Phone Reference Service Policy

The reference staff provides on-site reference assistance to its primary users, Colorado State University-Pueblo students, faculty and staff. In addition, they provide email reference and telephone assistance to primary users and community patrons whenever possible.

Telephone assistance, however, presents a particular problem in that it requires the librarian to interrupt on-site service to primary patrons. Limiting the amount of time spent on telephone assistance, particularly to community patrons whose primary service library is the public library, seems the appropriate response to this problem.

Therefore, the following policy will apply:

CSU-Pueblo Library Reference staff will provide on-site reference assistance to all users who come into the library. CSU-Pueblo students, faculty, and staff will be given preferential service should a situation exist when all people requiring assistance cannot be served in the appropriate manner.

Staff will provide anyone with telephone ready-reference assistance if a question can be answered within the time frame (2-3 minutes)recognized as reasonable for that type of assistance. If a question cannot be answered within that time and the patron is a CSU-Pueblo student, faculty, or staff person, the reference staff member will take a telephone number and return the call as soon as an answer can be found. If the patron is a community member, that person will be asked to come into our library for assistance or will be referred to the Public Library for further assistance.

Staff will provide email reference assistance to anyone within the usual turnaround time of 48 hours provided that the request for help falls within the constraints of the university’s educational processes. If a request seems to substitute reference assistance for a class assignment the student is expected to accomplish on his/her own, the student will be asked to come in to the library for guidance rather than specific answers.

revision pending; 06/2008