don't forget to smile: utilizing soft skills within the virtual reference transaction
DESCRIPTION
Presented at the Michigan Virtual Reference Conference, May 2014. Description: Expertise in searching, a broad knowledge of resources, and a commitment to professionalism are all hallmarks of a good reference librarian. Communication and interpersonal skills, however, are just as important in providing a quality reference transaction, and translating these “soft skills” into the virtual environment can be challenging. Virtual reference transactions by chat, email, or text provide no visual or auditory cues to the customer or librarian. For this reason, it becomes even more important for librarians to be wary of any unintended assumptions being made by them or any wrong intentions being relayed to the customer. Periodic review of transcripts can be an effective tool in assessing conversational tone and other facets of the interpersonal interaction. Additionally, the hard skills of searching and subject expertise greatly contribute to whether information and resources can be located, but the soft skills determine whether the customer’s experience will be positive and will encourage her or him to seek out assistance in the future. This presentation will use methods, models, and data from Ohio’s statewide virtual reference service to demonstrate the impact of these skills in the online environment and to provide ideas on how these skills can be incorporated into regular assessment and training of librarians providing virtual reference service.TRANSCRIPT
Utilizing Soft Skills within the Virtual Reference Transaction
Michigan Virtual Reference Conference
Don’t Forget to Smile
A Brief Look at
41 public libraries24 academic libraries
18 individual volunteers
850,000+sessions
A Brief Historyof Virtual Reference
We begin 8,000 years ago...
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HardSkills
SoftSkills
HardSkills
SoftSkills
HardSkills
SoftSkills
HardSkills
SoftSkills
Guidelines for Behavioral Performance
of Reference and Information Service Providers
http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesbehavioral
"...the librarian's first step in initiating the reference transaction is to make the patron feel comfortable in a situation that can be perceived as intimidating, confusing, or overwhelming. The librarian’s initial response in any reference situation sets the tone for the entire communication process, and influences the depth and level of interaction."
Make the patron feel comfortable.
Providing library service via chat technology requires competencies in both communication skills as well as reference skills.
~ Miriam Matteson“A Systematic Review of Research on Live Chat Service.” Reference & User Services Quarterly. Winter 2011.
The positive or negative emotions evoked by the user's interaction with a service or resource may mean more to them in the long run than whether they are able to complete the task they set out to do.
~ Stephen Francoeur“Reference Back Talk: Testing,Testing:Virtual Reference UX” (Library Journal, 6/1/13)
i love when the people ask you things like "how was your day" and things like that
~ KIN24x7 patron comment
HardSkills
SoftSkills
HardSkills
SoftSkills
Guidelines for Behavioral Performance
of Reference and Information
Service Providers
ApproachabilityInterestListening/InquiringSearchingFollow-up
ApproachabilityInterestListening/InquiringSearchingFollow-up
Approachability
Interest
Listening/Inquiring
Follow-up
Quality Assurance Committee for KnowItNow24x7
QuACK
Volunteers
Relentless Reference
HMS Relentless
Relentless ReferenceOzzie@Sinclair Hi, I'm Ozzie, a librarian at Sinclair. Thanks for your question!Guest why cant i own a canadian?Ozzie@Sinclair Hi.Guest HelloOzzie@Sinclair I'm not sure I understand your question.Ozzie@Sinclair Can you tell me more?Guest I want to know why i can own a canadian slaveOzzie@Sinclair It will help me to know if this is for a class assignment. If so, which class or subject is it for?Guest social studies or some <$#%&> like thatOzzie@Sinclair I'm happy to help you, but no swearing please. Otherwise, I'll have to end the session.Ozzie@Sinclair The 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery. Here's some information on that: http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/13thamendment.htmlGuest ur that kind of librarian?? How annoying.... well <$#%&> itOzzie@Sinclair Thanks for using our service.
See Also… “A Systematic Review of Research on Live Chat Service.” Reference & User Services Quarterly. Winter 2011. 172-90.“The Three R’s: Rapport, Relationship, and Reference.” Reference Librarian. Jan-Mar 2010. 45-52.“Best Practices in Chat Reference Used by Florida’s Ask a Librarian Virtual Reference Librarians.” Reference Librarian. Jan-Mar 2010. 53-68. Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User and Librarian Perspectives. http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/synchronicity.html
List of Reasons Transcripts Received Very Poor Ratingfrom KIN24x7 practicum student study
•Not conducting a reference interview
•Asking closed questions
•Not asking the right questions
•Making assumptions
•Not responding to or acknowledging questions
•Not explaining why sources were sent
•Not managing the chat and expectations
•Not explaining what information could be found
•Trying to convince patrons that they were looking for different information than they actually wanted
•Not establishing or maintaining word contact with the patron
•Not acknowledging or greeting the patron
•Not answering questions
•Not using friendly or conversational tones
•Making the patrons ask for information more than once
•Giving stipulations on how many questions you will help answer
•Telling a student that he or she could get all of the information from their class materials
•Using canned messages
•Telling the patron that they were working with another patron but not coming back to help them
•Not asking if question was completely answered
•Not asking if the patron needed help with anything else
•Not providing a referral Ignoring requests for more help
•Not providing a closing statement or saying goodbye
•Simply logging off
•Not sending any resources for the patron to consider
Image CreditsTitle page: quokka - http://www.bubblews.com/news/140007-the-animal-world039s-happiest
Relief panel from Nimrud: http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/322611
Assyrian synonym list: http://cdli.ucla.edu/P345976
City letter carrier: http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=2&cmd=1&id=194277
Alexander Graham Bell: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bellhtml/004046.html
Verirrt (Ritter fragt Reisigsammler nach dem Weg), signiert A. Friedländer: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfred_Friedl%C3%A4nder_Verirrt.jpg
Wanderer fragt nach dem Weg: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stra%C3%9Fenszene_1842_Wanderer_fragt_nach_dem_Weg.jpg
NYPL Information Desk: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nypl/3110116862
Librarian with teens: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nypl/3110133552
Lathe operator: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8623220@N02/2179234054
Quokka: http://www.arkive.org/quokka/setonix-brachyurus/image-G123089.html
Spectrum: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/clouds/color.htm
Crossword Puzzle: http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/findings/mar06/puzzle_march06.html
Ducks: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andf%C3%A5glar,_till_art,_Nordisk_familjebok.png
Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jigsaw.svg
Screaming Woman: http://numerique.bibliotheque.toulouse.fr/collect/photographiesanciennes/index/assoc//ark:/74899/B315556101_TRUC1337.dir/C0001337.JPG