Before the Answer: Evaluating the Reference Process.

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to present a state of the art of the reference interview with emphasis on evalua tion. The interview is discussed in terms of its compo nents and which of them can be measured or evaluated. Components of the interview include performance of professionals versus nonprofessionals; physical setting; verbal and nonverbal behavior; and user satisfaction. Finally, the implications for patrons, librarians, and administrators of available evaluative methods are out lined. The conclusions reached are that some methods are presently available to evaluate the reference interview; that there is a need for more methods; and, that for any method to work, there must be a climate in which change and improvement can take place. This paper was originally presented at the 1979 American Library Asso ciation Annual Conference, Joint Meeting, Evaluating Reference Service: The Process and the Product, of the LAMA/SS Statistics for Reference Services Committee and the RASD Standards Committee.

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