After the Desk: Reference Service in a Changing Information Landscape

Abstract

We as librarians seem to know (and fear) that the Reference Desk is in decline, but as a profession, we are less certain or united about what should replace it. This paper proposes that the librarians themselves must be promoted as the primary access point for Information Services. Though line-ups at The Desk are ever-shortening, the less-cited statistic is that individual consultation and group instruction requests are increasing. Information literacy plays a key role in the new model of reference, but in a librarian-centric model, any public service plays a role in reference and research. Outreach, flexibility, and connectivity are key components of the new model.