Purpose
Reference service is the assistance given to patrons in pursuit of information. It is an informational contact that involves knowledge, recommendations, interpretation, or instruction by a Library staff member on the use of one or more information sources.
Reference includes providing help with the library catalog, readers’ advisory, database use, interlibrary loan requests, referrals to other organizations or sources, research, school assignments, and consumer information. The Library also provides individual and group instruction.
This policy is to serve as a guideline for staff members who provide reference service to patrons and as a statement to patrons defining the services provided to them. Further, this policy ensures that each staff member providing reference will provide all services consistently and equitably to all patrons. The library adheres to the American Library Association Code of Ethics. The staff and administration of the library regard all information transactions, interviews, and records as confidential in nature.
Policy Statement
Patrons do not need to be registered Library cardholders to use reference materials and services. A valid Library card may be required to use certain Library resources.
Library records associating the names of Library users with specific materials, computer database searches, interlibrary loan transactions, reference queries, requests, or other specific uses of the Library, are confidential in nature. This information will be disclosed only upon the request or consent of the affected individuals or pursuant to a court order that shows cause and is in proper form as required by local, state, or federal law.
The Library responds to all requests for reference and information services whether made in person, by telephone, by mail, or via electronic means. Patrons present in the building have priority for service over telephone calls or other methods of communication. Teton County residents and Library cardholders have priority over other patrons.
Research assistance involves the in-depth coverage of a topic. The level of assistance provided varies according to the availability of staff, the staff member’s and patron’s knowledge of the subject, the volume of other patron requests, the depth of the Library’s relevant resources, the complexity of the question, and the timeframe in which the information is needed.
Lengthy research for individual patrons which requires extensive staff time to collect data from multiple sources, including bibliographic searches, electronic searches, copying of materials and collating items, is not provided as part of the Teton County Library’s research assistance.
The Library offers basic instruction in the use of bibliographic and reference tools. This instruction may be provided to individuals or groups. In the normal course of reference assistance, patrons are not required to learn how to use source materials. However, in some cases, staff will need to instruct patrons on how to use the tools and technologies to meet the patron’s information needs.
Staff will offer group orientations and instruction in the use of the Library catalog, electronic products, and other resources. Staff may conduct tours appropriate to the age and interests of a group. The size and number of group tours conducted are dependent on the resources of the location and the availability of staff. Groups with scheduled appointments receive first priority of service.
Limitations of Reference Service
Notwithstanding the desire to help every library user fulfill their information needs, the library cannot provide extensive individual assistance, including extensive bibliographies, manual assistance with typing and other computer tasks, assistance in composing or editing manuscripts, appraisals, in-depth computer training, private tutoring assistance, or translations.
Patrons sometimes ask questions of a medical, legal, financial, or consumer-oriented nature. Reference staff members should make every effort to provide impartial and accurate information. Library staff should never interpret information for a patron. Patrons who have questions concerning the meaning, value, or pertinence of medical, legal, or financial information should be tactfully referred to an appropriate authority in the field.