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The face of reference services has changed significantly since the original RUSA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance were first published in 1996.1 Intended to be used in the training, development, and evaluation of library professionals and staff, the guidelines have subsequently been favorably evaluated by the profession, and currently enjoy widespread acceptance as standards for the measurement of effective reference transactions.2
The original guidelines dealt primarily with face-to-face interactions between reference staff and library users. Even at the time, however, the world of reference was moving beyond the traditional reference desk. E-mail and online chat services have since become popular with both patrons and library staff and are expanding in all types of libraries, from public to academic to school libraries and beyond. Although some of the statements in the original guidelines can be applied to remote forms of reference, the lack of traditional visual and nonverbal cues produces a different type of library-patron interaction.
One constant that the shift away from in-person encounters has not lessened is the need for good communication skills. The Virtual Reference Desk recognized this and incorporated an "Interactive" component into their "Facets of Quality for Digital Reference Services," stating that "[d]igital reference services should provide opportunities for an effective reference interview, so that users can communicate necessary information to experts and to clarify vague user questions."3
In all forms of reference services, the success of the transaction is measured not only by the information conveyed, but also by the positive or negative impact of the staff-patron interaction. The positive or negative behavior of the reference staff member (as observed by the patron) becomes a significant factor in perceived success or failure. This connection has been born out in the work of researchers such as Gers and Seward, who found that "behaviors have a strong influence on performance," and Whitlatch, who stated "Librarian courtesy, interest, and helpfulness are crucial in providing successful reference service. Libraries must select and retain staff who have these service orientations toward users."4 Saxton put the guidelines to a statistical test, and found that they did indeed correlate highly to a successful reference transaction.5
The original RUSA Ad Hoc Committee that designed the guidelines recognized the need for future adaptation to deal with issues related to remote...