Skills for reference staff

[Pat Erwin]

I admit to a certain bias here; if you're going to drive a car -- you 
really should know how to fix a flat.

I learned the hard way, on my own, out of necessity.  As others have 
pointed out, IS (or whatever) have other priorities.  In a clinical 
setting that is appropriate, even if damned inconvenient. I can't wait 
two hours much less two days for someone to come and reboot a machine, or
fix a stuck printer.  And I expect the associates who spend at least as 
much time next to the public workstations to know when to reboot, when to 
tactfully save and move a patron to another machine, and when to call in 
the cavalry.  And they do.

My requirements are simple. 1) Reference staff should be able to instruct, 
by phone if necessary, a patron how to download.  We have cheat sheets 
readily available for most platforms in use. Same thing for printing 
problems. 2) The standard questions to ask to figure out if we have a 
workstation problem -- it won't print!; a network problem, or a MAJOR 
problem. 3) Where or whom to call.  

I do not expect anyone to be able to load programs -- they're not 
supposed to be loaded there anyhow.  But loading paper, changing a print 
cartridge if necessary (or at least knowing where the backups are), 
clearing out 7 copies of Netscape which just happened to be open should 
be within the skills of a networked librarian.  But it also means that 
someone should take the time to teach them also.  Not just point them at 
it and say DO IT.

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Patricia J. Erwin            E-mail: erwin.patricia at mayo.edu
Mayo Medical Library         Phone:  507-284-4952
Rochester MN 55905           FAX:    507-284-2215
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