Reference Librarian Interview

On Monday, January 21, I interviewed reference librarian Ken Johnson. Johnson was hired as a business librarian at the Appalachian State University Belk Library in 2001. His background includes an undergraduate degree in English, a MLS degree from UNCG, and an MBA. He previously worked as a public librarian in a library outside of Philadelphia, PA.

Recently, he became the Coordinator of Learning and Research Services for the library, with part of his role being to help create more of a uniformity of service for patrons, particularly in the area of training student workers. Currently, student workers go through minimal training, but Johnson is working toward having several training sessions to help student workers become more familiar with the location of sources and how to better assist patrons. Part of their training includes role playing and becoming more familiar with the RAP session that the library provides.

The RAP session, or Research Advisory Program, is a one on one session that students can sign up for with a librarian. Students can now sign up for RAP sessions online by scheduling a choice of times through the ASU library homepage. First, students describe the assignment or make a copy of the assignment sheet for the librarian and allow the librarian a few days to prepare for the session. The session typically lasts anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour, with the librarian assisting the student in finding resources from the “research triangle”, which is made up of books, articles, and internet sources.

Johnson discussed the differences in demographics and patron needs in the academic library setting versus the public library setting. He found that in a public library during the day, patrons were largely pre-kindergarten students with parents or pre-school groups and retirees. As the afternoon progressed, students began to come in around 3:30, with there being a mix of students and adults starting around 5:00 p.m. Johnson mentioned that he found patrons in the academic library setting to be more willing to learn how to use sources and to seek out sources on their own than some patrons in the public library setting. He also said that he found patrons in the public library setting to be much more apt to bring personal research questions to the reference desk, whereas patrons in the academic library have more academic research questions (appropriate considering the setting). Johnson said that at times, he found it helpful to be working at the desk with a female librarian, because often female patrons were more comfortable voicing personal research questions to a woman.

Some of the most interesting information disclosed during this interview was concerning the sources and services used in the reference section. Ken Johnson reported that the source most commonly used was Academic Search Premier, which is an online database. He explained that in the course of his career, the use of the internet was just beginning as he began his career, so he has had the opportunity to see it’s increase in popularity and ease of use in terms of accessing sources. Often, he finds that reference librarians now spend the majority of their time searching the internet or helping patrons narrow their searches on the internet, rather than accessing print sources. Additionally, Johnson explained that the role of reference librarian has changed drastically with the introduction of computers for patron use. Reference librarians often spend time helping patrons trouble shoot problems with printers, programs, and general computer use. Essentially, reference librarians have not only become responsible for assisting patrons in finding answers to their research questions, but also answering their technical questions.

When Johnson was asked what his most unusual research question had been from a patron, he shared that he did not wish to share that information because of a conversation with a previous coworker. In short, the coworker shared that at this particular public library, reporters would often ask this question and he made the mistake of answering the question one time and later regretted it, because he realized that the patron likely would not return if he or she had read the article. So, Johnson’s philosophy is similar to that of a patient and doctor, in that he will not disclose such information so as not to embarrass the patron he has developed a relationship with.

Johnson did share that his least favorite experience at a reference desk was answering geneology questions, while some of his most rewarding was working with a return patron with whom he felt he had developed a relationship. He stated that one of the most rewarding experiences was simply receiving a sincere thank you from a patron for his time and patience.