Tuesday Tips: Asking the Right Questions

You would think, that librarians would just find answers.

We do - but we also ask a lot of questions.

When we work with people, we want to make sure that we are answering their questions fully and completely. Oftentimes, that means we have to draw out the real reason for the question. Sometimes being asked "do you have X" or "can you tell me about Y" is not the full question.

To get to the heart of the matter, we're trained to conduct reference interviews. We ask just as many questions as are asked of us. Some of the techniques include:

• Repeating the original question
• Asking the person to define what they need or mean
• Actively listening for tone and verbal cues
• Asking clarifying and open-ended questions
• Asking what work the person has already done (or the information they've already found)
• Asking for confirmation if our research is on the right track
• Confirming that we have answered the question fully

This skill is useful outside of the library, too. I've found I have more meaningful conversations because asking the right questions elicits a deeper connection. 

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