Thank you to everyone who replied to my inquiry about combining reference and circulation services at one point in the library.  Lots of helpful responses!

 

One of the members asked to see the responses.  Below is a selected and edited version of responses.  If you have further questions, please email me.

 

Combined Service Points in the Library
Responses from ARLIS/na members – April 2014

1.      We got rid of our reference desk several years ago. Just as you're considering, we combined basic reference service with circulation. In addition, we instituted a chat service through our library homepage. This has worked well for us. We have some extremely knowledgeable support staff at circ who are able to help a lot of our patrons to get started with their research. For more in-depth help, they all know to refer patrons to the reference librarians. We ref librarians keep a supply of our business cards at the circ desk and we all have Libguides as well, to which patrons can be referred. During the day, we take turns being the official answerer of chat questions. After hours, circ takes over this function, too. 

 

 

2.      I had no problem with combining both services at the circulation desk when I worked at Hamon Arts Library.  I would have to sometimes return to the Reference Desk for something.  Otherwise I was able to do both services there at the same place.  I worked at the Hamon Arts Library temporary for three years.  I was hired for Reference but occasionally I had to work both desks.  The students didn't seem to have a problem with it.

 

 

3.      We have a branch Art and Music Library, which has always had one service point for reference and circulation. My office, as the librarian, is closely situated to the front desk so folks know where to find me, and our desk staff and students are thoroughly trained in the basics and also in how to negotiate questions, and will refer questions that require subject knowledge of that relating to writing and citing sources. Many of our questions in the branch relate to the technology services provided, so our Library Coordinator handles these questions and is the liaison to IT for things relating to printers, software, hardware, etc. We have a media/computer lab in the Art and Music Library which generates multiple types of questions for our service desk.

 

In the Main Library we let go of the reference desk several years ago, moving as described to the consultation model which we publicize, especially in collaboration with the Writers Center. The consultation model has been very successful, but lately, both before and after renovation in the main library, issues have arisen regarding the preparedness of student assistants to handle queries and the visibility and physical access to librarians’ offices. Training of student employees with front desk positions is critical. Signage is critical…i.e. obvious signage to the location of librarian offices. Signage on the doors of the librarians’ offices is essential. Librarians have business cards which are at the front desk of all the libraries. Virtual access to librarian information and virtual “chat” or “ask a librarian” messaging services are also essential.

In our library common, there is an IT help desk (as IT offices moved in after renovation, though administratively they are not part of the library). So, here is the IT help desk in the common area, but not a “Reference Desk,” because the circulation desk is now the single service point for reference and circulation, tho we don’t have “a librarian on duty” for specific hours. How all of these “help: areas function, (e.g. separately or together, virtual and in situ), what they are called, web access, and signage are all issues to consider.

 

4.       It is a great idea. I recently transferred from a library with separate circ and ref desks, to a library with a combined desk. The second set-up is so much easier to use. Students do not know the difference between a circ question and a ref question, they just want help. When I worked with a separate circ and ref desk, students would be turned away from circ, but would not bother disturbing the reference librarian. Also, quite a few questions would cross the bounds between circ and ref.

P.S. This set up works best when the librarians are at eye level, (easier to make eye contact) and when the librarian can turn the monitor around to show the student what they are working on. If the librarian is doing "magic" on a screen the student can't see, the student is not learning how to search. We have monitors that can be turned and wireless keyboards and mice.

One of our new hires co-wrote an article on how this was accomplished at her former institution (in Florida):

K. Megan Sheffield, Susan L. Silver, Lily Todorinova (2013), Merging Library Service Desks: Less is More, in Anne Woodsworth, W. David Penniman (ed.) Mergers and Alliances: The Operational View and Cases (Advances in Librarianship, Volume 37), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.155-174

 

And North Carolina State University’s 2006 self-study on the topic is available online.

 

 

5.      We got rid of our reference desk last year-- we put a sign on the Service desk (reserves, ILL requests, etc) during the hours we have reference (2-6) with the name of the librarian and office number.

It seems to work fine-- the desk staff are answering more directional questions and anyone who wants reference comes to librarians offices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beverly Mitchell

Art and Dance Librarian

Hamon Arts Library

Southern Methodist University

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214-768-2796