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List:       publib
Subject:    [Publib] Roving Reference
From:       donnab () mail ! sgcl ! org (Donna Bacon)
Date:       2007-05-30 16:26:56
Message-ID: 003e01c7a2f0$446f3ce0$6501a8c0 () pub ! sgcl ! org
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Some of you asked of our procedures for roving reference.  I copied and
pasted them in my email below.

Donna Bacon
Springfield-Greene County Library, MO

Roving Guidelines for Reference Staff


What is roving reference?

Roving reference  requires that a staff person be "on the floor" moving
throughout the building actively looking for patrons to assist.  The purpose
of roving is to be proactive in identifying and assisting patrons who might
not otherwise approach a reference desk.  Staff are encouraged to approach
patrons with the question: "Are you finding what you need?"   

Who Should Rove?

All city branches should schedule Reference staff to rove on a regular
basis.  All county branches should rove as scheduling permits.  

How do we Rove?

Roving should be conducted at least twice per hour, more if time permits.
Roving may not be possible if the reference desk is very busy.  However, if
other staff are available and are scheduled off the desk, they may be asked
to assist with roving.  Our busiest times are when we need rovers the most,
but are also the times when it may be the most difficult.  Each branch will
be developing a pattern that works best for them and for our patrons.  Staff
will pay particular attention to patrons using our catalogs.  Not every
patron on the floor needs to be approached.  If a patron is using a laptop,
or looks as if they are engrossed in what they are doing, then they probably
do not need our assistance.  Making eye contact with a patron is one sign
that they are approachable.  Observing a patron browsing items on the shelf
is often a good time to ask if they need assistance.  Just being seen on the
floor and identified as a staff person will provide better service.  

How do we count roving reference?

A Roving Reference form should be used by each staff person for each day
they rove.  Only questions answered while on the floor should be counted as
roving.  If you started the question while on the floor, but then moved to
the desk to finish it, then count it as roving.  The form will require the
staff person's name, time they roved, and the date.  Under "time", record
with hash marks the number of times you rove during your shift.

All reference questions should be tallied under the Reference section.  For
these purposes, we are not counting reference questions by subject.  We are
more concerned about what is happening when staff rove.  

Count all referrals under the Referral section.  This may include referring
a patron to another staff person or to another desk, such as circulation or
childrens.  If at all possible, walk the patron to the desk and explain what
they need.  

Count all assistance with computers, copiers, printers, microfilm readers,
under the Machine Assistance.  Be careful, these can often be reference
questions, not assistance with the equipment.  Count these questions the
same as you would at the reference desk.

Count issues you deal with while on the floor under Behavior Issues.  This
may include dealing with a difficult patron, waking someone up, or
discovering any type of problem while on the floor.

Count any assistance denied under the Help Offered, Declined section.  We
want to know how many patrons staff approach and especially, how many
decline assistance.  Sometimes patron will approach you later for assistance
if they know you are there, or someone else will overhear you and ask for
help.  

Reference questions should be tallied and added to the monthly reference
question count.   Use the Monthly roving form to tally for the month for
your branch.  These will be posted to the staff page.  Send all final
monthly forms to Donna.  Managers should keep track of how often each staff
person roves and how successful they are.  

What is Not Roving Reference?

.	Questions asked and answered at a desk

.	Questions asked at a desk that require staff to go into the stacks
with the patron.

.	Social conversations with patrons while roving.


. Revised August 30, 2006


-----Original Message-----
From: Tasha Saecker [mailto:Tasha@menashalibrary.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 11:10 AM
To: Donna Bacon
Subject: RE: [Publib] Roving Reference

I don't suppose you would be willing to share a copy of your roving
policy?  We are looking at moving to at least partial roving and it
would give us a jumping off point.

Thanks,
Tasha

Tasha Saecker
Director
Elisha D. Smith Public Library 
440 First St
Menasha, WI 54952
www.menashalibrary.org
AIM: TashRow

-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces@webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces@webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Donna Bacon
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 9:22 AM
To: publib@webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Roving Reference

Our library started a roving reference plan last Summer and I'm proud to
say
it is going well for us.  We are a public library in Springfield, MO
that
has a main facility and 8 branches.  It has changed how we think about
reference service.  I tell my staff that we are now being more proactive
in
offering service instead of reactive. The traditional idea of the
librarian
behind a large reference desk waiting for someone to have a question is
almost gone for us.  We decided not to wear phone head-sets or carry a
laptop or a PDA but instead to put more computers out in the stacks
(mostly
on endpanels) that are setup as OPAC's but can also allow staff to login
as
a staff person and use our online products or circulation system.
However,
we find that most of our work ends up being on the online catalog.  We
have
only put these new computers (self contained--the CPU is self-contained
in
the monitor so it is all one piece that is mounted) in one of our
branches
so far.  We have issues with power in some of our buildings.  Since we
have
wireless at all locations, that is not a problem, but power is certainly
an
issue that we are working on.  

We have also begun replacing our large reference desks with very small
stations positioned throughout our buildings.  Our Director wanted us to
not
have any desks at all, but I felt it was important having a base
somewhere
for staff.  After roving myself, (we have 4 hour shifts) I could see the
need to at least rest my feet and I wasn't quite ready to give up a spot
where the public could at least go to for help.  I know some libraries
have
given up desks completely. So, as long as I call them stations and not
desks, my Director seems happy.  We will have portable phones at the
stations, a computer, and a 3 drawer file cabinet.  That is it.  We have
interfiled our ready reference materials with our reference books.  The
idea
is to be able to have the patron stand next to you while looking at a
computer.  Our stations are "patron friendly".  Our main research
facility
will be implementing the new stations this Summer and rearranging our
stacks.  

Each staff person that roams keeps track on a separate statistical sheet
(that we adapted from King County Library, WA) of what is happening on
the
floor (reference question, help declined, behavior issue).  This is
working
well for us.  Each branch has a different way of assigning staff to
rove.
We spent a huge amount of time planning this, evaluating reference
duties
(and moving collection development to a centralized spot taking the
pressure
off the staff and giving them more time to rove).  We are also in the
middle
of implementing print management so staff are not retrieving printouts
for
patrons.  We have written procedures for the roving process.  Staff was
one
of our biggest hurdles, especially those that have worked in libraries
for
many years.  We also found that approaching a patron is a lot different
than
standing behind a desk and waiting for a question.  Some staff are good
at
this and others are not.  We also learned how to approach someone and
how
not to, and how to decide when to leave someone alone.  It has also
helped
make patrons aware that we are there, and provides more security for our
buildings, and we now find patrons approach us more readily when we are
just
walking through the building.  

Well, a long way of saying, no, we don't carry laptops or phone gadgets,
but
we still manage to rove and help our patrons.  Some of our branches have
downsized their desks and others have purchased stations.  Roving is an
attitude that you have to teach your staff and a very different way of
offering reference service than we learned in library school!  I have
worked
in libraries for almost 30 years and I had to readjust my thinking and
find
a way to help lead our reference staff into this new environment.  We
wouldn't go back....

Donna Bacon
District Reference Manager
Springfield-Greene County Library, MO

-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces@webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces@webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of smoulder@nc.rr.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 8:21 AM
To: publib@webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Roving Reference

Hello all those in library-land...

I am curious to find out if there are library systems that have 
instituted a formal roving reference service and *are not* using 
handheld PCs or OPACs.  I would assume that this would entail 
approaching a customer in the stacks, finding out that they need a book 
on sick building syndrome, asking them to follow you to a OPAC where 
you look it up, then escorting the patron back to the stacks and 
locating the book for them.  We are a mid-sized public library, 18000 
sq. ft., with about 22,000 visitors a month, and 5 full-time reference 
staff members.

If you prefer, you may reply to me off list.

Sana Moulder
Fayetteville NC
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