VHS or DVD/29 minutes/2004/Closed Captioned
Learn the stages of a reference interview and the behaviors necessary to conduct a successful reference interview in this engaging 29-minute program.
"Sometimes the customer's question does not actually reflect the answer they're seeking and Conducting the Reference Interview shows the audience how to probe the customer to discover their true information need," according to writer Carl Birkmeyer. "The program also discusses what makes a correct answer to ensure customer satisfaction," he added.
Produced with a content committee of reference librarians and trainers, the program also discusses the unique challenges of online reference interviews. "Although an online reference interview is a lot like that done in-person, the librarian needs to be also be able to emulate the unseen visual queues while conveying a sense of personality," according to Joe Thompson, project coordinator of Maryland Ask Us Now!, a member of the content committee.
