The Librarian as Information Consultant: Transforming Reference for the Information Age

Citation

Osorio, N.L. (2012), "The Librarian as Information Consultant: Transforming Reference for the Information Age", Collection Building, Vol. 31 No. 4, pp. 167-167. https://doi.org/10.1108/01604951211274115

Sarah Murphy, Coordinator of Research and Reference Services at the Ohio State University Libraries, has provided us with an interesting book that covers basic concepts and strategies for improving reference services in academic libraries. She offers fresh and challenging views of how academic libraries can position themselves as competitors for a generation of users heavily influenced by open web services.

In chapter 1 Murphy presents a parallel between competencies for business consultants and competencies required for reference librarians, and she also introduces the concept of reference services using the business model of a service consultant. In the next four chapters the reader learns about building and maintaining relationships with target populations, how to market library services by creating a brand identity, how to manage the library service using consulting practices, and how to develop the infrastructure and culture for quality services.

The author introduces ServiceScape, a concept that helps establish how the design of physical surroundings can affect a customer's behavior, as an effective way to develop a user's plan. The book also presents a great deal of discussion about the personal attributes and skills of a good information consultant. Further, several industrial processes for quality control are presented (Lean, Six Sigma, and others) as tools to implement consistent and successful delivery services. The key, according to Murphy, is to “deliver quality results in order to attract and maintain a customer base.”

This is a good resource for those interested in creating a brand identity for the library and will help them construct a marketing plan for the service offered. This book is of particular interest to staff of special libraries, but academic and public librarians also can learn about different approaches to serving their clients. The work is recommended for reference librarians, liaison and outreach staff, administrators and students of library science.