Trends in Reference Services in Urban Public Libraries

The physical reference desk, at which patrons would come in person to ask for assistance finding information, has been a staple of public libraries for over a hundred years. In the last few decades, however, technological changes have impacted delivery of reference services. On the one hand, widespread access to broadband technology and mobile devices have made it easier for libraries to reach remote patrons who might never have used their physical services, and many libraries have begun offering reference services through email, chat, and video conferencing, sometimes in addition to and sometimes in place of the traditional physical desk. At the same time, those technologies enable people to find information and answers on mobile devices from nearly anywhere at any time, and as a result most libraries have seen a decline in the overall number of questions they receive. In some cases, libraries have diverted resources away from traditional reference services toward other patron and outreach services like programming and instruction.

While some demographic and statistical information about public libraries is collected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS, 2019), national information about reference services has not been systematically gathered. Although a number of articles refer to changes in the scope and delivery of reference services (see, e.g., Barclay, 2004; Jordan, 2014; O’Gorman & Trott, 2009; Weber & Bowron, 2019), our understanding of the scope of the change of reference services is largely anecdotal and speculative.

This presentation will share the results of a study of the members of the Urban Library Council. Using survey with a mix of open and closed-ended questions, the researchers collected data about whether these libraries still use reference desks, what formats they use to deliver reference services, whether they have a seen a change in the type and frequency of reference questions, and the extent to which they engage in other public services such as outreach and instruction. The survey also asked respondents to describe any changes to their physical reference collection, as well as any general trends they have observed in their reference services over the past 5-10 years, and their expectations for how their service might evolve over the next 5-10 years. This study establishes a baseline of the current state of reference services in urban public libraries, as well as some insight into how professionals in these institutions expect services to evolve and could provide an opportunity for comparisons over time. The findings will be of interest to public library directors, especially of larger, urban institutions, as a means of benchmarking their reference services and providing possible strategic directions. The findings might also be of interest to library science educators who teach in the areas of public libraries and/or reference, as well as students interested in public libraries.

Barclay, K. (2004). Public Library Reference Desk: Less is More. OLA Quarterly, 10(2/3), 2–4.

Institute of Museum and Library Services. (2019). Public Libraries Survey. https://www.imls.gov/research-evaluation/data-collection/public-libraries-survey

Jordan, M.W. (2014). Reference desks in public libraries: What happens and what to know. The Reference Librarian, 55(3), 196-211.

O’Gorman, J., & Trott, B. (2009). What Will Become of Reference in Academic and Public Libraries? Journal of Library Administration, 49(3), 327–339. https://doi-org.ezproxy.simmons.edu/10.1080/01930820902832421

Weber, J. E., & Bowron, C. R. (2019). The Evolving Reference Desk: If We Scrap It, Then What? Tennessee Libraries, 69(2), 1.