| 10. | Information services staff will conduct a thorough reference interview in order to fully understand a library userŐs request. As the reference transaction proceeds, staff will explain what strategy and steps are being taken. |
| Guidelines |
| 10.1 | Information services staff will determine the level and extent of information needed. |
| 10.2 | An initial period of approximately five minutes will be spent helping a library user who needs information assistance. | |
| 10.3 | After the initial assistance is provided, staff will encourage the library user to return to the information desk if additional service is required. | |
| 10.4 | If a question cannot be answered on-site, staff may make a referral to another HCL library or other appropriate organization. When a referral is made, staff will provide the name, address, and telephone number. Staff will either call or encourage the user to call ahead to make sure the information is available. | |
| 10.5 | Teamwork is an important element of working at the information desk. Staff should not hesitate to seek help from co-workers or to call staff in other libraries for assistance. |
| 11. | Information services staff will cite the source of information to the library user. Providing information from personal knowledge will be avoided when answering a reference question. |
| Guidelines |
| 11.1 | When citing the source of information, staff will include the title, author, and publication date. Citing sources allows the user to relocate the information and determine the validity of the source. | |
| 11.2 | As online resources become more prevalent, citing sources becomes even more important. Staff will use professional judgment in determining the credibility of an online resource. | |
| 11.3 | For Internet resources, staff will provide the user with the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or the pathway to the information which was found. Staff will provide whatever information is available in order to determine the credibility of the source. |
| 12. | Hennepin County Library users have the right to expect that their information requests are kept confidential. Information services staff will be discreet in handling all requests. |
| Guidelines |
| 12.1 | Staff will not question the purpose of a library userŐs request beyond what is necessary to complete the reference transaction. | |
| 12.2 | If a call back is necessary, staff will ask the user if a message may be left on an answering machine or with another person. | |
| 12.3 | Staff will be aware of the sensitive nature of some requests and work to provide a confidential environment. |