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Related Experiment Videos

Assessing reference staff competency in the electronic environment.

Kurt I Munson1, Linda J Walton

  • 1Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. kmunson@northwestern.edu

Medical Reference Services Quarterly
|May 19, 2004
PubMed
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Galter Health Sciences Library developed a training program to assess reference staff competencies in the electronic environment. This effective program ensures users receive accurate assistance with digital resources and access issues.

Area of Science:

  • Library and Information Science
  • Medical Librarianship
  • Information Management

Background:

  • Academic health sciences libraries face evolving user needs in digital environments.
  • Assessing and enhancing reference staff competencies is crucial for effective user support.
  • Galter Health Sciences Library identified a need to evaluate skills for electronic resource assistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and implement a program for assessing reference staff competencies in assisting users with electronic resources.
  • To identify common user questions in the electronic environment to tailor training.
  • To ensure staff possess necessary skills for navigating digital library services.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a year-long assessment of reference questions to identify common queries.

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  • Developed and delivered a targeted training program focusing on remote access, privileges, holdings, and database searching.
  • Created assessment instruments to evaluate staff competency post-training.
  • Provided individualized follow-up training based on assessment results.

    • Main Results:

    • The training program effectively improved reference staff competencies.
    • Most staff achieved scores exceeding 92% on initial competency assessments.
    • The developed system demonstrated significant success in enhancing skills for the electronic environment.

    Conclusions:

    • The implemented training and assessment program is effective in ensuring reference staff proficiency.
    • Library management can be confident in the quality of user assistance provided.
    • The program equips staff with essential skills for supporting users in a digital landscape.