Library Reference Desk - Services

Services

Services that are often available at a library reference desk include:

• A sign up sheet for reserving computers with Internet access, or word processing software.
• The ability to place the book 'on hold', which prevents the person who has borrowed it from renewing it. The person who placed the 'hold' is notified when the book has been returned. (Some libraries provide this service at the circulation desk.)
• The ability to request Interlibrary loan of books and other material from other branch libraries in the same library system, or from a cooperating library anywhere in the world. (Some libraries provide this service at the circulation desk.)
• The opportunity to recommend that the library purchase something for its collection that it doesn't have, which may be needed or of interest to other library users.

The librarian who staffs the reference desk can usually do the following by virtue of their professional training and experience:

• The librarian can look up a brief, factual answer to a specific question.
• The librarian can use the catalogue to find out whether the library owns an item with a particular title or author, or that contains a short story, chapter, song, or poem with a particular title, or to compile a list of books by a particular author or on a particular subject.
• The librarian can briefly teach the user how to use the catalogue and how to use its advanced features, or recommend the proper subject words or terms that are used in the catalogue for the topic the user has in mind.
• The librarian can often take the library user directly to the shelves with books on a certain topic without using the catalogue.
• The librarian is familiar with the contents of hundreds of reference books, and can recommend books that might contain the answer to a particular question.
• The librarian can teach the library user to use online databases such as magazine and newspaper articles, and recommend words and search strategies for the topic the user has in mind.
• The librarian can recommend reliable web sites, give advice on searching the Internet for information, and evaluate the reliability of the information on web sites.
• If the library doesn't have information on a given topic, or if the library user wants more information, the librarian can refer the library user to another library or to an organization that can be contacted by phone or mail.