsoft Publisher would fit on one page. 7:59- A patron needed to reserve a study room for next Tuesday. Louise recorded the reservation in the computerized calendar. 8:01- A patron needed to add time on her guest computer pass and needed assistance recovering a saved document. Louise then showed the patron how to save documents to a flash drive. 8:05- Two patrons needed guest computer passes. 8:06- A patron returned a guest computer pass. 8:30- A patron returned the key to a study room. Observations I learned that the job of a reference librarian has changed with the advent of the Internet and digital tools. Louise indicated that the need to answer ready reference questions has significantly diminished because of the prevalence of the Internet. Many patrons who used to contact the reference desk for questions about phone numbers, zip codes, population figures, and much more now obtain much of that information from the Internet. Popular search engines return quick results, and patrons are not limited to the

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal 14 availability of reference books to locate information and conduct research. Louise also mentioned that many people are satisfied with an answer, whether or not the answer is accurate. These popular search engines produce multiple results that may contradict each other. Patrons will often take the information from the first one or two sites without conducting any type of website evaluation to determine if the information is accurate and reliable. Louise showed me the tally sheet that is kept at the reference desk. Each day, the reference librarians must mark the types of questions that they answer. Questions are divided into two categories: reference and directional. On the two nights that I observed, the overwhelming majority (about 85%) of the questions were directional. Louise makes a point of turning each patron interaction into a learning opportunity. She teaches patrons about procedures for returning headphones, using the computers, printing, and leaving study rooms in the proper condition as she assists with directional tasks. Many brochures are available at the reference desk to assist patrons. One brochure highlights the various online databases subscriptions that the library offers. The reference desk also has seven different brochures to help patrons use ebooks on various devices through the WILBOR (West/Central Iowa Libraries Building Online Resources) consortium. Additional brochures highlight programming at the library for children and adults including beginning knitting, making holiday cards, scrapbooking, and story hour. Another brochure highlights all the multiple copies available for checkout that may be used for adult and young adult book clubs. Louise gave me a tour of the reference section of the library. She indicated that this section would undergo a thorough weeding and updating prior to changing to a new

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal 15 cataloging system in January. Louise said that the library keeps the Chilton auto repair reference books in the collection although they are outdated because people are restoring and repairing classic and older-model cars. However, Louise stated that she encourages patrons to use the EBSCO Auto Repair Reference Center database for current automotive repair information. Although much information can be located online, the library plans to keep phone books from most Iowa towns as well as Chicago, Omaha, and Kansas City in the collection. The library also uses both the Phone A to Z and Reference USA databases for phone number and address inquiries. The Iowa Code books, legal forms, and personal business forms are items in the reference collection that are used frequently. The materials kept at the reference desk for ready reference questions include the current set of World Book Encyclopedias, the Des Moines Book of Lists, the current edition of the Consumer Reports Buying Guide, the current edition of The World Almanac and Book of Facts, and the Farmers Almanac. Louise also said that she has used Google, Amazon, and MapQuest as reference resources. These observations were informative. I learned about the importance of the reference interview and how to ask effective questions to determine the actual reference need. I also enjoyed touring the reference section of the library to see the wide variety of reference materials. I was able to ask Louise for advice about which reference materials to update and which ones to weed out of my library collection. Louise also provided some valuable information about online subscription databases and their costs. Finally, Louise gave me tips about conducting quick and effective online searches to assist with ready reference and research questions. I am confident that these observations will help me improve current practices in my job as a K-12 media specialist.

CIMT 631- Farnsworth 2 Journal 16 References United States Census Bureau. (2012). West Des Moines (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov West Des Moines Public Library. (2012). West Des Moines Library. Retrieved from http://www.wdmlibrary.org