Roving Reference: A New Approach to User Services
submitted by: Martin Courtois
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Reference Librarian
Gelman Library
George Washington University
2130 H St., NW
Washington, DC 20052 USA
E-mail: courtois@gwu.edu
and Maira Liriano
Coordinator, Reference and Information Services
Gelman Library
George Washington University
2130 H St., NW
Washington DC 20052 USA
E-mail: liriano@gwu.edu
Abstract
Roving librarians circulate within the reference area to offer assistance to
users at workstations. Dramatic increases in the numbers of electronic
resources call for roving as an effective way to offer on-site assistance. Many
libraries offer roving, but note some problems: invasion of users' privacy,
reluctance of some librarians to rove, predominance of basic technical
questions, etc. Overall, librarians report that users appreciate the service, and
many libraries are trying to move toward more formal implementations of
roving. The authors summarize points raised in a recent discussion on roving
on LIBREF-L and offer reasons why librarians should rove.
Introduction
The rapid expansion of the Web and other electronic resources has led
libraries to reconsider traditional methods of providing reference services. The
reference desk has been, and in many ways still is, the service center of the
reference department. The desk serves as the focal point for users and a
base of operations for librarians. However, the impact of electronic information
sources and the growing number of public workstations is challenging this
traditional view. It is becoming more common for library users to find
dictionaries, encyclopedias, periodical indexes, and other reference sources
in computerized form, rather than in the print reference collection. There is a
shift away from the reference desk and toward the public workstation as the
gateway to information.
Many libraries have responded to this change by incorporating the idea of
roving reference service. Roving is the act of a library employee circulating
within the reference area or other parts of the library to offer assistance to
users. A roving librarian approaches the user, rather than waiting for the user
to come to the reference desk. The roving librarian may extend help to all
users, but for purposes of this discussion, we will focus on users at public
workstations. Although many reference transactions require leaving the
reference desk and accompanying the user to a workstation, we do not
consider these instances roving if the user initiated the transaction by
approaching the desk.
Why roving reference?
A study by Swope and Katzer in 1972 suggested that the majority of users
who have questions in mind do not approach the reference desk for
assistance.(1) This problem was compounded by the large-scale move to
online public access catalogs (OPACs) and CD-ROM databases in the late
1980s and early 1990s. Noticing that users frequently had difficulty using
these new systems effectively, reference departments began exploring roving
as a way to provide assistance at the point of need. A 1992 article by
Bregman and Mento described reference roving at Boston College.(2)
Librarians and staff from reference and other units roved in the Electronic
Information Area, which at the time supported over 50 public workstations. In
Mendelsohn's study at the University of Toronto, 56 percent of respondents
indicated there were likely to use the help of librarians approaching users and
offering assistance at OPAC terminals.(3) In 1996, Kramer reported on roving
in a small academic library and concluded that roving librarians elicit fewer
routine and more in-depth questions than students bring to the reference
desk.(4)
These studies offer strong support for roving, and together with dramatic
increases in the range of electronic resources, point the way for roving as an
essential reference service. While early OPACs and CD-ROM databases
presented challenges for library users, growing numbers of Web resources,
databases, and full-text sources and OPACs with sophisticated search
capabilities create an environment that can baffle even experienced library
users. Many libraries have increased the number of public workstations, some
of which may be located a considerable distance from the desk or in an area
that is not readily visible to librarians at the desk. Users may need to wait in
line or sign up in advance to use a workstation and risk losing their place if
they go to the reference desk. Some libraries set time limits on workstations,
which may discourage users from taking the time to ask for assistance.
These factors call for new models of reference service to assist users in
finding the information they need. The reference desk model worked well for
times when most or all of reference information was accessible only through
the print reference collection. We now face a situation, however, where each
workstation provides a "reference collection" that may surpass the breadth
and depth of the print collection. Roving provides a model that, in essence,
tries to "staff" all the "reference desks" that exist at the public workstations.
Although roving has risen from the growing number of electronic resources, it
is also a useful approach in libraries with few or no electronic resources.
Swope and Katzer suggested that reference librarians create a welcoming
environment by roving and give the impression that they are open and
receptive to questions. (5)
Implementations of Roving
A recent discussion on LIBREF-L indicated that reference departments offer
roving in a variety of ways. (6) Larger departments may have a designated
rover, someone who is not expected to assist users at the reference desk, but
is free to circulate among workstations. Rovers are usually scheduled only
during busiest times and may be student assistants, staff members, or
librarians. Student assistant rovers in particular may be given specific tasks
such as checking for printer and computer problems or providing basic help in
using electronic resources, with instructions to refer more complex questions
to a librarian. Another common pattern is for reference librarians to rove as
possible, going out on the floor during quiet times or on their way back to the
desk from helping a user. Many librarians report being asked questions by
other users after they finish helping someone at a workstation.
A variety of techniques are used by rovers to approach users. Some rovers
simply circulate in the workstation area, waiting for users to approach them for
assistance. Others engage users directly by asking "Do you have any
questions?" or "Are you finding what you need?" The offer of assistance may
be addressed to a single user or delivered to a group of users within a cluster
of workstations. The arrangement of workstations in most departments allows
for the "over-the-shoulder" method of observing what is on the users' screens
and directly addressing problems they may be having with database selection,
search formulation, etc. Librarians may also refer questions received at the
reference desk to rovers. Rovers may wear nametags or badges identifying
them as reference staff. Finally, one library reported developing a "high tech"
approach to roving:
We are also developing a "help button" mechanism which will allow users at
public PCs to open a window on their desktop marked "Contact a Librarian"
and send a brief pre-formatted request for assistance to the Ref Desk. The
message is received at the desk, an audible noise is heard and the public
workstation number from which the user is seeking help is indicated. If we can
help, we will leave and go to that public workstation immediately. If we can't
leave the desk immediately we hope to be able to send back a preformatted
message stating so and also stating that we will be there shortly. (7)
A common and somewhat disconcerting aspect of roving is that it is often
dependent upon preferences of individual librarians. Many libraries reported
that only a few librarians rove and that others found it too intimidating, felt like
they were violating users' privacy, found it too tiring, preferred to try to do
other work at the desk, or simply did not like to rove. A few libraries reported
increasing belligerence on the part of users who did not appreciate being
interrupted by the rover. Some libraries noted that roving yields primarily basic
technical questions, e.g., fixing printer problems or rebooting PCs, few of
which require the assistance of a librarian. Some reference managers felt
their library could offer improved reference service by moving toward a formal
policy of roving, but stated they did not have strong support for this change
from reference librarians.
To Rove or Not to Rove
Roving presents a different approach to librarian-user contact and may be
difficult for some librarians to adopt. Studies mentioned in this paper offer
some empirical evidence of the effectiveness of roving, and most informal
reports from libraries that employ rovers indicate that the service is welcomed
by users. Still, there seems to be an ongoing debate, centered primarily on
individual work styles and preferences, over whether or not librarians should
rove. To add to that discussion, we offer the following thoughts on why roving
is worth considering:
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Librarians are perceived as experts in networked information
sources. As early adopters of electronic resources and Web
technology, librarians are seen as knowledgeable in these areas and
able to offer solid instruction and advice. Roving allows us to capitalize
on this perception and creates opportunities to gather direct feedback
on user interfaces, network stability, and other factors that will enable
us to build better library systems.
Put your best people on the front line. Many reference departments
employ student and staff assistants at the desk. Providing proper
training for these assistants, particularly in terms of recognizing
questions that need to be referred to a librarian, has always been
difficult to do. Lack of quality, on-going training can result in incomplete
service and appropriate questions not being referred. As a rover, a
librarian is more likely to project the confidence and understanding that
will encourage users to share their questions. Roving librarians are
more likely to accurately identify users' real needs and can refer basic
questions (How do I start Netscape, my printer is jammed, etc.) to
assistants. In departments without assistants, this is a moot point, but
for departments that do employ students and staff, this approach
makes it easier for users to tap librarians' skills and expertise.
Roving is a professional service and a public service. As is
common at most reference desks, a roving librarian may address many
basic and simple questions. For some librarians, this represents a
threat to our profession; we must be careful to engage only in
"professional" activities. We contend that even the most basic
questions can and should be handled in a "professional" way and that
roving constitutes not only a "professional" service, but an important
public service. We provide better service when our time at the desk is
spent helping users, rather than using quiet time in order to do other
work. Keep in mind that working at the reference desk is not our only
professional outlet and that many other professional activities are open
to reference librarians.
Create an atmosphere of active learning. Roving is frequently
criticized as invading users' privacy. Helping users at their workstations
encourages librarians to employ a teaching mode of reference service
and establishes a hands-on learning environment for the user. Roving
enables users to receive assistance at the time of greatest need and
helps them to feel more comfortable in asking for assistance in the
future. In addition, roving permits the librarian to be on hand to followup with users and ensure they are finding the information they need.
Rather than a "private" environment, libraries need to create centers for
active learning. Rovers need to be sensitive to those who prefer to
work independently and in private, but also need to make it clear that
questions and discussion are encouraged.
Roving is a new service model for many libraries and a new way of providing
user assistance. It brings a human element to patterns of information seeking
that take place without human contact, i.e., sitting in front of a computer. It
challenges librarians to adopt new methods of assisting users and to become
comfortable with an ever expanding array of networked information sources.
Additional research and discussion on roving will help to focus attention and
find creative solutions to maintaining quality of reference service in networked
environments.
References
1. Swope, Mary Jane and Jeffrey Katzer. "Why Don't They Ask Questions?,"
RQ 12 (Winter 1972): 161-166.
2. Bregman, Adeane and Barbara Mento. "Reference Roving at Boston
College: Point of Use Assistance to Electronic Resource Users Reduces
Stress," College and Research Libraries News 53 (November 1992): 634-635.
3. Mendelsohn, Jennifer. Human Help at OPAC Terminals is User Friendly: A
Preliminary Study," RQ 34 (Winter 1994): 173-190.
4. Kramer, Eileen H. "Why Roving Reference: A Case Study in a Small
Academic Library," Reference Services Review 24 (Fall 1996): 67-80.
5. Swope and Katzer, 164-165.
6. Courtois, Martin (courtois@gwu.edu) and Maira Liriano (liriano@gwu.edu).
"Summary on Reference Roving," message posted to LIBREF-L May 18,
1999. Available at http://listserv.kent.edu/archives/libref-l.html
7. ibid.
May 31, 1999