"Whether they are physically present or not, people who ask reference librarians for assistance are often at a psychological disadvantage. In today's information environment where information is available everywhere all the time, people feel that if they cannot find what they want, then they have failed. In the user's mind, there is a feeling that they are inadequate because they could not retrieve what they wanted. Having to approach another person for help implies that they have to admit that they are a failure, while some users are not willing to do so. Of course, the librarian does not see the user as a failure - but the user does not know that. Because users are not certain how to proceed, they rarely state exactly what they want." (Smith and Wong, 2016:19-20)
I found the above passage to be genuinely surprising, and also intuitively to ring true.
Most of my library career has been spent helping patrons solve problems with technology, especially patrons who have more limited experience with the tools they are using (e.g. helping an elderly patron scan important documents and send them as .pdfs, or helping an unemployed patron who had been at the same company for decades navigate the labyrinth of job searching online.) In many of these situations, there is a pretty widely understood social script of not understanding technology - we all regularly encounter situations where we are taken aback by tools, no matter our level of experience (as we go deeper into technology the problems become more obscure, to be sure, but they continue to leave us all feeling at a loss pretty often!) And so I've relied on that kind of collective recognition that, yes, we all have to ask for help for technology to make the process relatable. I've tried to empathize by also expressing confusion and frustration at different tools, saying "oh yeah PDFs are totally weird and hard to format, I've found myself frustrated by them as well!"
But that all being said, I guess I hadn't fully considered how it might feel, in general, to be in a position of "psychological disadvantage." In retrospect, I've seen this more in my work in a college library with younger students who might ask for help using graphic design software, for example, but also clearly be frustrated that they're in a position of not knowing at all. These interactions have always felt different, and I find it helpful to think about how those feelings of "admit[ting] that they they are a failure" might create a specific set of emotional needs and tensions to keep in mind in the interaction. I wonder how this will change is digital literacy increases broadly and also the barriers to use of digital tools continues to decrease -- what will be the point where people "admit failure" or reach a point where they can no longer proceed, and how can reference adapt to that particular situation? What will tech help in a library look like?
You are wise to tune into this - the reality is that we're rarely someone's first choice when they need help. We need to be mindful of this if we want to provide both useful and thoughtful/kind service.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have a chance to read this until after our second class, but I think you nailed the reasons I was feeling so overwhelmed by the vast number of reference materials we looked at on Tuesday. I am so used to being able to confidently find the information I am looking for with a few clicks on the keyboard, that suddenly being presented with all the types of reference materials I am not currently comfortable using, carried with it feelings of inadequacy and failure. It's been a bit rough settling back into the role of student, when at work I am often seen as a teacher or expert at what I do. I need to keep reminding myself that it is okay to ask for help.
ReplyDelete"In today's information environment where information is available everywhere all the time, people feel that if they cannot find what they want, then they have failed. In the user's mind, there is a feeling that they are inadequate because they could not retrieve what they wanted. "
ReplyDeleteThis is important to keep in mind when we are working with patrons. Honestly, it is easy to overlook the emotional/psychological aspects of reference interactions because we (me personally, in this case) don't look at it as a sensitive issue that might cause some stress on the part of our customers....should we liken a visit to the reference desk to the emotional stress some people feel when visiting the desk? That might help us remain sensitive to the patrons.