Reference Services
Course
Responding to Reference Requests [3:46]
- Learn the different types of reference requests that could be encountered.
- Learn why it is important to make time for reference requests.
- Learn strategies for following up, including incorporating instruction.
Reference requests come in many forms, including student research questions, readers advisory, and teachers looking for curriculum resources. These requests often come either by email or in person. For example, a student working on a project may come to the library for help finding information about a president. Another student may want suggestions for a new fantasy series to start. A teacher may email the librarian about the best resources to use for an upcoming unit. On occasion, a teacher or administrator may need the librarian's help to find scholarly articles or other information for a graduate course they are taking. For all of these reference needs, staff and students rely on the librarian to point them in the right direction in order to succeed in their work.
Students and staff looking for your help is encouraging. It makes you feel like a valuable, trusted part of the school because they are seeking your contributions to their learning and teaching. Reference requests can come at any time during the school day, including before school, during class checkouts or lessons, and after school. With the exception of teaching an already-scheduled class, it is important to prioritize reference requests over most other library tasks. Sometimes reference questions can be answered quickly, such as providing a link to a database or showing a student where the displays for new books are located. Others can take considerable time, including matching the perfect book to a reluctant reader or finding credible websites for a teacher's new project. No matter the request, it is important that others in the school community see you as a reliable resource to meet their needs.
After providing information for a reference request, be sure to follow up with that person to ensure you met their needs. An appropriate way to follow up with someone is by asking, "Is this close to what you are looking for, or would you like more suggestions?" This could be how you end a response by email, or after a student has had time to look through books you located for them. The answer to that question will let you know if they are satisfied with the information you have given them, or if you should continue to search for more possibilities. Another way to follow up is to make note of whether you had enough resources available to answer their request. Do you need to order more books on that topic? Are the resources you found outdated?
In addition to helping students find resources, as a school librarian, you teach students the skills to become independent researches. When providing reference services, use the opportunity to model and recap the search process for students. By explicitly sharing how you're finding relevant materials, you introduce them to best practices and prime them for seeking resources on their own. Supporting students' reference requests presents a chance to connect with students and understand more about where they are in their research skills journey. Finally, use students' reference requests to help guide your own instructional planning. What information literacy lessons will most help them at this stage in their development as researchers?
Reference requests come in many forms and at all times of the school day. Supporting our school community's reference requests is a vital aspect of our job as librarians and it is important to take time during the school day to provide those answers. Finally, it is equally important to follow up both with the person and ourselves to be sure those needs were met, and take notes for any areas that need improvement. When librarians provide this valuable service to both students and staff, it helps to solidify librarians' role as supporters of not just curriculum, but also of lifelong learning.
Staff and students rely on the librarian to point them in the right direction when they have a reference need. Reference requests can pop up at any time during your day and it is important to make each request a top priority. Having a few starting points on hand will help make your students and staff feel heard and help you to prioritize when a reference request comes your way.
Prioritizing reference requests as they arise can prove difficult. After reviewing the SLC article provided in the Resources above, use the chart on page 2 of the Course Packet, brainstorm some ideas that you can use to respond to reference requests immediately. Sometimes the answer may be as simple as answering a quick question, or directing a student to the right section. However, when the reference request needs your time, it is important to have some ideas on hand to engage the student or staff member and let them know you are there to help them with their reference needs.
MLA Citation
"Reference Services: Making Time for Reference Requests." School Library Connection, October 2020, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2270026?learningModuleId=2270025&topicCenterId=2247902.
Entry ID: 2270027
With every reference request comes the opportunity to provide a learning moment about the search process. Providing students with the answer to their reference request, while instilling the skills they need to know how to research on their own creates lifelong learning skills. Review the SLC article and lesson plan (in the Resources below) that discuss helping students understand how to research and then complete the Reflect & Practice activity.
When students come to you with reference requests, it opens up the door for an opportunity to introduce them to the skills needed to start to find resources on their own. After reading the SLC article and lesson plan above, brainstorm a topic that your students would benefit from, based on where they are at in terms of grade level or research skills. Review the sample lesson plan and begin to craft your own lesson plan using page 3 of the Course Packet (found in the Resources above). Not missing the opportunity to use a reference request as a learning moment will solidify how valuable you are to creating lifelong learners.
MLA Citation
"Reference Services: Incorporating the Search Process." School Library Connection, October 2020, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2270026?learningModuleId=2270025&topicCenterId=2247902.
Entry ID: 2271775
Additional Resources
About the Author
MLA Citation
Grover, Rachel. "Reference Services. Responding to Reference Requests [3:46]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, October 2020, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2270026?learningModuleId=2270025&topicCenterId=2247902.
https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2270026?learningModuleId=2270025&topicCenterId=2247902
Entry ID: 2270026