Can I Help You Now?
How About Now?
Providing Roaming Reference Without
Becoming a Stalker Librarian
Presenters
Allison Ringness, Glendale Community College
Nicole Sandberg, Glendale Community College
Project Background
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LSTA Collections Category Grant
o “Develop library services and provide all users access to
information”
o Roaming reference a useful expansion of library services
Grant Guidelines
o Pre-test
o Tie outcomes to needs
o Measurable outcomes
o Grant guidelines contributed to project success
Literature Review
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Lotts, Megan, and Stephanie Graves. "Using the Ipad for Reference Services." College &
Research Libraries News 72.4 (2011): 217-220. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013
McCabe, Kealin M., and James R.W. MacDonald. "Roaming Reference: Reinvigorating
Reference Through Point of Need Service." Partnership: The Canadian Journal Of Library &
Information Practice & Research 6.2 (2011): 1-15. Library, Information Science & Technology
Abstracts. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
International M-Libraries Conference, Ally, M., & Needham, G. (2010). M-libraries 2: A virtual
library in everyone's pocket. London: Facet. Ask us upstairs' : bringing roaming reference to the
Paley stacks. Fred Rowland, Adam Schambaugh
MacDonald, James, and Kealin McCabe. "Iroam: Leveraging Mobile Technology To Provide
Innovative Point Of Need Reference Services." Code4lib Journal 13 (2011): 1-7. Library,
Information Science & Technology Abstracts. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
Definitions
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Alternative names
o Roving reference
o Mobile reference
o Point-of-need reference
Roaming reference at GCC
o Additional to reference desk
Stalker Librarian
Can I help
you now?
Getty Images
How about
now?
Survey Design
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Establish the need
o
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Short and sweet
o
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Measure whether service
removes barriers to
access
o
Fast for students to
complete
Fast for librarians to code
Coding
o
o
Service received
Location returned
Survey Delivery
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Advertise in high-traffic
areas
Low-tech tools
o
o
o
Colored paper
Paper boxes
Coffee!
Allison Ringness
Roaming: When
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November 12-23, 2012
Day and early evening
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34 shifts total
Shifts covered class change
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Observed at desk that this is a busy time
Roaming: Where
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GCC Library
layout
o
o
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o
Service desks
Computer
commons
Stacks
Route
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Through stacks
Reference backup
http://lib.gccaz.edu/lmc/building/map/lmcmap.htm
l
Roaming: Who
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Full-time librarians
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Available to attend
planning meetings
Small group easily
trained
Able to gather feedback
immediately after pilot
Involvement in planning
resulted in high buy-in
www.beautiful-libraries.com
Roaming: What
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34 Roaming “shifts”
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One librarian per shift
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Look for lost, confused students
Continue regular reference desk
service
Greet
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If student refuses help, move on!
Technology
Statistics
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Modified version of desk statistics
Measure student reaction
IntelFreePress via Wikimedia
Did Our Service Meet a Need?
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101 Interactions
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Plus normal Reference Desk traffic
Although students had been to desk, not en route to desk
when met in stacks
Did Students Really Want Roaming Reference?
Did Students Really Want Roaming Reference?
• Yes!
When do students need help?
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Confidence not equal to competence
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Students thought they needed help finding books
But librarians answered more reference than directional
questions
Where do students need help?
Were we stalkers?
Were we stalkers?
No!
Project Conclusion
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Implementation
Need was established
Stakeholder buy-in
Unexpected learning opportunities
Questions