General Reference and Science and Technology Information Center Appointment Policies and Procedures 

Rationale

There are two types of reference appointments available at Helmke Library, walk-in and scheduled. Both types of appointments are available at the library's reference consulting areas - general reference on the first floor and Science and Technology Information Center on the fourth floor. The library maintains statistics on reference appointments and its performance is judged on such indicators, so it is important to make and record appointments accurately. This document outlines the policies and procedures governing the provision of reference and information services on a walk-in and scheduled basis.

Policies

The library's basic and in-depth reference and information services and two-tiered instructional services are described in detail on the library's homepage under Reference & Instruction. Any librarian, library staff member, or student worker may respond to a patron's request for information by scheduling a reference appointment with a librarian.

Appointments are recorded by library staff in separate appointment books kept at the Service Desk. The Science and Technology Information Center's appointment book will be transferred to the fourth floor during the Center's normal hours of operation (2-4 p.m., Monday-Thursday, during fall and spring semesters), and it will be returned to the Service Desk when the Center is closed.

The Science and Technology Information Center schedule provides eight (8) hours in addition to the regular general reference schedule's 60 hours, for a total of 68 hours of reference appointments per week. Extra Saturday hours are also added during the peak mid-semester schedule to accommodate demand.

It is important for library staff to convey the message to patrons that a librarian is available to assist them. Patrons who seek assistance on a walk-in basis should be assigned to the next available librarian working in (1) the first-floor general reference area, followed by (2) the fourth-floor Science and Technology Information Center, according to the procedures below.

Procedures for Recording Walk-in Appointments

When an appointment is for the next available time, and the patron does not ask to meet with a particular librarian, write "walk-in," "student," or "patron" in the appointment book next to the initials of the librarian on duty.

Schedule all walk-in appointments for the general reference consulting area first, then assign patrons to the next available Science and Technology Information Center librarian (whether the question is science related or not).

Procedures for Recording Scheduled Appointments

When the patron asks to meet with a particular liaison librarian or subject specialist (e.g., "the education librarian," "psychology librarian," etc.), write the patron's full name in the appointment book next to the librarian's initials. See the posted list of Library Fund Managers by Subject or Department to identify the appropriate librarian.

When scheduling an appointment hours or days in advance, also record the patron's name, even if the patron does not request the librarian by name.

Procedures for Making Referrals to Librarians

Staff should encourage patrons to meet with the next available librarian, who will help them begin their search and perhaps make a referral to a subject specialist for further help. When a patron clearly needs specialized assistance, make an effort to schedule an appointment with the appropriate librarian.

If the librarian's hours listed on the reference appointment schedule do not suit patrons' schedules, encourage them to contact the librarian by phone or e-mail to arrange a more convenient appointment time. Do not convey the message that a librarian is not available if he or she does not have a regular shift listed on the schedule. Make every effort to offer the librarian's business card and allow the patron to use a library telephone to reach the librarian or to leave a message with their name, brief reference question, phone number, and/or e-mail address.

Librarians are responsible for keeping their business cards stocked at the Service Desk, the first-floor reference consulting area, the Science and Technology Information Center, and the Electronic Information Training Center (EITC).

Librarians who are called to respond to a patron's immediate need should negotiate a convenient time to meet if they are busy with other obligations.

Please direct questions about reference and information services policy or reference-appointment procedures to Pamela Sandstrom, Head of Reference & Information Services (at 481-5404 or sandstrp@ipfw.edu).