Elizabeth Thomsen, Member Services Manager for Noble, addressed the difficulties of keeping reference skills relevant in a constantly changing environment. She likened the pace of change in information technology to the classic "I Love Lucy" episode where Lucy and Ethel are unable to keep up with their job in the chocolate factory. Changes in society that have affected reference services in all types of libraries include the World Wide Web as a mass medium, a more diverse community of patrons, and lifelong learning.

Before the advent of technology, reference was a well-marked highway. Reference publishing was stable (no one wondered what the next edition of Readers' Guide would look like), libraries were the only game in town (where else could you get back issues of periodicals), and librarians were able to keep up. As access to the Internet becomes more available all of this has changed, affecting not only librarians but other professions as well. Librarians, who are careful and deliberate, like a predictable environment. As a group they are generally unsuited for the current changes.

A typical day in reference now includes trouble shooting equipment, installing software, and supporting remote access, in addition to more traditional tasks.

Elizabeth suggested the following ways of keeping up:

 

Forget perfection - Adopt a more improvisational approach to reference. Rely on your skills, not the fact that you know every resource, to help patrons find the information they need

 

Explore training options - E-mail sharing, online classes and tutorials, and private exploration time are all alternatives to formal training sessions.

 

Mingle - Know your community and note changes. Look at the way patrons are using your library. Read Yahoo Internet Life, as well as Library Journal.

 

Observe - See what people seem to need. Offer basic Internet training sessions. Observe what businesses and other organizations are doing to connect with their customers.

 

ENJOY - Experiment, improvise, and try something new. Don't be afraid to make a mistake. People have access to more and better information than ever before but they still need our help, it may just be a different kind of help.

April 12, 2000