CONNECT Minutes for June 2012

Date:  June 12, 2012  

In Attendance: Tulin LaFollette (DC), Debbie McPherson (BE), Jeannie Manners (NW), Sally Gray (VI), Terrie Thomas (BI), Jennifer Jones (CH), Carol Roberts (CT), Darrie Breathwit (SO), Tracy Stone (NW), Kim Edwards (DN), Joey Shelton (RE), Angela Thornton (DN), Barbara Beasley (WA), Alma Brown (WA)Welcome

1. The Changing Face of Reference:  Julie Ballou spoke briefly about the changes implemented in Northwest such as the combined service desk and phones being answered in the back room  first, and the challenges some of these changes have presented to serving reference customers.  Julie then took the group on a tour of the building.
2. Sharing – After the break, we had reference service topics suggested by a variety of librarians. 
3. Each table talked about the topics together and then we spoke about each one as a group.  The topics can be visited on the CONNECT Discussion Forum.

   The discussion subjects are:

• What can a reference librarian do for you that Google can’t? (list services). 
• What do you see as changes in the education reference librarians will need to receive in their graduate work in order to accommodate the ways we offer reference service, i.e. twitter, text, Facebook, phone, live chat, etc.?  How does that change customer service?
• Is there still a need for a reference desk and ready reference books?  Can/should digital reference take over some of these roles?
• Cyberspace careers for reference librarians or social networking sites – what are the possibilities?
4. There were also several sources suggested for further reading:
   • Roles of the Reference Librarian: Today and Tomorrow by Kathleen Low
   • Training the Reference Librarian by Jill Sodt
   • Reference Reborn by Diane Zabel
   • The Librarian As Information Consultant by Sarah Anne Murphy
5. Adjournment

Next meeting: September 11th at Del City – Who Aren’t You Reaching?