Reference Services Policy
Memorial Hall Library Mission
Statement
To make available a broad range of
library materials, to provide up-to-date
and accurate information, to offer
services and programs desired by the
Community of Andover. To act as the most
convenient point of access for the
needed materials and information, and to
actively seek to make services community
members and organizations aware of
library resources and services.
Mission of Reference Department
It is the objective of the Reference
Department to effectively meet the goals
of the library's mission statement by
bringing the library's resources and the
community together through a variety of
services. Whatever the question or
information need, the staff will search
the library's collection of books,
periodicals, the Internet, online
databases, microfilm, microfiche and
pamphlets to find the answer. The staff
is trained to utilize print, technology
and the Internet to the fullest possible
extent to carry out this mission. If an
answer cannot be found in the library's
local or remote collection, the staff
will contact other libraries, agencies
and resources to meet the user's
information needs.
Reference service will be provided
whenever the library is open. The
Reference Desk will be staffed at all
times by professionally trained
librarians who will provide quality
service to all users. The staff will
provide the best service possible
through the resources available and
through collaboration with fellow staff
members who have specialized knowledge
and skills.
Purpose of Reference Policy
- To describe the services and
resources which are offered by the
Reference Department.
- To set standards and guidelines
that ensure excellence in reference
service.
- To provide a philosophical
framework for staff that confirms the
library's commitment to excellence in
reference service.
Statement of Objectives
- To provide personal assistance
without discrimination to library
users.
- To select, acquire, and organize
sources of information, both
traditional and electronic, to meet
the changing needs of library users.
- To identify and promote the
information needs of potential users
in the community.
- To cooperate with other community
agencies and organizations in their
efforts to serve the community.
- To ensure that library users
receive a consistently high level of
service.
- To present programs which teach
the use of the library and it's
resources.
- To identify a patron's specific
informational needs through a
reference interview and then proceed
to fill those needs by using the
resources available, including the
expertise of colleagues and referral
to other organizations.
- To identify and meet the needs of
member libraries of the Northeast
Massachusetts Regional Library System
in Memorial Hall's capacity as the
back up reference center for the
region.
- To utilize the expertise of fellow
staff librarians.
- To utilize agencies contracted by
the Northeast Massachusetts Regional
Library System for specialized
reference service.
- To utilize the expertise of other
agencies to obtain the best
information in order to completely
answer a patron's question.
- To refer patrons to appropriate
agencies that can provide needed
information.
Reference Staff
Reference staff members serve as the
link between resources and the patron.
As such, it is important that staff
members be:
- Highly knowledgeable about
traditional reference sources and
proficient with electronic resources
and the technology needed to access
those resources.
- Knowledgeable about the town of
Andover and its government.
- Open and approachable; friendly
but professional.
- Able to communicate effectively
with all library users.
- Discreet in the handling of
questions that might be confidential
or sensitive.
- Impartial in dealing with all
patrons.
- Able to exercise good judgment
both in the interpretation of policy
and in the handling of exceptional
situations.
- Able to instruct the public in the
use of print and electronic resources.
- Able to evaluate the Internet for
authority, accuracy, currency, and
content.
- Skilled in the interviewing
process in order to help the patron
formulate their specific question and
make the patron comfortable in the
transaction so they will return for
further help if their specific need
has not been met.
- Take the responsibility to seek
continuing education opportunities
especially workshops provided by the
Merrimack Valley Library Consortium,
Northeast Massachusetts Library
System, Board of Library
Commissioners, and any other workshops
and conferences approved by the
Library Director.
New staff members will receive
orientation to Memorial Hall Library and
to the Northeast Massachusetts Regional
Library System. Continual training is
necessary in order to provide the
highest level of service. Participation
in workshops and attendance at meetings
on a local, state, and national level is
encouraged.
Library Users
Library users are all people seeking
information whether in person, by
telephone, by fax, by mail, or by email.
Reference service is available to all
persons without discrimination. The
needs of the library user are taken
seriously and treated with the utmost
respect.
General Guidelines for Desk Service
Priorities
Service to the public receives
priority over any other duties. Library
users should be confident that the
primary purpose of a reference librarian
is to assist them.
The public is served on a first come,
first served basis. People calling the
library are helped in sequence. Callers
will be asked if they would like to
wait, to call back, or to be called back
before being put on hold. Patrons
approaching the desk will be informed
that they will be helped as soon as
possible.
Reference Staff are on-call during
scheduled off desk time to assist at the
reference desk when needed.
Memorial Hall Library acts as the
Northeast Regional Reference and
Research Center and in this capacity
serves all citizens of Massachusetts.
Calls from member libraries of the
Northeast Region are handled in the same
sequence as patrons. The Regional
Reference Librarian and Head of
Reference are available to be called to
help with the member library's question
during busy times.
Recording
Statistics are gathered on a
quarterly basis in January, March, June,
and October. Statistics for member
library requests and Community
Information are kept on a daily basis.
Reporting Problems
If a staff member has a problem in
dealing with a patron, or if a patron is
hurt in the library, the name, telephone
number, address, and a write up of the
incident will be recorded on the
Incident
Report form and given to the
supervisor who will inform the director.
Incomplete Reference Transactions
Although every effort is made to
complete questions immediately, some can
remain at the end of a shift or day.
Unfinished questions are turned over to
incoming staff. A patron will be advised
if more than one day is needed to
complete the question or if the question
has been referred to another source. If
a question is waiting for a reply from
another source, or if a patron has been
notified that a printout is waiting for
them, the
Reference Pending Form will be
filled out and materials will be
attached to it in the
Reference
Question Pending notebook. Staff
members will consult with colleagues if
they need assistance with a puzzling or
difficult question. The Regional
Reference Librarian checks the
Reference Pending
Notebook each day for completed
questions and performs any follow up.
Referrals to the Boston Public
Library
If a reference question from a patron
or a member library cannot be answered
in-house, it will be referred to Boston
Public Library. Patrons and member
libraries will be informed that their
question has been referred on. Member
libraries will be contacted directly by
BPL with an answer. MHL staff will
contact patrons.
Referrals to the Consumer Health and
Law Reference Centers
Memorial Hall Library also has the
back up resources contracted by the
Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library
System. For law and health inquiries,
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts law
libraries and the Treadwell Consumer
Health Library of Massachusetts General
Hospital are available for mediated
questions from the librarians. Patrons
may also be referred directly to the
Lawrence Law Library for further
resources. For business resources, the
MassBedrock web site created by the
University of Massachusetts, Amherst,
provides access to electronic business
resources.
Referrals to Other Libraries
If needed materials are located at
another library, the staff member will
verify that the resources are actually
there. A call to have a book held at
another library is appropriate.
Sources
To give the most accurate and
authoritative answers possible, staff
members will avoid personal opinions,
philosophy, or evaluations; rather they
will rely upon information based on
accurate printed or online sources. The
opinion of staff members, even when
requested, will not be given as fact.
The source of the answer will always be
cited. Medical, legal, and tax
information will in no way be
interpreted or opinions given.
Instruction and Orientation Services
Instruction and orientation services
in library use are an integral part of
library service and may range from basic
instruction on how to use the computer
catalog, online databases, or Internet.
More formal tours are offered to
school groups, organizations, or member
libraries in order to increase the
knowledge of the library's materials and
services.
Time Limits
No two reference questions are alike;
therefore, no special time limits can be
placed on an actual question. The amount
of time devoted to a question is at the
discretion of the reference librarian.
When questions from member libraries
cannot be answered in-house within a
day's time, they will be referred to
another source.
Specific Reference Desk Service
Guidelines
A reference transaction is defined as
an informational contact, which involves
the knowledge, use, recommendation,
interpretation, or instruction in the
use of one or more information sources,
by a member of the library staff.
Reference interviewing techniques will
always be employed to ascertain the
specific need of the patron. Direct
service provides the patron with the
information requested, while
instructional service is designed to
teach the patron independent use of
library resources. Reference service,
whether direct or instructional,
provides accurate and prompt information
to the public.
In-Person Reference
Basic
Assistance: Reference staff
members will assist patrons at every
level of the Reference transaction, if
the patron so desires. This may require
accompanying the patron to the computer
catalog to explain its use, or
physically locating the materials for
the patron. In the event that the staff
member is unable to accompany the patron
to the stacks area, it is important to
remind the patron to check back with the
reference desk if the material cannot be
located.
Priority:
If a patron has a time-consuming
request, it may be necessary to get
him/her started and make sure a
follow-up is done to continue the patron
in the process. Additional staff will be
summoned if necessary or during break
time.
Telephone Reference
Telephone reference will be handled
in the same sequence and manner as
in-person inquiries. Book checks will be
done to confirm that titles are on the
shelf and will be held at the
circulation desk. If the desk is busy or
if multiple titles are requested, staff
will offer to call the patron back to
let him/her know we have found and are
holding the titles. If the answer to the
question seems too involved to relate
easily over the telephone, this will be
explained to the patron and the
suggestion made that the patron come to
the Library. Information may be faxed to
a patron who has a dedicated fax
machine. A maximum of thirty pages is
suggested; however, it is up to the
discretion of the librarian.
For calls from out of state, the
callers will be asked to call back at a
prearranged time or the librarian will
return the call if that is more
convenient. Genealogy questions should
be mailed or emailed to the attention of
the Andover Room Librarian. Genealogy
searches will not be done over the
telephone.
When a staff member must transfer a
call to another department, the caller
will be told where the call is being
transferred and why.
Fax, Mail, Email Requests
It is the library's practice to
respond to all reasonable reference
inquiries received by mail, fax or
email.If the question becomes too
involved or time-consuming, the staff
member will explain the limitations of
the service and suggest that the patron
visit the library or their own library
for further assistance. Suggestions of
Internet sites, which maybe helpful in
answering a patron's question can be a
good referral especially when dealing
with email requests.
Email and fax requests from member
libraries are treated the same as
telephone calls. Email requests will be
moved to a
Questions In Progress folder
while being worked on and transferred to
a Completed
folder when done.
Specific Reference Question
Guidelines
School Assignments
Questions related to school
assignments will be treated like any
other request for reference assistance.
Every effort will be made to
satisfactorily answer a student's
questions and provide the sources for
information and the instruction needed
to use those sources. If a student has a
printed school assignment, it is helpful
to ask permission to copy the assignment
and pass it on to the Young Adult
librarians so that they can set some
books aside for the assignment or
contact the teacher for further
explanation.
If staff has used a good resource for
the assignment they will pass the
resources on to the next shift rather
than rely on them to redo the search. If
every effort has been made by the
reference staff and the student to
locate information without results, the
student will be encouraged to return to
the teacher for further instructions or
an altered assignment. A note to this
effect may be given to the student if
the reference staff member feels it is
justified.
Contest Questions
Contest questions will be approached
with the same guidelines and time limits
as any other type of reference question.
However, contest questions are often
designed to be interpreted in more than
one way and have more than one answer
that seems to be correct. The staff will
not interpret contest rules.
Consumer Evaluations
The staff will help patrons locate
objective consumer product information
by showing he/she how to consult the
indexes to Consumer Reports and related
magazines, buying guides, and/or general
periodical indexes. Short published
consumer ratings will be read over the
phone; however, in depth consumer
information must be read at the library.
The staff does not offer personal
opinions recommending one product over
another.
Book, Antique and Art Appraisals
Patrons will be referred to
appropriate reference sources or to
consultants or experts. Staff members
will never give a personal appraisal of
the value of an object.
Genealogical and Local History
Questions
Staff members will provide general
assistance in genealogical research, and
guidance in locating items in our
Andover Room Collection. Patrons may
accompany staff to the Andover Room to
choose resources but may not remain in
the room. Identification and signing of
the guest book is required for the use
of materials from the Andover Room.
Staff members will not engage in actual
genealogical research for patrons. Help
in locating materials may be requested
from the Andover Room Librarian. Patrons
calling long distance will be requested
to mail or email their request to the
Andover Room Librarian. Limited research
will be done and referrals to the
Andover Historical Society given.
Translations
Brief translations may be provided
only if a person on the staff with
appropriate expertise is available.
Otherwise, referrals from the Community
Information Database will be given.
Compilations and Extensive Research
Requests for and/or completion of
lengthy research are not considered a
traditional role of the public reference
librarian. Patrons needing extensive
bibliographies, lists, statistics, or
research will be directed to the
appropriate resources and offered as
much assistance as staff time allows.
Medical, Legal and Tax Questions
The library does not provide advice
in the areas of medicine, law, and
taxes. Under no circumstances will a
staff member offer advice in medical,
legal, or tax areas, no matter how
commonplace the question seems to be.
Complicated legal searches will not be
undertaken nor will personal
interpretations of legal matters be
offered. Referrals will be made to the
Lawrence Law Library in its role as the
NMRLS Legal Reference Center.
Brief definitions and descriptions
from authoritative sources will be
provided in response to requests for
medical information. These sources will
be quoted verbatim with no personal
interpretation. The patron will be
informed of the sources from which the
information is taken. Every effort will
be made to use authoritative, current
online sources when using the Internet.
Specific tax forms and publications will
not be suggested. Patrons
Specific tax forms and publications
will not be suggested. Patrons need to
know the number of the forms they need.
If more information is required, the
patron will be encouraged to examine the
library's collections or be referred to
another source.
Mathematical Calculations
Mathematical calculations will be
provided only if a person on the staff
with appropriate expertise is available.
Otherwise patrons are referred to
sources containing the formulas or
tables necessary for them to complete
their calculations
Criss-Cross and City Directories
Criss-Cross and city directory
inquiries will be answered only for the
name or street provided. No more than
three listings will be provided per
patron at any one time. Staff members
will not give "nearby" listings.
Loan of Reference Materials
Reference books may be checked out
overnight at the discretion of the
reference librarian on duty. No volumes
of sets, heavily used titles, or ready
reference titles will be allowed to
circulate. Staff will verify that the
patron has a valid library card in good
standing. Books will be checked out at
the circulation desk for 1 day and
should be returned as close to 9 am as
possible. A note will be left in the
Reference
Notebook to alert the Head of
Reference and the staff that the title
has been borrowed.
Instructional Classes
Classes are offered by Memorial Hall
Library staff and through the Town of
Andover's Department of Community
services for instructional use of the
library catalog, electronic resources,
and Internet searching. Classes are
taught by large screen projection and
handouts are provided to allow patrons
to practice their new skills.
Appendix A:
American Library Association: Library
Bill of Rights
Appendix B:
Guidelines for Medical, Legal and
Business Responses at General Reference
Desk
Appendix C:
American Library Association Code of
Ethics
Glenda Schaake, Coordinator of
Reference Services
Approved by
the Memorial Hall Library Board of
Trustees, December 6, 2000
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