College and Research Libraries DONALD R. HUNT Where Is the General Reference Librarian and Bread-and-Butter Service? Research library growth and the increased emphasis upon graduate and professional training in universities has focused attention in recent years upon the need for subject specialists in public service areas of university libraries. Their advent has been helpful in raising the quality of scholarly service and in providing bibliographic and re- search service in greater depth than was previously possible. The general reference librarian, however, is still necessary-even in divi- sionally-planned buildings-to give library instruction, to answer basic reference queries from the less sophisticated patron, and to route more advanced users to the proper personnel for solution of their more profound library needs. wHAT IS HAPPENING to the general reference librarian? Is he slowly disap- pearing like the general practitioner in the field of medicine? In this age of spe- cialization is there still need for the gen- eralist in academic and large public li- braries? The contention of this paper is that there is still a great need for the general reference librarian and that the library profession itself is to a degree re- sponsible for his apparent obsolescence. As knowledge proliferates, particular- ly in the areas of science and technology, no librarian is able to remain abreast of it. Subject specialist librarians are trying to keep up with the terminology, in- dexes, and abstracts in order to give in- telligent directions to the patrons in the various disciplines. The general refer- Mr. H u'nt is Assistant Librarian and Head of Public Services at Oregon State Univer- sity Library, Corvallis, Oregbn. ence librarian is also attempting to keep up, but the type of service that he can best provide is bread-and-butter service. This is not the deluxe service of the sub- ject specialist, which may produce a definitive bibliography for a member of the faculty, but it is the staple, day-to- day service which should be available for all library users. This service needs to be reemphasized as libraries grow in size and complexity and as enrollments swell in the colleges and universities. Bread-and-butter library service is the every day, every hour, every minute ser- vice that is made available at a public desk. It is the day-to-day contact with the patron, and it is convincing that patron that the librarian is there to help him interpret and use the resources and facilities of the library. Bread-and-butter service is a yeoman service that presents an ever-helping hand. This may sound trite and hackneyed, and perhaps it is. /307 308 I College & Research Libraries • July, 1965 Nevertheless, it is basic to public ser- vices in the library. It is a combination of public relations, library instruction, and general reference. Public relations is everyone's job in the library at all times, but it is carried on primarily through the direct personal contact between student and staff at the service desk. The word library means different things to many people. To some it represents the resources of the library. To others it may mean a place to study or to read the latest magazine or news- paper, or it may be a place to find a date for the Saturday night dance. But to many, the word library brings to mind the personal contacts they have made at the library and the service they have, or have not, received. Unfortunately, the patron usually remembers a rebuff far longer than he remembers good service.1 Library instruction is available at many levels and may range from how to locate a book on the shelf mechanically via the card catalog and call number to finding an uncataloged government doc- ument; from how to use the Readers' Guide or the New York Times Index to the use of the more difficult subject bib- liographies. Students do need instruction in the use of the card catalog and index- es. While no one would refute Everett Moore's statement that these techniques "should be pretty well mastered before students come to college,"2 unfortunately it does not .always happen. In fact, one could well wonder if some graduate stu- dents and faculty members have perhaps been accustomed to Mr. Rothstein's maximum service3 and as a result have difficulty in using some of the biblio- graphical sources on their own. Library instruction needs to be given at all bibli- ographic levels and be .available for all 1 For a more detailed discussion of public relations, see: A. L. Kenny, "Public Relations in the College Li- brary," CRL, XXV (Jnly 1964), 263-66. 2 Everett T. Moore, "Reference Service in Academic and Research Libraries," Library Trends, XII (Jan- uary 1964), 362-72. Quotation from page 370. 3 Samuel Rothstein, " Reference Service: The New Dimension in Librarianship," CRL, XXII (January 1961)' 11-18. patrons regardless of their academic sta- tus. A dean may need as much help in the card catalog as a freshman. Perhaps the repetition of how to use the catalog, indexes, basic reference tools, etc., can be tiresome for the librarian, but it should not be. Library instruction is an essential and basic part of library ser- vice. It is part of bread-and-butter ser- vice, and it helps to establish the patron's confidence in himself and in the library. Winning the confidence of the clien- tele at .a reference desk is not something that happens automatically when some body is stationed at the desk to hand out reference books. It is something that has to be achieved through a constant, con- sistent effort. Once attained it does not necessarily remain, but it is the product of continued good reference service. One must be courteous .and try to understand the confusion, bewilderment, aggressive- ness, irritability, or whatever particular noun might be applicable, of the patron. Even if the answer to a question is not found, the patron will not be too dis- turbed if he believes the librarian was sympathetic with his problem and tried his best to solve it. If the patron receives perfunctory treatment, he will be reluc- tant to ask for help again. In showing a genuine desire to help, the librarian lays the foundation of the patron's confidence in the library and staff.4 This is part of bread-and-butter service. If the general reference librarian cannot answer the · question, then the subject specialist can take over. Consistent interest and enthusiasm are often hard to maintain. All librarians would prefer to aid the person who is capable of helping himself, who knows what he is after, and who needs only a suggestion or two to follow through on his own. All want to avoid the patron who is constantly lost, who refuses to help himself, and who is inclined to have 4 For a discuss ion on establishing this confidence, s ee: Abraham Barnett, " The University Student and the Reference Libr arian," CRL , XX (July 1959), 321- 24. l ... Where Is the General Reference Librarian? I 309 a chip on his shoulder. These problem children are the ones to be won over. Most of these latter patrons have formed their attitudes through poor contacts at public service desks and to win their confidence should be a greater challenge than answering an esoteric reference question or compiling a thirty-page bib- liography on cranberries. Two of the seven items of the Rights of Library Users, based on the ACRL Standards for College Libraries, deal directly with these issues of assistance and instruction. The ACRL Committee on Library Services believed that the Standards were more for librarians and that some library users might not be aware of the service they were missing. The Committee was perhaps too kind to add that some librarians may not be aware of the service they should be offering. Points four and five of the Com- mittee's preliminary draft are: 4. Assistance in its use. (Standards, IV). Help and advise in the use of the library, its materials, and its services should be available at all times from competent professional librarians. For faculty and research needs, this help should extend to literature searching, bibliography com- pilation, subject area guidance, and oth- er specialized service as required. 5. Instruction in its use. (Standards, VII). Instruction in the use of the library should be integrated with or closely re- lated to regular course work and should teach the organization of library re- sources and develop skill in the use of bibliographic and reference tools. The library staff may be expected to cooper- ate with the faculty in assuring that · suitable training is offered. Both formal and informal instruction are desirable and should make use of such aids as a handbook or guide to the library's re- sources, facilities, and services; orienta- tion tours, visual presentations; and in- dividual consultations. 5 The application of assistance and in- " " Committee on Library Services," CRL, XXV (May 1964), 226, 228. The Standards can be referred to in: "Standards for College Libraries," CRL, XX (July 1959), 274-80. struction will vary greatly depending on the ability and academic level of the user. While a subject specialist may as- sume these responsibilities for the grad- uate students and faculty, the general reference librarian should provide these services to the underclassmen and the less-experienced library user. Unfortunately, to some librarians, this bread-and-butter service of library in- struction and library assistance or gen- eral reference, is dull, monotonous, and lacking in professional challenge. The more emphasis · that is placed on librar- ians as subject specialists, the more im- patient some seem to become with li- brary instruction or with working at a general reference desk. The specialist in becoming more knowledgeable in his specific area may become less proficient in dealing with reference questions more general in nature and covering a wide range of disciplines and therefore may become less sympathetic with the prob- lems of the new library user or the un- dergraduate. This is not an indictment against the subject specialist. He is the core of the divisional library and is es- sential for reference and bibliographic work in depth. It is rather a plea for recognition of the importance of bread- and-butter service, a service not to the undergraduate alone, although he may be more directly concerned, but such a service to all library users. It is a sug- gestion that perhaps too much emphasis has been placed on · divisional planning and that in the endeavor to give better service in depth, the equally important services of instruction, assistance, and reference in breadth, have suffered. Many subject specialists, . of course, do see the importance of bread-and-butter service and do not resent doing it along with their more scholarly endeavors, and some general reference librarians prefer more involved questions and believe that it is a waste of professional time to serve a desk where a large per cent of the questions are of the · bread-and-butter 310 I College & Research Libraries • July, 1965 variety. Some say that a well-trained nonprofessional or student clerk should sit at such a desk and cull these ques- tions and refer the patron to a librarian when something of consequence arises. Disagreement, however, should be voiced with this philosophy of service. While it is true that a librarian on duty might refer the patron to another librarian more knowledgeable on the subject, or to a clerk who is competent to handle the problem, it is the decision of when to refer that is important. It is infinitely better that the librarian refer the patron to a well-trained clerk, than the reverse. The decision of when to refer and to whom demands all the academic train- ing and experience of the librarian and is as professional an act as any he will carry out at a public desk. This point of contact with the public is the culmina- tion of all the work done behind the scenes. The library collection is selected, purchased, and arranged with one point in mind-to have the material available for use. The public service personnel are the connecting link between the resourc- es of the library and the patron's use of these resources. The responsibility of the person at the desk is a great one, wheth- er he is a subject specialist or a bread- and-butter general reference librarian . As previously stated, the general ref- erence librarian and bread-and-butter service may be in danger of being ad- ministratively organized out of the pub- lic service pattern as a result of the emphasis during the last generation on the divisional plan and on subject spe- cialists. What can be done to assure that bread-and-butter service will survive? First, clear recognition of the profession- al nature of general reference work must be reestablished. Second, the public ser- vice departments should be so organized as to afford a prime location for the bread-and-butter service. Third, enough personnel, and the right personnel, must be provided to offer this service during all hours the library is open. Not all librarians want to work with the public, and not all public service li- brarians are suited by inclination or ability for general reference work. Many new professionals are looking for an ad- jective with their position classification. The title of humanities librarian, bio- logical science librarian, fine arts librar- ian, etc., is much preferable in their eyes to just reference librarian. A library school graduate sometimes believes that his chances for advancement in the pro- fession are much greater if he can iden- tify himself as a special librarian, and in the larger colleges and universities he is often correct. The general reference li- brarian rna y be becoming a second class citizen. Several generations ago when the forms and processes libraries were pre- dominant with their closed stacks, circu- lation desk, and one main reference desk, the reference desk was the place the pa- tron went for help. The general reference librarian was available at all hours the li- brary was open. As libraries grew, how- ever, and as the need for more subject ref- erence service in depth developed, and as the open-stack philosophy took shape, the subject specialists at the divisional refer- ence desks were able to provide refer- ence service to a depth not so easily at- tained at a general reference desk. The divisional plan has proved its worth and has provided service to graduates and faculty that would have been difficult to achieve in the forms and processes li- brary. However, two points must be ob- served. When three or six divisional desks replace a central reference desk, arrangements must be made to provide service to the undergraduate and to the patrons who do not need, nor know how to utilize, the help of a specialist. The other consideration is that a divisional- ized plan of service demands more per- sonnel. Some libraries have . had a tend- ency to divisionalize beyond the avail- able personnel, and as a result reference (Continued on page 326) l 1 ' 326 I College & Research Libraries • July, 1965 tion as most of them try to do now. Once persons are placed the library schools will continue to follow their graduates' progress closely and help them when- ever possible to attain their professional potential. Placement officers will help place graduates of other library schools as well as their own whenever possible. The library schools' placement programs must make every effort to upgrade and refine but with the help of the library world in which they live. • • REFERENCE LIBRARIAN (Continued from page 310) service has become scattered and di- luted. Some divisions have been staffed with only one professional librarian, and as most academic libraries are open more than ninety hours a week, the specialist is available for less than half of the open hours. One might also ask, in what Mecca is there to be found a subject li- brarian who does not have also to be involved in administrative responsibility and in supervising such tasks as sched- uling, amassing statistics, housekeeping of the area, filing reports, and so forth, and is only interrupted from his biblio- graphic pursuits by a faculty member or PhD candidate. The librarian cannot hope to spend the full forty hours he is at work rendering subject reference ser- vice. If one is fortunate to have well- trained career nonprofessionals available, they can substitute in his absence. Often student pages are filling in the gap. The philosophies of library adminis- tration and organization that form the :pattern of public services depend on too many local factors to allow analysis in detail. In general terms, the current di- visional structure, if carried to extremes, risks completely supressing bread-and- butter service along with the general reference librarian. This important as- pect of library service would be rele- gated to an information clerk sitting in splendid isolation by the umbrella stand giving traffic directions. Or it would fall by default to the clerks checking brief cases at the entrance or handling circulation work in the lobby. As Everett Moore has observed, the lack of a cen- tral reference service near the main card catalog leaves the patron in a state of confusion with nowhere to turn for as- sistance. Some libraries have established a token information center when the division plan of service removed the main reference desk and the situation became less than tolerable. Unfortunate- ly, it is often impossible to reestablish a main reference desk when a building has been planned for divisionalized ser- vice. 6 If the undergraduates are to receive good service and if bread-and-butter ser- vice is to survive, the general reference desk must be retained even in a division- al-oriented library. If possible, the desk should be in the proximity of the main card catalog, the first port of call, near the main entrance to the building. It should be more than an information and directional desk; it should have access to a general reference collection. In a com- pletely divisionalized organization, the separate divisions often take on the as- pects of separate libraries. Some college and university libraries are to all intent and purpose, four or five individual li- braries in one building. There is need for one main desk which will not only handle informational and instructional problems, but which can deal as well with the reference needs of patrons who do not need the "in depth" help of the subject specialist; can refer the patron to the proper divisional desk; and can handle reference situations when the divisional desks are not manned. This main reference desk should be staffed at all times by professional librarians who are knowledgeable in all aspects of the profession and in the operations of their library, and they should be sympathetic toward bread-and-butter service. • • 6 Moore, op . cit., p . 365. 1 l