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discussion posts for Margae Schmidt, or you can view the full discussion.

from Reference service reports Feb 4, 2019 9:09pm

Report 1: Face-to-face (Orland Park Public Library in Orland Park, IL)

I walked into the Orland Park Public Library in Orland Park, IL on a Saturday around
noon to ask a reference librarian a question about genealogy research. The library was very
busy this day so I had to wait a few minutes to be helped. When the librarian asked how he
could help me I stated that I was working on my personal family genealogy research and I
was trying to find out the name of the city where my great grandfather was born in Italy. I
told him that I knew my great grandfather immigrated to Ellis Island in the late 1800's and I
knew a couple of other facts about his early life, such as his date of birth. I also stated that I
had used the website Ansestry.com before but I could not find the information I was looking
for there.
He first suggested some books on genealogy research and showed me where they were
located on the shelves in the library, but he never suggested one in particular. He also
suggested I check Ellis Island records online, which involved creating a free account. When
I entered my great grandfather’s last name nothing came up under the search results. I was
going to ask him to help me further but he was already assisting another patron. This made
me think of the article We Need to Talk About Reference by Andrew Richard Albanese and
Brian Kenney. Kenny stated, “today’s library user wants help doing things, rather than
finding things.” (2016, p. 36) Yes, I wanted to find an answer to my question, but I also
wanted help on how to research an answer.
I would rate my encounter with this reference librarian a 3. He did give me some new
information but never introduced himself. He was not very welcoming and I felt like I was
bothering him the entire time. Also, I was hoping he would be more specific with his
suggestions on books but he just showed me a general section on genealogy and left it up
to me to browse. I wish he would have asked more follow up questions to help me in my
search but he seemed rushed. This could be due to the fact that it was a Saturday afternoon
and the library was very busy and seemed understaffed. Having worked in large public
libraries myself, I understand the stress of being understaffed and trying to help multiple
people at one time. I wish he would have encouraged me to return to the library to further
my research.

Report 2: Telephone (La Grange Public Library)

I called the La Grange Public Library located in La Grande, IL on a Friday afternoon. The
first time I called I was direct to a voicemail for the reference department where I was
assured if I left a message someone from the department would contact me. I called again,
approximately fifteen minutes later and again no one answered, so I left a message. A
couple of minutes later my phone call was returned by a reference librarian named Kenneth.
Our entire conversation lasted approximately ten minutes. My question for him was “I am
interested in genealogy research. I have conducted a little research myself using
Ancestry.com at my local public library because I do not want to pay for a subscription but I
am stuck. I am trying to find the city where my great grandfather was born. I know he came
from Italy to Ellis Island in the early 1900’s and he was born in 1888. I’m not sure where to
go from here. Can you recommend some other sources that can help me find an answer to
my question?”
I felt that Kenneth really listened to my question and information I gave before giving me
suggestions on resources. “Librarians say that question--what problem are you trying to
solve?--is the heart of today’s reference mission.” (Albanese & Kenney, 2016, p.36) I think
making the patron feel listened to and empowered to conduct research is one of the most
crucial parts of the reference interview. He said that they did not have a genealogist at the
library, but he has taught some genealogy classes. He first mentioned FamilySearch.org,
which is a free website similar to Ancestry, but you can create an account for free, unlike
Ancestry, and it might give me different information. He said that all of the genealogy
websites are a little bit different in the information they offer including census records, birth
and death certificates, military records etc. He then suggested using Heritage Quest, which
is a database the library offered. He also mentioned that the La Grange Public Library was
having a program at the end of the month on house genealogy. He told me that she might
be able to answer some questions I have about genealogy research after the program.
I would rate my encounter with this reference librarian a 4.5. He was very pleasant to
interact with and I never felt rushed to get off of the phone. Also, Kenneth offered many
helpful tips from his own knowledge base. My only critique is that he did not give me any
print recommendations on how to conduct genealogy research. He just suggested I come
into the library and he could help me find some books there.
Report 3: Virtual (Thomas Ford Public Library in Western Springs, IL)
I emailed the Thomas Ford Public Library located in Western Springs, IL. Before I sent my
email, I noticed on the library’s website that they try to respond to questions via email within
24 hours. I thought was helpful information for patrons to know. More of the time, patrons
expect quick turnaround times to their questions. My emails stated, “I have a question for a
Reference Librarian. I am looking for resources on Ayurveda practices. I would like a variety
of different formats on this topic (books, articles, websites etc.) Could someone please
contact me via email?” A reference librarian named Matthew contacted me within three
hours of my original email.
The librarian conducted some good reference best practices by responding to me promptly.
He emailed me back and attached a few journal articles and stated “Attached are a number
of articles about Ayurveda. I tried to select a range of things, but most of what I was able to
find in our databases were from medical journals rather than more popular sources. I've also
included some links to online resources and books in our library system below. Honestly, if
you are looking for information about actually practicing Ayurveda, rather than information
about Ayurveda in general, the books will likely be your best resource.” I respond to the
email saying thank you and I would look into the items he sent me. I wish he would have
asked me questions to see if my question was truly met.
I would rate my virtual encounter with Matthew a 3. According to Albanese and Kenney,
“Getting more involved in outcomes, librarians say, is critical to the future of reference.”
(2016, p. 37) He did not follow up with asking me more questions about what I was trying to
find out about the topic specifically. Maybe he assumed I would ask him. It is also hard to tell
the tone of an email but I felt like he was just sending me sources to get his job done,
instead of really trying to figure out the best information to send me. I felt a little dismissed.
References
Albanese, A. R., & Kenney, B. (2016). We need to talk about reference. Publishers
Weekly, 263(35), 36-38.