Goals, Objectives, and Competencies for Reference Service:

Transcription

1 Goals, Objectives, and for Reference Service: A Training Program at the UCLA Biomedical Library* BY ROBERTA J. WALTERS, Assistant Head, Reference Division UCLA Biomedical Library Los Angeles, California SUSAN J. BARNES, Head, Reference Divisiont Columbia University Health Sciences Library New York, New York ABSTRACT The UCLA Biomedical Library, in cooperation with the UCLA Graduate School of Library and Information Science, offers a medical library internship program for second-year library school students. Goals, objectives, competencies, and training guidelines have been developed for the reference services section of the internship, including reference desk experience, online searching, group discussions, assigned readings, and training exercises. This program, which can also be used in training new staff members, allows flexibility in meeting the differing interests, needs, and abilities of trainees. THE STUDY GROUP REPORT on MLA's Role in the Educational Process for Health Sciences Librarians, completed in 1981, included a recommendation to "develop courses or workshops to prepare staff members of prospective host training libraries to plan, supervise, and evaluate field work experience programs" [1]. In response to the study group's recommendation, this paper describes a training program that was created for a reference services internship. The program has been used with library school students and can be adapted for training new reference staff. The Biomedical Library, in cooperation with the UCLA Graduate School of Library and Information Science, offers internships to selected secondyear library school students who have successfully completed the health and life sciences bibliography course. Interns, who typically work twelve hours per week for one year, receive professional experience that complements the library school curricu- *Presented May 30, 1983, at the Eighty-third Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association, Houston, Texas. tformerly Reference Librarian at UCLA Biomedical Library, Los Angeles, California. 160 lum. The Reference Division component introduces students to the fundamental practices of reference service in an academic health sciences library. Through this internship students gain practical experience with reference desk service, online searching, and interlibrary loan borrowing. Training methods include observation, discussion, reading, and hands-on experience. The internship is coordinated by the head of the Reference Division, and training is supervised by members of the reference staff who serve as mentors. Following a short observation period, the mentors and the students work on information requests jointly, exploring the varied information needs of a large health and life sciences clientele and the abilities and cognitive processes necessary to respond to information needs. Eventually, the students begin to function independently and they are assigned to activities that allow them to observe and interact with the unique styles and approaches of other reference staff members. The Reference Division's training program has been evolving since the Biomedical Library's internship program began in Recently, the program has been revised in a three-step process. The first step, determining the desired training result, led to the design of goals, objectives, and outcome competencies for the program. The next step involved the setting of training guidelines to insure that teaching methods would promote the desired outcomes. In the final step, evaluation of the internship was considered. GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND COMPETENCIES The program's first step identified formal program goals from which performance objectives were developed and outcome competencies defined.

2 REFERENCE TRAINING AT UCLA The format was adapted from the "ASHP outcome competencies for institutional pharmacy training programs" of the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists [2]. The six primary goals of the training program were to: 1. Refine basic reference skills, such as interviewing and determining information needs, teaching the use of bibliographic tools and the development of effective search strategies, finding facts, giving directions, making referrals, and communicating clearly; 2. Gain experience with the major reference tools and common reference questions in health and life sciences; 3. Recognize the advantages and disadvantages of online searching, demonstrate a basic knowledge of the contents and characteristics of major bibliographic databases available at the Biomedical Library, and recommend appropriate databases to library users; 4. Master basic techniques used to search National Library of Medicine databases; 5. Examine interlibrary loan policies and procedures, including philosophy of service, methods of location and verification, processing work flow, and the role of the Regional Medical Library Network in document delivery; and 6. Employ the UCLA libraries' online information system, ORION, and associated print and microfiche products to identify and locate materials in campus libraries. Behavioral objectives define the performance necessary for achieving these goals. For example, the reference desk component of this program includes ten objectives. Reference Desk Objective One is: Conduct an effective reference interview, analyzing information needs, evaluating potential information resources, and providing appropriate direction to sources satisfying the user's request. For each objective, specific competencies identify the relevant skills, knowledge, and attitudes. In order to accomplish Reference Desk Objective One, the trainee fulfills thirteen competencies, such as: Determine the requester's level of library experience and the appropriate technical level of information required. TRAINING GUIDELINES After defining the intended impact of the program, reference librarians identified techniques for promoting and reinforcing the appropriate reference skills, knowledge, and attitudes. In this second step, training guidelines were developed from these techniques. Training guidelines for Reference Desk Objective One include: 1. Discuss techniques in interpersonal communication, such as open questions, active listening, eye contact, and verbal encouragement. 2. Discuss the recurrent information requests of health/life sciences user groups and efficient search strategies to answer those requests. 3. Discuss tools, techniques, and coping mechanisms for deciphering highly technical information requests. 4. Discuss criteria for evaluation of information tools. 5. Discuss skills useful in one-on-one teaching, such as combining visual and verbal communication, repetition, and requesting user to repeat instructions. 6. Read: Smith NM, Fitt SD. "Active listening at the reference desk." RQ Summer 1 982;2 1: Read: "Scientific and technical communication." In: Scientific and Technical Information Resources. New York: M. Dekker, Read: "Negotiation techniques." In: Jahoda G, Brauhagel JS. The Librarian and the Reference Query. New York: Academic Press, Read: The Reference Interview: Preparation for Positive Results. Chicago: Midwest Health Science Library Network, Read selected articles on information needs of biomedical clientele from user education files, such as "Continuing education needsassessment in dentistry." 11. Practice outlining search strategies with sample reference questions. 12. View videotape: Jason HK, Cohen BF. Teaching Interpersonal Skills to Health Professionals. Atlanta: National Medical Audiovisual Center, Try role-playing situations with "difficult people." TRAINING EVALUATION Evaluation of this program includes assessment of the training process, as well as its effect on the trainee. The program measures training impact in four ways. First, direct observation by the mentor

3 WALTERS AND BARNES and discussion between the mentor and student provide considerable insight into the intern's progress. Establishment of specific competencies enables mentors to determine whether their interns have met the program's objectives. Second, weekly meetings with the Reference Division head allow time to summarize each week's activities, discuss questions, and ascertain the interns' progress and overall performance. Third, organizational records, such as online search printouts and interlibrary loan request forms, provide documented evidence of the effectiveness and throughness of intern-user interactions. Similarly, exercises such as MED- LEARN and sample reference problems not only supplement the student's experience but result in documentation that can be reviewed by the mentor. Fourth, a questionnaire designed by the library school is used to make a formal record of the overall evaluation. To measure the training process, the appropriateness and quality of the program's scope and goals, the program organization and administration, and the content and delivery of training, there are two approaches. Weekly meetings with the Reference Division head examine whether the student is satisfied with the program and whether changes need to be made in content or approach. These meetings allow mentors to resolve potential problems and clarify issues as they arise. Second, a written summary of internship activities provides the student's perspective on the experience. This is valuable for identifying what was most relevant and memorable and can be used as a memory prompt when the student is asked to relate internship activities during job interviews. Both approaches provide valuable insight into the internship documentation, standards, content, and evaluation. SUMMARY This training package includes methods of instruction and performance measurement; each major activity is described and justified by goals, objectives, and competencies. Several benefits occur with this approach. The detailed competencies clearly illustrate the complexity of reference services, insuring that mentors have more realistic expectations of their trainees' performance. In addition, while the program relies upon the occurrence of illustrative reference requests at the reference desk, important questions that fail to arise during training can be identified by the trainee or mentor, then covered through exercises, discussion, or self-study. The documentation also facilitates transfer of training responsibilities to different 162 staff members. The training program, though highly structured, is not rigid, and opportunities for special projects are incorporated to complement professional interests. The improved documentation enables the Reference Division to offer a flexible program that can be responsive to individual experience, background, interests, and career plans. The establishment of goals, objectives, and competencies provides definition of performance expectations and criteria for performance appraisal. In addition, the competency-oriented structure compels critical examination of program content and instructional methods to insure that the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for each objective are provided in the program. REFERENCES 1. MLA's role in the educational process for health science librarians. Report of the study group, October In: Annual Report, Medical Library Association, June 11-17, 1982, Anaheim, Calif.: ASHP outcome competencies for institutional pharmacy technician training programs. Am J Hosp Pharm 1982 Feb;39(2): Appendix TRAINING OBJECTIVES AND COMPETENCIES FOR REFERENCE SERVICES This is an edited version of the UCLA Biomedical Library Reference Division Internship Goals and Objectives. Objectives and competencies that were specific to UCLA have been omitted. REFERENCE DESK OBJECTIVE ONE Conduct an effective reference interview, analyzing information needs, evaluating potential information sources, and providing appropriate direction to sources satisfying the user's request. 1. Establish a working rapport with requesters, expressing interest in the requester's information need and promoting confidence in the student's ability to answer the requester's need; 2. Analyze the requester's information needs by distinguishing each subject component and determining the logical relationship between components; 3. Determine the likely format(s) of requested

4 REFERENCE TRAINING AT UCLA information based upon the organizational structure of scientific literature; 4. Determine appropriate reference sources by comparing scope, arrangement, access points, and publication characteristics; 5. Determine the requester's level of library experience and the appropriate technical level of information required; 6. Select the most appropriate search strategy based on the above competencies, available resources, time constraints, costs, and the required amount of information; 7. Relate perspective and background on the choice of reference tools to the requester so that she/he understands why as well as how to use the most appropriate tool; and 8. Promote a satisfactory answer to each reference query by accompanying the requester through the initial step(s) of the search, encouraging additional questions, and providing follow-up whenever possible. REFERENCE DESK OBJECTIVE Two Use core reference materials in biomedicine for fact finding and for gathering the initial information needed to attempt more complex search strategies. 1. Identify brief current biographical summaries on physicians, scientists, and professors; 2. Provide addresses and telephone numbers for hospitals, academic departments, research institutes, professional organizations, funding sources, product suppliers, and health care professionals; 3. Provide short definitions of terms or phrases; 4. Find descriptions of current and upcoming educational programs, meetings, workshops, and seminars; 5. Find drug synonyms, adverse effects, and other drug product information for given substances; 6. Verify incomplete citations; 7. Identify sources of psychological tests; 8. Find current health care laws, federal codes, and impending legislation; 9. Describe geographic approaches to health care in a given country; 10. Determine common properties, such as molecular weight or melting point, for chemical substances; 11. Identify authoritative and accepted discus- sions of diagnosis and therapy for a given disease; 12. Determine the genus, species, and family from the common name of most animals or plants; 13. Identify statistics on mortality, natality, and morbidity of reported diseases, health manpower, and hospitals in the United States; and 14. Identify statistics collected and reported by the World Health Organization, the National Center for Health Statistics, the state and county departments of health, and specific organizations, such as the American Cancer Society or the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. REFERENCE DESK OBJECTIVE THREE Demonstrate and explain the use of the major biomedical indexing and abstracting services, such as Index Medicus, Biological Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts, Science Citation Index, Excerpta Medica, Zoological Record, Social Sciences Citation Index, Psychological Abstracts, International Nursing Index, Index to Dental Literature and the Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, to a variety of user groups. 1. Perform author and subject searches utilizing each of the indexing and abstracting services listed above; 2. Perform citation searches in the Science Citation Index and the Social Science Citation Index; 3. Explain the access points in the above indexing and abstracting services to library users at the undergraduate student level, the graduate student level, and the faculty level; 4. Recognize the common uses of indexing and abstracting services by students and faculty; 5. Explain the citation elements and abbreviations in indexing and abstracting services to library users at all university levels; and 6. List or identify the thesauri, abbreviation lists, and other aids available for the major indexing and abstracting services. REFERENCE DESK OBJECTIVE FOUR Conduct an effective online search interview, including the choice of appropriate database(s), a thorough investigation and definition of the search topic, and the preparation of the requester for the search results. 163

5 WALTERS AND BARNES 1. Explain uses of computer searching to supplement or replace printed sources; 2. Explain and interpret computer search request forms; 3. Solicit information to be included on request forms; 4. Explain expected retrieval (for example, references to articles rather than articles themselves; references with or without abstracts); 5. Explain normal search turnaround time and determine whether rush processing should be done; 6. Identify appropriate databases; 7. Determine scope and coverage of databases under consideration; 8. Identify databases within the requester's price range; 9. Estimate the cost of a specific online search; and 10. Determine the appropriate payment mechanism(s) for an online search. REFERENCE DESK OBJECTIVE FIVE Demonstrate the ability to locate materials owned by the library using the card catalogs, the serials holdings list, the online catalogs, and the circulation system. 1. List materials accessible through the online catalogs, the card catalogs, and the serials holdings list; 2. Identify, explain, and utilize the information provided on a catalog card, serials holdings list entry, an online catalog screen, or any other public cataloging record; 3. Explain the uses of National Library of Medicine and Library of Congress subject headings and classifications in the public catalog; 4. Use Medical Subject Headings, Library of Congress Subject Headings, and other local authority lists when suggesting appropriate subject headings to library catalog users; 5. Determine the specific location of a journal based on information found in the serials holdings list and/or the online catalogs; 6. Demonstrate the ability to formulate and execute basic search logic to identify materials in the online catalogs; and 7. Use the circulation system to determine the status of a given book or journal. 164 REFERENCE DESK OBJECTIVE SIX Verify cited references and identify materials owned by other libraries using the California Academic Libraries List of Serials (CALLS), Pacific Southwest Regional Medical Library Resource Libraries Union List of Serials, Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona Union List of Serials, OCLC, RLIN, and MELVYL (the University of California Online Catalog). 1. Explain the scope and format of each regional union list; 2. Explain the scope of, formulate and execute search logic for, and interpret a record or response on MELVYL; 3. Explain the scope and the uses of OCLC; 4. Formulate and execute search logic using OCLC title keys, and interpret an OCLC record or response to a search request; 5. Explain the scope and uses of RLIN; and 6. Formulate and execute search logic using RLIN and interpret a record or system response. REFERENCE DESK OBJECTIVE SEVEN Refer users to other libraries, information services, hotlines, or agencies when the library is not the most appropriate place for the information requested. 1. List the major UC, CSU, and local private library collections which are relevant to the life and health sciences; 2. Describe the appropriate local public libraries, undergraduate libraries, or information services, such as the Consumer Drug Information Service, available for requests from the lay public; 3. Identify the closest MEDLINE centers to an individual in Southern California or in a foreign country; 4. Demonstrate the ability to use the reference files and desk information sources for referral information; 5. Explain the functions of the Hospital Information and Services Center, the Outpatient Referral Desk, the School of Medicine Public Information Office, the UCLA Cancer Communications Office and the UCLA Drug Information Service; and 6. Explain the mechanisms for direct access to online databases to users who have their own terminals/ microcomputers.

6 REFERENCE TRAINING AT UCLA REFERENCE DESK OBJECTIVE EIGHT Apply library policies and procedures as documented in the reference desk manual and determine appropriate action in undocumented situations based on established policies. 1. Explain and apply all policies and procedures documented in the reference desk manual; 2. Know the appropriate resource persons for clarification or referral on library policy or procedure; and 3. Evaluate unusual requests with regard to impact on library operation and users; determine when an exception to general policy should be made for the institution's students, staff, and faculty. REFERENCE DESK OBJECTIVE NINE Direct and advise library users on requests for interlibrary loan services when items are not owned by this university. 1. Determine that materials requested are not owned at UCLA using the tools listed in Objective Five; 2. Verify the eligibility of requesters; 3. Instruct requesters in completion of ILL request forms; 4. Annotate request forms as appropriate for missing, claimed, or verified items; 5. Establish correct requester expectations by explaining ILL service and turnaround time; 6. Aid requesters in verifying references to materials not owned by UCLA, using library catalogs, indexing and abstracting services, and journal title abbreviation lists; and 7. Determine the availability through ILL of dissertations from other universities, using the ILL policies directories. REFERENCE DESK OBJECTIVE TEN Demonstrate effective interaction with other library divisions, recognizing and practicing the appropriate procedures when accessing materials or information for library users from those divisions. 1. Use appropriate procedures to interface effectively with other library divisions, such as Bindery Preparation, Cataloging, Acquisitions, Collection Development. Circulation, ILL, History, and Learning Resources; 2. Describe the primary functions and organization of the divisions of the library; and 3. Explain the gifts policy of the library to users and interface effectively between users and the Collection Development Division. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE ONE Demonstrate communication and interview, skills when interacting with online search service requesters. 1. Explain uses of computer searching to supplement or replace printed sources; 2. Explain and interpret computer search request forms; 3. Solicit information to be included on request forms; 4. Explain expected retrieval (for example, references to articles rather than articles themselves; references with or without abstracts); 5. Explain normal search turnaround time and determine whether rush processing should be done; 6. Contact patrons to resolve difficulties which may arise during formulation and processing of searches; 7. Interpret computer search output to users (including field abbreviations and source designations); and 8. Explain methods of obtaining documents identified through computer searches, at this library and other campus libraries, or using interlibrary loan. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE Two Demonstrate familiarity with the types of online bibliographic search requests received by the library. 1. Describe characteristics of the library's user population; and 2. Identify common uses for computer-produced bibliographies. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE THREE Recommend appropriate databases to requesters. 1. Identify appropriate databases; 2. Determine scope and coverage of databases under consideration; and 165

7 WALTERS AND BARNES 3. Identify databases within the requester's price range. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE FOUR Understand online search pricing policies at the library and interpret these policies to users. 1. Use the Library Computer Services Price List and supplements to determine correct charges for computer searches; 2. Determine when service fees should be charged and the appropriate amount to be charged; 3. Distinguish between flat-rate and prorated databases; 4. Explain to users when additional per-citation or per-page charges may apply; 5. Determine when payment in advance is necessary, and when the requester must pay after the search has been processed; 6. Understand that separate checks must be accepted for NLM and commercial vendor search requests; and 7. Determine when cash may be accepted and when checks are necessary. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE FIVE Demonstrate an understanding of online search processing procedures and work flow at the library. 1. Describe procedures involved with logging searches in and out; 2. Describe and participate in the process of selection of searches to be formulated; 3. Determine where paper work should go after a search has been processed; 4. Describe procedures used to notify users and prepare printouts for distribution; 5. Locate various sections in the reference office files where search paper work is kept; and 6. Use the logbook to determine whether a search has been processed, when it was processed, and who the searcher was. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE SIX Demonstrate the ability to use computer terminals and other equipment for online searching Locate the proper telephone number, terminal ID, and password necessary to access NLM via TELENET, UNINET or TYM- NET; and 2. Change paper and ribbons when necessary. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE SEVEN Locate and use database and vendor documentation. 1. Locate vendor manuals, individual database search aids, newsletters and bulletins, and other miscellaneous search aids on the search tools shelves, in the reference office online information files, in the reference annex, and in the reference collection or general collection of the library; 2. Use printed indexes in the reference collection or general collection, when necessary, to supplement aids for online searching; and 3. Locate search request forms, price lists, worksheets, and other supplies in the reference office files and/or supply cabinets. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE EIGHT Demonstrate a working knowledge of the MED- LARS system and basic ELHILL searching capabilities. 1. Demonstrate understanding of services provided by MEDLARS Management Section, including use of MMS's toll-free telephone number; and 2. Understand basic MEDLARS and online searching terminology, such as backfile, controlled vocabulary, natural language, and offline printing; 3. Demonstrate familiarity with the purpose, entry format, and use of the ELHILL commands and system capabilities; 4. Explain the meaning of the commonly received ELHILL program messages and overflow messages, and determine the appropriate action to take in response; 5. Explain which bibliographic databases offered by NLM are indexed with MeSH, which are free-text databases, which use other controlled subject access, and which combine free-text and controlled access; 6. Demonstrate familiarity with rules for textword generation and procedures for textword searching; 7. Demonstrate familiarity with procedures for

8 REFERENCE TRAINING AT UCLA searching using MeSH headings, tree numbers, explosions, and preexplosions; 8. Understand NLM's controlled vocabulary structure and indexing practices, including alphabetic arrangement; hierarchical arrangement; inversions; specificity; Latin, Greek, and English roots; and references; 9. Use the two truncation symbols correctly; 10. Understand reasons to use stringsearching, i.e., word adjacency, access to stopwords and numerics, left-hand truncation, and highly posted terms (such as check tags and language indicators) from a small subset; 11. Select appropriate subheadings to cover an aspect of a MeSH heading, applying appropriate category restrictions and permissions and common groupings; and 12. Limit retrieval to references dealing with humans in free text and controlled vocabulary databases. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE NINE Demonstrate familiarity with databases offered by the National Library of Medicine. 1. Demonstrate familiarity with scope, coverage, content, data elements, and searching techniques for the following databases: CAN- CERLIT, CLINPROT, CHEMLINE, HEALTH, MEDLINE, MESH, PDQ, POPLINE, and TOXLINE; 2. Describe relationships among MEDLINE, HEALTH, TOXLINE, and CANCERLIT file contents; and 3. Identify appropriate use of the Special List tags. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE TEN Formulate and process MEDLINE search requests. 1. Describe subject content, publication coverage, and time span of the MEDLINE database; 2. Describe and name printed publications generated from the MEDLINE database; 3. Describe primary search aids used with the MEDLINE database; 4. Formulate a search strategy given a subject request; 5. Formulate search strategies which make appropriate use of MeSH, textwords, subheadings, explosions, preexplosions, check tags, language tags, tree numbers, and central concept indicators, in the proper entry formats; 6. Use Boolean logic in the combination of search terms to retrieve relevant references; 7. Distinguish between comprehensive and selective search formulations; 8. Use the hedge notebook and other search aids to assist in search formulation; 9. Describe purpose and content, data element mnemonic, and search entry format for the fields in the MEDLINE unit record; 10. Describe years of coverage for each backfile; 11. Explain approximately how many references in the MEDLINE database and backfiles include abstracts, why some references do not contain abstracts in their unit records, and when abstracts began to be entered into the database; 12. Process OFFSEARCHes, and do offline printing and online printing in MEDLINE; 13. Use the "sort" capability when producing MEDLINE printouts; and 14. Evaluate the quality of the output and its usefulness to the requester. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE ELEVEN Demonstrate a general knowledge of commercial databases most frequently searched at this library. 1. Demonstrate familiarity with scope, coverage, and contents of the following databases: BIOSIS, CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS, ERIC, EXCERPTA MEDICA, PSYCHO- LOGICAL ABSTRACTS, SCISEARCH, and SOCIAL SCISEARCH. ONLINE SEARCHING OBJECTIVE TWELVE Use National Library of Medicine databases for ready reference purposes. 1. Identify MeSH headings used for subjects not listed in the Annotated Alphabetic MeSH; and 2. Locate or verify citations using authors' names, textwords, or journal title abbreviations. Received April 1984; approved August