1. Be Approachable and Show Interest
- Smile at people when they walk into the library
- Smile and make eye contact with people when they approach the desk
- Give a friendly greeting to customers
- Pay full attention and make attentive comments
- Speak in a comfortable, relaxed tone
2. Ask Open-Ended Questions and Listen Closely to the Answers
- Verify your customer's question by paraphrasing it to make sure you understand their real question
- Use open-ended clarifying questions to make sure you have all the details you need and to let your customer express the information they need in their own words
- Listen to your customer without interrupting or jumping to conclusions - give them a chance to tell you what their real information needs are
3. Search for the Information
- Explain to, and show, customers what you're doing as you search for an answer so that they can do it themselves the next time
- Offer faculty and students referrals to subject librarians and/or course and assignment guides
4. Give the Customer an Answer
- Speak clearly and distinctly
- Check with the customer to make sure they understand the information
- Check with the customer to make sure the information is what they need
- Ask the customer if they have any further questions
