Beginning class with our discussion of the readings, and the seamless transition into discussing the unobtrusive observations really made me feel that many of my fellow classmates had similar reactions to this week’s preparation as I did. While I thankfully did not have issues with Course Reserves, I did not find the situation that did occur all that surprising. Maybe that unsurprising response is the reason that I bought the book outright, so I knew I would face no such hardship. The discussion that followed this about how we could fix some of these issues really spoke to me though, especially the bit about proper training. Do these issues really come down to training? I think in some instances, maybe even most, the answer is definitely yes. These readings made me even more self-conscious about my work in the library. While I do not work at a reference desk specifically, the lack of an individual reference desk makes me a stop for many patrons. My lack of training, or more, my training by equals that received the same minimal training as I did, makes me feel inadequate in most cases. Like our fellow classmate said, I don’t even have the knowledge to direct patrons to rooms, or answer questions that are often asked in my position. A more thorough training, possibly by someone other than a fellow student, may have better prepared me for some of these interactions. I do notice that I try to counteract that knowledge gap with a good attitude and an approachable presence, which we have discussed, may be more helpful than I realize.
In our more in depth talk about the unobtrusive observations, this line of thought continued, as the interactions we had with others led me to inwardly contemplate my own interactions with patrons. It seems most of us have our own understandings of bad service in the library, often with instances occurring prior to this assignment, and, due to that, we are all blown away when we receive exceptional service. Yet, when we discuss why these interactions continue to have such results, we lack comprehension on why there isn’t a stronger push to provide better library service. This is not to say that librarians are not working on this issue, but, as patrons, we don’t necessarily see any dramatic changes. Other than my changes as a patron over time, my library experiences tend to reflect the same types of interactions. Though, I do wish we had gotten a little further into the discussion about subjectivity of the elements in the instrument, I do think the light touch on how all interactions are subjective is important to note. The same interaction could occur for both people, and they would have different understandings and feelings about them.
The practice reference interviews was a very interesting, unsettling, but, in the end, helpful exercise I feel that not only do I need to work more on, but all library workers, and future library workers, need to have. In particular, I noticed as we worked as a team in the first exercise, we did fall into the routine of essentially playing “20 Questions,” a communication accident Ross et al. describes. Even in this barrage of questions among a group of library students, obvious questions were not asked by the librarian trying to provide reference (How did we not consider asking if the patron knew her name?). The biggest issue I faced was when I was role playing as the patron myself, as I constantly wondered how much the patron would reveal about their inquiry to a library professional in such a brief interaction. It seems that my fellow classmates had various degrees of that as well, especially when it came to the situation addressing possible drug use by a child. While one poignantly avoided addressing the issue in her interaction, some broke down after some questions to reveal the true nature of the inquiry. These varying degrees of patron openness must be accounted for, which I think is the importance of practicing microskills, especially those that help build rapport.
Raven K 
Yes! We most definitely fell into the “20 questions” game even though we had just completed a reading on not doing so. Sometimes, in any task, I feel it’s really easy to forget about the basics when running towards whatever goal we set out to accomplish. I think that was kind of what happened when we were doing that first exercise. I’m wondering if this will change as we get more comfortable with our roles in libraries? I sure hope so.
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(Hello from Emma! I thought it would be fun to check out some blogs in other cohorts!) I absolutely noticed the “20 questions” thing too, but it’s hard to avoid that when you have a group of 15 people trying to formulate and ask questions. I agree about the importance of practicing microskills. Have you tried to practice any reference interviewing techniques outside of the classroom? I’ve been trying to incorporate incognito practice into my daily interactions with friends, in hopes of making the process feel more natural! So far, I don’t think anyone has noticed, but maybe people just think I’m weird…
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I think one of the difficult things about the exercises in class (besides the fact that doing a skillful reference interview is a learned skill) was the expectation that each example had a hidden facet to it and that we needed to uncover the “real” question. It’s good to ask open questions, pay attention to patron responses, and ask follow up questions that inquire whether someone got the information they were seeking, but not everyone has a hidden agenda to unearth. I am sorry you didn’t get the training you needed for your library job. In many organizations, there’s too often a disconnect between the people in charge and the people on the front lines, and libraries are no exception.
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I agree with you that your positive attitude really can go a long way when you lack other knowledge in your current position at the library. I think I, and many of us, did find that above all an willing and positive attitude was generally even more important than the specific content of the interaction in our observations.
When it comes to the practice reference questions, I like you felt quite uncomfortable and I realize I have a ways to go with this. You are right that we in part started to fall into the trap of 20 questions – it’s so easy to do! I did, however, think that part of the awkwardness came from doing this as a group and in a staged setting. As an introvert, I have trouble speaking up in groups, and I think I will do better at this sort of interaction when it’s just one on one, me with a patron in a more natural setting.
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