Incoherent Scribblings

Solving the Puzzle

What does it mean to be a reference librarian? When someone asks you a question, what do you do?

Do you find information for that patron? Do you suggest a few select books from the catalog or point out articles that seem to be on topic? Even as you perform such a consultation do you act as a readers’ advisory?

Or do you instruct the patron on how to find the information for him or herself? Do you explain the theory behind searching and do example searches? Do you teach the mechanics of manipulating data?

Do you do both? If you do both, why? Why do you simply find information for one patron, but chose to instruct the other one?

The library instruction librarian in me wants to teach everyone that comes into the library how to find information for him or herself. She wants every boy and girl that enters the library to know how to tell a good source from a bad one. She wants them to know how to use the good source when they find it and do so responsibly. She wants them to be independent researchers and find it rewarding.

Many requests are relatively straight-forward and, if properly educated, the patron can easily find the information for him or herself. Therefore, a little instruction can go a long way in answering the question.

But when that gem of a question, that rare nugget of authentic reference work is presented, the rouge reference librarian in me emerges and suppresses that naive instruction librarian. The reference librarian wants the thrill of finding the answer all to herself. She doesn’t care if all the good boys and girls learn how to find the answer or not.

It isn’t about guarding the secrets of the library or being lazy. It isn’t about purposely finding the information so the patron doesn’t have to or influencing the information the patron receives.

It’s all about solving the puzzle.