Peer Reference Tutoring: Orientation

• Homework is allowed, but please make eye-contact with people walking by
• Please do not engage in unnecessary conversations excessively
• Cell phone use/texting is not allowed at the desk
• Remove headphones or earbuds when at the desk
• Personal computer use such as checking social media sites, online shopping, entertainment, etc. are to be kept to a minimum while at work.

Our library's mission is a good place to start in understanding our approach to our work here, including how we view reference service.   Since the 1950s, Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library has identified itself as a "teaching library."  What does this mean for you at the reference desk?  Well, at its most basic level, it means that we do not typically provide answers at the reference desk -- rather, we teach students how to find the information for themselves.  This might mean talking about search strategies, showing someone how to look up a book, or explaining the different kinds of databases we have.  

Please read the American Library Association Code of Ethics.  In particular, item #3 (privacy and confidentiality) are important things to keep in mind.  What happens at the reference desk, stays at the reference desk. 

During your first peer reference shift, you may wish to skim through the library's emergency procedures plan.