Strategic Planning for Reference in a Team Environment: the Preferred Futuring Model

Preferred Futuring Accomplishments

The application of the Preferred Futuring technique workshops resulted in valuable benefits. The reference coordinators acted as internal change agents collaborating with colleagues to identify and address the issues affecting the reference services. Pathway 1 of the Information Services Division Strategic Plan—to improve seamless access to customer-driven collection of print and electronic resources—emerged as the key strategic initiative for determining future reference initiatives. Sharing similar vision, goals, and concerns across teams helped create unity among team members. The most visible benefit was the participation of individuals at all levels of the organization. Senior administrators, reference librarians, team leaders, interdisciplinary center chairs, library managers, staff supervisors, and service coordinators actively engaged in the brainstorming process to vision and achieve the future of the reference services considering the existing constraints.

The technique was especially valuable for planning services in a team setting. Members of the teams came with agendas and discussed specific problems they faced. The open discussions and supportive collaboration empowered the colleagues by giving them a role in identifying the obstacles, suggesting solutions, and taking part in the planning and development of future services.

Each Preferred Futuring workshop (e-reference/chat, reference services under team model, and information commons reference services) revealed valuable feedback that helped to set the reference coordinators’ agenda and the USC Libraries’ reference services strategic goals for the next three-to-five years. The most common and overarching issue addressed in each workshop was training. The team model and the team affiliation required new responsibilities for team members. Each team member was responsible for providing reference, instruction, collection development, and outreach activities in their respective subject areas.

To facilitate staffing of the five core interdisciplinary center reference desks and to respond to the training issues, the reference coordinators offered a series of reference training sessions. Participation in these sessions was voluntary. The main goal of the training sessions was to provide both general and advanced knowledge of reference services and electronic resources to reference service providers. Additionally, to comply with follow-up training and formalize the training program with future expectations of staff contribution to reference services, the reference coordinators created the Tiered Reference Project Team. Membership consisted of the reference coordinators and representatives from each interdisciplinary team and the center.

The main goal of the project team was to plan and develop reference training for the public service staff and to provide baseline reference knowledge for staff and student assistants. One of the significant accomplishments of the Tiered Reference Project Team was the identification of the following four reference training modules:

Module I: Baseline Knowledge of Public Services
Module II: Baseline Knowledge of Reference Services
Module III: Baseline Knowledge of Electronic Resources
Module IV: Baseline Knowledge of Specialized Resources

The tiered reference model consists of three levels of service. The first tier prepares students and paraprofessionals to screen and refer the reference desk inquiries and to answer directional and informational questions appropriately. The second tier prepares staff (and occasionally well-trained students) to answer basic and ready reference questions. The third tier trains librarians to provide assistance with in-depth and advanced research questions. The Tiered Reference Training Modules were developed to match the tiered service model and to establish better understanding and shared awareness of the entirety of the reference service package. Since 2004, the Tiered Reference Project Team has developed and implemented training programs for Modules I, II, and III, and created Web tutorials (www.usc.edu/libraries/tutorials). The Module IV tutorials are under development and they will be implemented by the next academic year. Once completed and fully achieved, these modules will serve as the basis for seamless access to library resources and services and provide systematic and structured training for the reference staff.

Use of the Preferred Futuring technique is an especially effective way of exploring staff perceptions of training needs and setting training priorities. The holistic participation and engagement of the team members with shaping the future of the reference services was a key factor in this success.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7