The reference interview is a complicated communication transaction which takes time, patience and skill to master. With the help of Schramm’s model and the RUSA Guidelines, a librarian can be properly trained to provide proper feedback, handle the noise surrounding the messages, and be empathetic enough to provide common fields of experience.

This project has certainly opened our eyes as to how involved this transaction is. It pointed out how easy it is to provide the wrong feedback, how important it is to be empathetic by reading body language and other cues rather than jumping to a conclusion that a patron is just being difficult, and how we need to remember to focus on the needs of the patron in front of us rather than other distractions that may be pending at the reference desk.

Schramm’s model was perfect for our solution as it so well addressed the human communication theory and was easy to mold to our needs.