How do school resource centre staff deal with information requests?

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to use new data to explore the pertinence, to the work of an information professional dealing with inquiries, of an existing typology indicating the forms of action taken by people when approached for information by youngsters.Design/methodology/approachThe study featured here drew on qualitative data from a transaction log maintained in the resource centre of an English high school and from two interviews with the information specialist employed.FindingsBroadly, the results demonstrate that the original typology does reflect accurately the actions taken by the intermediary under scrutiny. However, two of the original categories did not emerge and a new one was detected.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was small‐scale in nature. It was conducted in just one school, with data provided by a solitary information specialist. The transaction log was maintained for one week only. Future research of a similar type but staged in other kinds of library/resource centre would be invaluable.Practical implicationsAn examination of the actions taken by the information specialist reveals that it is possible to identify a series of essential skills and areas of knowledge in which the individual should be expert. Skills associated with liaison may be considered especially important.Originality/valueNo previous paper has applied the original typology of action to the work of an intermediary. The fact that the article seeks to extend the theoretical knowledge base via an investigation of actual inquiry situations will interest both LIS academics and library professionals who work regularly with information users.