What are students saying about their reference needs?

Abstract

Libraries and publishers rely on transactional data to support evidence-based decision making. However, by itself quantitative information does not provide a full picture. To anticipate the evolving needs of our audience we also need to hear from the individual users themselves. In this article, I will review the findings from several recent examples survey-based research into the question of how students use reference materials in and outside of their libraries. What are students actually saying about their needs and preferences when it comes to reference? While some uses cases for reference are moving out of the library into the open web not all have. What we hear students say is that they continue to have an unmet need for long-form, contextual guidance. They say they have trouble locating this content, but that the library is the first place they look for it. This is a risk because if students cannot find in-depth summary content in their library they will migrate to the open web where they lose the benefits of librarian intermediation as both a curator of sources and as a guide via instruction.