When someone asks a question or seeks information about something, they are expressing a need that is unique to them and their situation. Thus, they best perceive the context for that need. However, there occurs a disconnect at this point in a reference transaction because communicating an information need is not as straightforward or easy to articulate as it sounds at first. There may be language, dialect, cultural, or other factors that create a situation where the message is not received as was intended by its deliverer.
It is for this very reason that the reference interview is so crucial. An interview gives a librarian a chance to capture as much of the context of a patron's information request as possible. This can be done by asking a mixture of targeted questions, open questions, and often times just letting the patron keep talking till they've found the right words that succinctly express their information need. The better a librarian understands the context of a question, the quicker and more comprehensively he or she can answer it. When libraries take the time to understand their patrons in reference interviews, both the patrons and larger library community benefit from the highly effective level of communication that is the ultimate result.
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