Reference Desk Activities

[Susanna Leers]

Academic Law Librarians: What do you do at the ref desk in between patron questions? It's hard to do anything major because there are often interruptions. And I don't want to look so busy that people are afraid to interrupt. Plus it's not my office computer though if I remember I can save stuff to my network drive. Some of the things I do: catch up on professional reading; go through catalogs for our Collection Development committee meetings. When I'm on the night shift and too tired to do much I admit I sometimes play semi-intellectual games like Travel IQ Challenge, Free Rice or United States Explorer - or even work through some CALI lessons to refresh my memory. My boss says in library school he was taught that when at the ref desk you should gaze off into the middle distance yet look receptive to patron questions.
Anybody else have favorite activities at the ref desk?
Or things you WON'T do - or have been told not to do -at the ref desk?

[Sarah Glassmeyer]

The only absolute no-no that I've been told is to not eat while on the desk. We have a pretty hopping desk and casual relationship with students and teaching faculty, so I'm usually either answering questions or chatting with people. On the rare free moments, I catch up on my Google Reader, social networks (like right now) or just surf the Internet. My current obsession is the puppy cam .

[Lyonette Louis-Jacques]

I normally bring my pile or truck of selection tools or gift books to review or books to weed or tech processing problems to the desk (part of my job as a bibliographer). Always worry it might seem daunting to the patron, but don't have a sense yet that it keeps them away.

I seldom bring my professional reading, but that sounds like a good idea.

I've never thought of gazing off into the middle distance. Don't think I could pull it off for more than a milli-second...:-) I can't do nothing for very long. Not that calm...:-)

Used to check my Facebook page at the Reference Desk, but people always think we're wasting time with FB, and we have a joint Reference and Circulation desk in an open area, so I have to keep up appearances, plus we sort of have a public services department policy against "Internet surfing" at the desks. FB could count as such...:-) Though part of my use of FB is to identify law-related resources on it, I don't think passers-by would expect that. And it is so hard to keep to the professional uses of FB when on it. So I go Facebook dark while at the Reference Desk.

I thought Twittering would be fine because there are no obvious indicia of "playing", but I find myself grinning madly or laughing out loud at some things Twitter folks say, and I think it might look odd to patrons to have a reference librarian laughing intermittently at the computer screen for no apparent reason...:-) I get useful links and current awareness news from Twitter, but the social networking part has me laughing too much. So I now go Twitter dark at the Reference Desk.

I check my email too at the RefDesk. Almost never a reason to LOL there...:-) Am mostly reading current awareness emails and such. Including depressing politics and human rights news.

Great question!

[Ron Wheeler]

I find that the reference desk is a great place to catch up on email correspondence. Reading and responding to email is an activity that allows me to look busy and engaged, but also allows me to break away frequently without interrupting anything major. I've tried doing my professional reading, but I really HATE interruptions when I'm reading, and I've learned that my irritation shows on my face and in my demeanor when patrons arrive with questions. I like doing collection development at the desk. Going through electronic slips or print catalogues or circulars is a great desk activity. I will admit, I do occasionally hop onto facebook, twitter, or lawlibrarie.ning.com to stay tuned in to the latest escapades of my colleagues, and when doing so I often laugh out loud. But, I like to think that my laughter just makes me more agreeable and approachable to patrons. Things I find I cannot do successfully at the desk are 1) any indepth research 2) in depth reading 3) writing articles or papers or reports of any kind. I just get too absorbed and tend to tune out partons who are trying to ask for help. Not good!
Although we are not allowed to eat at the desk, often if I am working the 9 to 1 shift, I will sneak into my office, grab a handful of grapes, and appear at the desk chewing. NOT EATING, but merely chewing!
Also, no personal phone calls at the desk. It kills me when I see folks taking or making personal calls at the desk. I NEVER do that. I guess it's my pet peeve.

[Francis Norton]

What not to do: attempt to load content management software onto a brand new website. Trust me.