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Module Module 2
Interview
Introduction 2
Interview defined
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orebuttondarkredsm.gif (900 bytes)Open questions
Clarify
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6 pieces of evidence
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Open Questions

Don't guess, let the patron tell you!

Give Patrons a Chance to Tell You

     Open questions are an effective way to give your patrons the freedom to express information needs in their own words, while at the same time guiding them in the direction that will best help you find the material that will fill their information need.

     Always give your patrons a chance to tell you what their questions are, rather than telling your patrons what you think they ought to be.

     An open (or neutral) question is one that can't be answered by "yes" or "no." These are sometimes called probes. You have probably had experiences like the following, which are a common result of asking closed questions:

     "Do you need this for a school report?"
     "No."

     "Do you need this for a trip you are going to take?"
     "No."

Why Use Open Questions?

    Closed questions often don't get you much closer to the patron's real need. You feel as if you have to keep guessing what the patron is doing. It's much more efficient to simply ask, "What kind of information on ______________ are you looking for?" You compel the patron to talk to you about their information need rather than just saying yes or no.

    If you offer choices, the patron may choose one of them, even if that choice isn't what's needed. They may be trying to be agreeable or may think the choices represent all that's available. When you offer leading questions, you are putting words in your patron's mouth and asking your patron to pick one of your choices. If you have not guessed right, you may never find out the real question.

     Using open questions also saves you from having to know about the topic. You have to know something about a subject to begin with to ask a leading question. With open questions, you don't have to know anything about the subject. You just need to ask an open question like, "Can you tell me more about that?"

Major Point: Open questions are more efficient than closed questions for discovering a patron's information need.

 

Exercise

     Give examples of open questions that you could ask in response to the following queries:

  1. I need information on a '57 Chevy.
  2. Do you have any material on Turkey?
  3. Where's the small business section?

Answer Key

Next!
Clarifying

  

 

Open questions that can't be answered with yes or no are more efficient than closed questions for discovering information needs.

Ohio Libraries

London Public Library Staff ask open questions.

"What kind of information are you looking for on Ohio plants?"

Ohio Questions

Following are examples of open questions. You will find some that feel natural to you, and you can practice using those in your work. Try to pick three or four that you feel most comfortable with and make them part of every reference interview you conduct.

What kind of information on ________ are you looking for?

Would you tell me more about ___________ ?

Would you explain _____________ ?

  Is there something specific about _____________ that you are looking for?

Would you explain that to me in more detail?

I'm not certain I understand _________ .

Can you give me an example?

What would you like to know about ______________ ?

When you say ____________ , what do you mean?

Can you describe the kind of information you would like to find?

If I could find the perfect book to help you, what would that book have in it?
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