The Effects of Librarians’ Behavioral Performance on User Satisfaction in Chat Reference Services

Nahyun Kwon and Vicki L. Gregory

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The purpose of this study was to determine the effective behaviors of reference librarians during the chat reference interview, with particular emphasis given to whether the service users would feel more satisfied when librarians adopt the behaviors recommended in the revised “RUSA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Services Providers.” The data analyzed for this study consisted of 422 chat reference transaction transcripts and corresponding user surveys obtained from a public library system that participated in a nationwide chat reference consortium. In six of the ten behavioral types observed, the users perceived the service as more satisfying when librarians demonstrated the behaviors suggested in the revised guidelines than when they did not. Five of these behaviors–receptive and cordial listening, searching information sources with or for the patrons, providing information sources, asking patrons whether the question was answered completely, and asking patrons to return when they need further assistance–were revealed as strong predictors of user satisfaction. These findings demonstrated that the RUSA behaviors are effective in increasing user satisfaction, suggesting that the guidelines can continue to be used as an effective tool for both staff training and service assessment in chat reference services. This report concludes with recommendations for further improvement of the guidelines and agendas for future research.

As library users become more comfortable with using the Web for services and to search for information, librarians often have led the way in making reference services available to patrons online. Online real-time chat reference services have become increasingly prevalent in many types and sizes of libraries, and, as with any other library service, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of, and user satisfaction with, those services.¹ This research reports the results and conclusions from a case study of a chat reference service intended to assess the usefulness of the 2004 revised “RUSA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Services Providers”(hereinafter referred to as “revised guidelines”).² These were originally developed by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) in 1996 as behavioral guidelines to support reference staff working at a physical reference desk (hereinafter referred to as “original guidelines”).³

The purpose of this study is to:

• investigate, in a series of chat interviews, the extent to which librarians’ behaviors reflected those recommended in the revised guidelines;
• assess the influence of those behaviors on user satisfaction; and
• examine the revised guidelines as a useful assessment tool in evaluating the efficacy of a chat reference service.

The results of this study will provide library professionals with a better understanding of the nature of chat reference interviews as well as test the usefulness of the revised guidelines in the context of chat reference services. The results of this study will better elucidate effective teaching methods and techniques for library educators within the area of virtual reference with respect to the reference question negotiation process.

Background of the Study

The Original Guidelines (1996) and the Revised Guidelines (2004)

Perhaps one of the most important roles of professional associations is to establish benchmarking standards and develop useful guidelines to assist their members’ practice. RUSA has been at the forefront in offering its members such support. Beginning in the 1980s, RUSA began developing reference interview guidelines intended to delineate those librarian behaviors most likely to lead to an effective face-to-face reference interview. This effort resulted in the publication of the “RUSA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Services Providers” in 1996. A handful of research studies conducted since that time have consistently indicated that use of the behaviors prescribed in the original guidelines is positively associated with reference success.⁴ The original guidelines thus became widely recognized as the only behavioral guidelines of its kind for reference staff. Besides the fact that the original guidelines were prepared by RUSA, a leading professional association among reference librarians, the continued use of the original guidelines in practice seems to suggest their usefulness as standards for reference staff training as well as performance evaluation.

A revised and extended version of the original guidelines was published in June 2004. This revision reflects the increasing need for behavioral standards that can assist personnel who provide virtual reference services. Maintaining the five-component structure of the original guidelines (that is, approachability, interest, listening/inquiring, searching, and follow-up), the revised guidelines subcategorized each of those five components into three settings: general, in-person (physical setting), and remote (virtual settings). The five-component structure is summarized as follows:

• First, approachability refers to behaviors that ensure easy access to the reference staff by lowering barriers to personal assistance. Example behaviors include making instructional and directional signs clear, making the presence of reference assistance visible, and establishing “word” contact with the patrons.
• Second, interest refers to behaviors that exhibit librarians’ interest in patron inquiries so that patrons can ask questions without hesitation. Example behaviors include focusing attention on the patron, maintaining and re-establishing “word” contact, and clarifying the scope of the questions.
• Third, listening/inquiring refers to behaviors that exhibit good listening and questioning skills so that librarians can identify patrons’ real information needs, which sometimes are buried or poorly expressed. Example behaviors are communicating in receptive and cordial ways, using proper written language, ensuring adequate probing, and rephrasing questions to ensure adequate understanding.
• Fourth, searching includes the application of effective search skills and related behaviors that can enhance searching effectiveness and result in finding accurate answers. Example behaviors include explaining search strategies, escorting patrons in the search process, and providing pointers and information sources.
• Finally, follow-up refers to the behaviors involved in bringing proper closure to the reference transaction. Example behaviors include asking patrons if their questions were completely answered, asking if they need additional information, referring them to alternative sources or agencies if their questions were not answered, and urging patrons to return if they need further assistance.

As described above, the revised guidelines have incorporated many behaviors that pertain specifically to virtual reference. Yet, the core components and ideas remain the same as those set out in the original guidelines prepared for face-to-face reference service practice.

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