Music Reference Services Pre-COVID-19: A Climate Survey in the Recent before Times

Lambaria, Kate; Clark, Joe C.; Shanton, Kristina; Shirts, Peter

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/111791 Copy

Description

Title

Music Reference Services Pre-COVID-19: A Climate Survey in the Recent before Times

Author(s)

• Lambaria, Kate
• Clark, Joe C.
• Shanton, Kristina
• Shirts, Peter

Issue Date

2021-03

Keyword(s)

• reference services
• music librarianship
• academic libraries

Abstract

In the fall of 2019, the Music Library Association's Reference and Access Services Subcommittee surveyed academic librarians as to the following parameters regarding their music reference services: delivery methods, physical locations, staffing models, approaches to training, perceived effectiveness of services, and changes over time. Findings suggest that despite technological advances, most music reference help is delivered through in-person, email, phone, and chat. Just over half of respondents have only librarians addressing reference questions, while the remainder also use students and paraprofessionals. There was no meaningful difference in perceived effectiveness between the various staffing models. While only 19 percent of participants are situated in branch libraries for music, these locations experienced a higher increase in reference transactions and more outreach and instruction over the last five years and also ranked their reference services with more effectiveness. Additionally, respondents identified training and outreach as integral to the effectiveness of reference services and communicated their experiences with changes to service and staffing models.

Publisher

Music Library Association

Type of Resource

text

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/111791

DOI

10.1353/not.2021.0000

Copyright and License Information

This article was published in the Music Library Association’s journal, Notes, Volume 77, Number 3, March 2021, pp. 357-379. The version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1353/not.2021.0000. This material may not be copied or reposted without written permission of MLA.

Owning Collections