Welcoming Behaviors and Approachability

Your job as a reference librarian is to encourage patrons to ask questions by using welcoming behaviors that make you approachable. It is important to help the patron feel comfortable. Smiling, making eye contact, and giving a friendly greeting are three of the most important points for any successful customer service transaction.

Some verbal and non-verbal behaviors that will encourage questions are:

• Greet the patron warmly
  • Give a friendly greeting. Smile!
  • Use a relaxed, upbeat tone of voice

• Be aware of the non-verbal messages you send
  • Maintain natural eye contact (but be aware of cultural sensitivities)
  • Keep a relaxed, open body posture
  • Have an interested facial expression
  • Lean forward slightly (if sitting)

• Provide an appropriate setting:
  • Be at patron's eye level
  • Maintain privacy
  • Eliminate physical barriers
  • Reduce desk clutter
  • Lower distracting noise levels

• Let people know your name

Your choice of language is important, too. Words that are routinely used by librarians (for example, index, database, bibliography, atlas, and almanac) can be confusing or meaningless to your patrons unless you provide some explanation or place them in context.

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