Implementation and evaluation of information desk services provided by library technical assistants

Changes in the role of information services librarians and in the health care environment have required a rethinking of the provision of reference services at the University of Illinois at Chicago Library of the Health Sciences. This is a report of a new service offered after that analysis. An information desk staffed by twenty-five library technical assistants was established. Details of staff training, scheduling, and data gathering for this new service are provided. After eight months of operation, an evaluation of services provided by the Information Desk was conducted. A combination of evaluation methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative, has been used to determine overall staff performance. Results from analysis of service statistics, structured observations of real-time services operations, and questionnaires distributed to information services librarians and to patrons are presented. The findings from this study are discussed in terms of comparison with similar studies in other libraries and identification of future research studies. The results confirm the value of the Information Desk and support the decision to continue this service model.