2016 Conference Highlights -Training the Trainers: Successful Reference Referral Training Using the READ Scale

Each week between now and the 2016 MLA/DLA Conference, we’re highlighting one of the conference sessions sponsored by ACRL MD. The conference will be held May 4-6 at the Clarion Resort Hotel in Ocean City, MD.  For more information on the conference, please take a look at the conference program (PDF). To register, visit the MLA conference page. And follow along on social media at #MLADLA16

Training the Trainers: Successful Reference Referral Training Using the READ Scale
Thursday, May 5th
3-5pm
Presenter: Lisa Vassady, Radford University)

This academic library has been developing a training program in the reference referral system for student assistants (SAs) over 3 academic years. The program’s goal is to effectively instruct SAs in balancing high quality customer service with the importance of appropriately referring users to librarians. The trainers met these goals through incorporating a modified version of the Reference Effort Assessment Data (READ) Scale, a reference transaction assessment tool developed by Bella Karr Gerlich, into the student training program.

Workshop attendees will learn about the READ Scale, understand how a referral model can optimize service and allow trainers to assess the effectiveness of their training programs, actively participate in several READ Scale training games and activities, and then brainstorm other ideas for creating READ Scale related training techniques.