X-Delivery-Notice:  SMTP MAIL FROM does not correspond to sender.
Approved-By:  Diane Kovacs <DKOVACS@KENTVM.KENT.EDU>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Tue, 10 Nov 1992 16:36:42 EDT
From:         Richard Jizba <rjizba%parrot.creighton.edu@Kentvm.Kent.edu>
Subject:      Stay out of the office
Comments: To: libref-l@kentvm.kent.edu

----------------------------Original message----------------------------

     I find the current discussion about eliminating the reference desk
very interesting. At the Creighton University Health Sciences Library
we are apparently marching to the beat of a different drummer. A few
years ago we made significant changes to our delivery of reference
services. Before the change the reference librarians worked from offices,
and the only public service point was a user assistant desk staffed by a
part-time clerical staff. Our hours of service were Monday through
Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. The circulation staff provided reference services
on evenings and weekends.   Then, as now, the principal service was
computerized literature searching which is still offered at no charge to
Health Sciences faculty, staff, and students.

     In 1989, feeling our reference service was fragmented and
inaccessible, the Reference Librarian proposed several changes to the
Library Administration.  These included:

  1. Expanding the reference staff from 2 professionals and a part-time
     clerical to 2 professionals and 2 full time "Reference Assistants".

  2. Expanding reference service hours from 45 hours per week M-F, to
     90 hours per week seven days a week.  Our current hours are:

               Monday - Thursday  8:00 am - 11:00 pm
                   Friday         8:00 am - 10:00 pm
                  Saturday        9:00 am -  5:30 pm
                   Sunday         1:30 pm - 10:00 pm

  3. Elimination of the User Assistance Desk, and the building of a semi-
     circular service counter. The philosophy behind the move from a desk
     to a large service counter was that people tend to associate
     counters with service and are intimidated by people at desks.

  4. The reference staff would spend very little time in their offices.
     The service counter has two phone lines, a PC, an OPAC terminal,
     and supply drawers, so it is easy for two or more to work at the
     counter at a time.


     At the time these changes were made, two Medline CD-ROM work-
stations and a CINAHL CD-ROM workstation were installed in the reference
area. We were also aware that some clinical departments were acquiring
their own Medline CD-ROM products and several faculty were doing their
own online searches. Although we provided searches at no charge, if our
service was poor, our clients wouldn't stay with us.

     In the 3 years since we made these changes, the number of searches
we conduct for faculty staff and students are up 50%.  In 1991/1992 we
conducted 2,776 searches. Nearly all our searches are completed within
2 to 12 hours after they are requested. We answered 10% more reference
questions in 91/92 than in 90/91.  During the same period we increased
the number of library instruction/user education programs we offer and
began teaching a 1 credit hour course on computer searching through the
Department of Pharmacy Practice. Last, but not least, every month we
work with a new set of PharmD students on the Drug Information Service
Rotation, providing several hours of search instruction.

     Our reference services are not superficial. A majority of our
searches are performed for faculty and tend to be of the "in-depth"
variety.  We do a considerable amount of tutoring for the CD-ROM work-
stations, and there is nothing trivial about our educational efforts.

     This spring we developed a system called CELS: Creighton Electronic
Library Services. Now our faculty can request and receive our search,
reference, and document delivery services from their office or home
computers.

     Needless to say, the reference service is now seen as a very
valuable and prominent part of the library. Our change from a desk
to a counter was particularly successful.  People with questions now
come immediately to the counter for help. When we had a user assistance
desk and stayed in our offices, people would often go from the reference
area to the circulation desk when they needed help.

     The point for us was this:

        Improving reference service meant making it more accessible.
        We had to get out of our offices and get rid of the "desk".

     If you are thinking of doing away with your reference desk and
moving back to your offices, think again -- it didn't work for us.


                                              Richard Jizba
                                              Head, Reference Services
                                              Health Sciences Library
                                              Creighton University
                                              Omaha, Nebraska

                                              (402) 280-5142
                                              rjizba@creighton.edu

P.S.
     Go Bluejays!

     { Creighton is the 4th seed in the NCAA soccer tourney. :-) }