The librarian must listen to the user’s question and ask clarifying questions to confirm an understanding of the information need. 

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Guidelines approved by the Reference and User Services Association Board of Directors for having a successful reference interview include:

- visibility/approachability
- interest
- listening/inquiring
- searching
- follow-up

RUSA Guidelines

Reference and User Services Association. (2008). Guidelines for behavioral performance of reference and information service providers. American Library Association. Retrieved April 8, 2021, from http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesbehavioral

Guidelines for behavioral performance of reference and information service providers

The reference interview should cover:
- building rapport with the user
- negotiating the question
- developing an efficient search strategy
- locating the information
- evaluating the information
- following up to confirm the answer is sufficient
- closing the interview

Reference Interview

The librarian must be visible and approachable by maintaining eye contact and a friendly demeanor. Online services must be easy to find and use. 

RUSA Guideline of Visibility/Approachability

The librarian must express interest in the user’s question through verbal and non-verbal cues and prompt responses. 

RUSA Guideline of Interest

RUSA Guideline of Listening/Inquiring

The librarian must use appropriate search terms to locate relevant sources. The librarian must respect the user’s timeframe, explain the search process, and confirm that the information provided is what the user needs. 

RUSA Guideline of Searching

The librarian must ask the user if their question has been answered in its entirety and encourage them to return or use other reference services (text, chat, IM, etc.) if they have any more questions.  

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