Managing the Twenty‐First Century Reference Department

Citation

Duckett, B. (2005), "Managing the Twenty‐First Century Reference Department", Library Review, Vol. 54 No. 6, pp. 385-386. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530510605511

This smart little book consists of eight essays relating to the theme that the management of reference departments in academic libraries has changed significantly and rapidly in the last few years. While the fundamental need to provide access to information remains, traditional ways of providing reference services are changing and the effective use of staff and other resources is the major challenge today. Balancing the increasing pressures from shrinking budgets, growing costs, proliferation of expensive electronic resources, and high expectations from academic staff and students, all create a greater need for strong management expertise. The head of reference must be both an exceptional manager and an experienced librarian.

The essay on the desired traits needed for the new head of reference for the New Millennium was, for me, nostalgic. Gone are the days when a reference librarian was promoted to head the reference department based on question‐answering competency, an interest in supervising others, longevity and experience. Reference librarianship has changed and what the profession needs are competent managers to handle the increased complexity and pressure. Desired traits now include experience of collegial management, experience of other libraries, understanding service quality issues, receptivity to cultural diversity, awareness of trends, and directing the work of highly educated people. Libraries need a “visionary and dynamic leader to direct and influence the behaviours and activities of staff” in order to deliver high quality services. The reference department of the 21st century has to provide services which are constantly being shaped by changes in the information environment and the expectations of patrons of this fast‐paced era.

Libraries will need to change the way they hire and retain heads of reference in order to sustain leadership in this vital unit of public service. Years of previous supervisory experience as a job requirement will need to be replaced with agreement to participate in a positive and substantial training regime for new supervisors – a working alliance. An example of how a new “collaborative leadership” has worked is given, where a management model has evolved that utilizes workgroups and an advisory and coordinating council to assist in the running the department, giving flexibility and the sharing of workloads and professional development.

Another useful essay focuses on the actual nature of the reference interview. This has changed to a kind of service transaction which takes many forms, resources, and skills. Reference work has become more versatile than ever.

There is a considerable overlap in the essays here, but usefully so, though there is a differing emphasis given to the Leadership and/or Management issue. The final essay looks at what is expected of a head of reference services in academic libraries. The book has a well‐complied index.

The differing traditions of US and UK academic librarianship are rather too different to make translation here easy, but the analysis of how reference service has changed from a static to a dynamic model, and how the head of reference service must now be an ICT‐ literate facilitator with political, management and financial skills, and vision, is well made. I hope reference librarians will read this, and learn to adapt, for their own sakes!