The Massachusetts Library System is pleased to announce that we have contracted with ALA to provide our members with access to their live webinars.  These webinars are free to MLS members who register through our calendar.  Please do not register directly with ALA. Members who register directly with ALA are responsible for paying their registration fee. 

Please help us keep MLS sponsored training free for all members. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please cancel your registration. A cancellation link can be found in your confirmation email, or you may contact Sarah Donnelly at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org to cancel. 

Description

The practice of reference services requires structure and guidelines. The fundamental goal of this service is to satisfy patrons consistently. Without some standardization and basic framework, reference work cannot be considered objective or reliable.

In this 90-minute session, you’ll learn guidelines for conducting yourself on the reference desk. You’ll gain perspective on how to get support in challenging situations, how to rely on your institution's policies when interacting with patrons, and how to build a professional development support system as you build proficiency as a service provider.

Learning Outcomes

After this event, participants will:

• Understand how to put their institution’s staff manuals and codes of conduct into action
• Understand the role of the reference provider in a larger library ecosystem
• Know how to familiarize themselves with their institution's policies related to reference performance
• Understand the basics of ALA's Code of Ethics RUSA's Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers

Presenter

Francisca Goldsmith has been teaching library staff development courses for both paraprofessionals and professional librarians in reference methods and best practices for over 20 years. She currently develops and delivers online courses for the Infopeople Project and for the American Library Association and has written several professional texts, including Crash Course in Contemporary Reference (Libraries Unlimited, 2016). Her library career has spanned public, school, and academic libraries, in reference departments, youth services, and collection management.

Accessibility Information

If you have questions or requests regarding accessibility, contact ce@ala.org or at 312-280-5100.