This course is about helping people find what they truly need — through the reference interview, an understanding of how people search, the right tools, good digital service, and teaching users to help themselves.

It turns a library from a warehouse of books into a genuine source of help, in person and online.

What you’ll be able to do

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• conduct an effective reference interview;
• understand real information-seeking behaviour;
• match the right reference tool to a question;
• provide warm, clear help online;
• teach users to find information independently;

The lessons

1. The Reference Interview — the conversation that uncovers the real question.
2. Information Seeking Behavior — how people actually search, false starts and all.
3. Reference Tools & Resources — knowing which tool answers which kind of question.
4. Digital Reference Services — helping warmly through a screen.
5. User Instruction — teaching people the skills to find their own answers.

How to study this course

Work through the lessons in order — each is a short read with a worked example, a quick exercise, and a hand-picked free resource. Use the Previous and Next buttons at the foot of each page to move along. There are no fees and no enrolment barriers; the course is open to everyone, and you can revisit it any time.

This courseware is provided free by FRELIP. Original text released under CC BY 4.0; linked resources remain under their own licences. Curated by the FRELIP Open Courseware editorial team.