Roving reference, also called roaming reference, is a

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

service model in which, instead of being positioned at a static

reference desk The reference desk or information desk of a library is a public service counter where professional librarians provide library users with direction to library materials, advice on library collections and services, and expertise on multiple kinds ...

, a

librarian A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users. The role of the librarian has changed much over time ...

moves throughout the library to locate patrons with questions or concerns and offer them help in finding or using library resources.

History

Roving reference as a library service practice was first formalized in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A 1999 report from the

International Federation of Library Associations The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of people who rely on libraries and information professionals. An independent, non-governmental, not-for-pr ...

identified several advantages and disadvantages with roving reference in the pre- mobile era. The roving model allowed librarians to engage with "the majority of users who have questions in mind hodo not approach the reference desk for assistance". However, libraries reported that some staff were uncomfortable with the practice, and that there were concerns about user privacy. Beginning in the 2000s, librarians used

laptops A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper li ...

or laptop carts to engage in technology-supported roaming reference. Since the development of mobile technologies, roving reference can be facilitated with the use of such technologies, such as

tablet computer A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being com ...

s, which allow librarians to readily check the

online public access catalogue The online public access catalog (OPAC), now frequently synonymous with ''library catalog'', is an online database of materials held by a library or group of libraries. Online catalogs have largely replaced the analog card catalogs previously u ...

or the library's electronic databases while away from their desk. This has contributed to the increased popularization of roving-reference programs as supplements for more traditional reference desks. The model has also been extended to service beyond the library building (library outreach), for example in a dormitory or faculty building at an academic institution.

References

{{Libraries and library science Libraries