Public Services in Special Collections · 13
Clearly, there is no consensus among respon-
dents regarding how frequently patrons are re-
quired to register. Almost an equal number of li-
braries fall into one of two extremes—requiring
registration annually or requiring registration at
each visit. Twenty-five respondents (33%) require
on-site patrons using materials to register annu-
ally, while 23 respondents (36%) require the same
registration to be completed at each visit. Another
twelve libraries require registration for on-site pa-
trons using materials to be completed one time
only, at their initial visit to Special Collections. A
smaller number of respondents require new reg-
istration each semester, term, quarter, month, or
week. Approximately 88% of the libraries (65) store
registration records primarily as paper only and
34% (25) store this information in a database.
Public Service Staffing
Forty-three of the responding libraries (55%) have
staff members employed primarily to provide ref-
erence services. Those staff members tend to be li-
brarians (an average of 2.8 FTE) and support staff
(an average of 2.3 FTE). Archivists have primary
reference responsibility at only 15 institutions
Many of the respondents identified staff positions
with titles such as Public Services Coordinator,
Reading Room Coordinator, Reader’s Liaison, and
Research Services Archivist. The comments indi-
cate that although libraries are hiring staff mem-
bers primarily to provide public service, a large
number of the libraries continue to divide refer-
ence duties among most or all of the staff. A typical
comment read, “One librarian position, the Public
Services Coordinator, exists primarily to do refer-
ence/public service. All other permanent staff as-
sist with public services, however.”
Reference/Public Services
Respondents were asked to briefly describe the
reference interview process in Special Collections.
An analysis of respondents’ comments reveals that
there are two primary approaches to the typical
reference interview. The triage approach involves
patrons interacting first with support staff, student
assistants, or reading room coordinators. If the
needs of the patrons cannot be satisfied at this ini-
tial point of contact, the patrons are directed to sub-
ject specialists or other professionals who can pro-
vide greater in-depth assistance. Approximately
46 of the 76 respondents (61%) use a triage refer-
ence interview process. Comments from multiple
respondents indicate that this approach also fre-
quently includes the use of a reception desk that is
separated physically from the reference area.
The second major approach described by re-
spondents is a less-formal random reference ap-
proach. Several staff members share the responsi-
bility of serving at the reference desk, often in rotat-
ing shifts, and patrons simply interact with whom-
ever happens to be at the desk at any given time.
This approach doesn’t preclude the possibility that
a patron may be referred to another staff member
for more in-depth reference assistance, but it is far
less structured that the triage approach. The patron
may interact initially with a student assistant, or
they may encounter the head of the department,
or the very subject specialist that may be of most
help to them. Approximately 22 of the respondents
(28%) use the random reference interview process.
It is interesting to note that another six of the re-
sponding libraries (8%) have a reference interview
process in which patrons interact solely with pro-
fessional members of the staff.
All but a few of the libraries receive and re-
spond to patron reference questions in person, by
phone, via e-mail, by fax, or by regular mail. Other
means of communication and delivery, such as on-
line forms and express mail services, are used to
a lesser degree. Nine pioneering respondents use
online chat/instant messaging to interact with pa-
trons.
With few exceptions, the responding librar-
ies provide basic services such as helping patrons
identify useful materials and reproducing materi-
als by photocopy or digitization for both on- and
off-site patrons. Sixty-five respondents will create
a CD or DVD for either on- or off-site patrons and
Clearly, there is no consensus among respon-
dents regarding how frequently patrons are re-
quired to register. Almost an equal number of li-
braries fall into one of two extremes—requiring
registration annually or requiring registration at
each visit. Twenty-five respondents (33%) require
on-site patrons using materials to register annu-
ally, while 23 respondents (36%) require the same
registration to be completed at each visit. Another
twelve libraries require registration for on-site pa-
trons using materials to be completed one time
only, at their initial visit to Special Collections. A
smaller number of respondents require new reg-
istration each semester, term, quarter, month, or
week. Approximately 88% of the libraries (65) store
registration records primarily as paper only and
34% (25) store this information in a database.
Public Service Staffing
Forty-three of the responding libraries (55%) have
staff members employed primarily to provide ref-
erence services. Those staff members tend to be li-
brarians (an average of 2.8 FTE) and support staff
(an average of 2.3 FTE). Archivists have primary
reference responsibility at only 15 institutions
Many of the respondents identified staff positions
with titles such as Public Services Coordinator,
Reading Room Coordinator, Reader’s Liaison, and
Research Services Archivist. The comments indi-
cate that although libraries are hiring staff mem-
bers primarily to provide public service, a large
number of the libraries continue to divide refer-
ence duties among most or all of the staff. A typical
comment read, “One librarian position, the Public
Services Coordinator, exists primarily to do refer-
ence/public service. All other permanent staff as-
sist with public services, however.”
Reference/Public Services
Respondents were asked to briefly describe the
reference interview process in Special Collections.
An analysis of respondents’ comments reveals that
there are two primary approaches to the typical
reference interview. The triage approach involves
patrons interacting first with support staff, student
assistants, or reading room coordinators. If the
needs of the patrons cannot be satisfied at this ini-
tial point of contact, the patrons are directed to sub-
ject specialists or other professionals who can pro-
vide greater in-depth assistance. Approximately
46 of the 76 respondents (61%) use a triage refer-
ence interview process. Comments from multiple
respondents indicate that this approach also fre-
quently includes the use of a reception desk that is
separated physically from the reference area.
The second major approach described by re-
spondents is a less-formal random reference ap-
proach. Several staff members share the responsi-
bility of serving at the reference desk, often in rotat-
ing shifts, and patrons simply interact with whom-
ever happens to be at the desk at any given time.
This approach doesn’t preclude the possibility that
a patron may be referred to another staff member
for more in-depth reference assistance, but it is far
less structured that the triage approach. The patron
may interact initially with a student assistant, or
they may encounter the head of the department,
or the very subject specialist that may be of most
help to them. Approximately 22 of the respondents
(28%) use the random reference interview process.
It is interesting to note that another six of the re-
sponding libraries (8%) have a reference interview
process in which patrons interact solely with pro-
fessional members of the staff.
All but a few of the libraries receive and re-
spond to patron reference questions in person, by
phone, via e-mail, by fax, or by regular mail. Other
means of communication and delivery, such as on-
line forms and express mail services, are used to
a lesser degree. Nine pioneering respondents use
online chat/instant messaging to interact with pa-
trons.
With few exceptions, the responding librar-
ies provide basic services such as helping patrons
identify useful materials and reproducing materi-
als by photocopy or digitization for both on- and
off-site patrons. Sixty-five respondents will create
a CD or DVD for either on- or off-site patrons and
