INFO 652
Reference and Instruction

NYPL 

Project Title

• Reference Service to Incarcerated People: Final Report

Project Description

• A final report on the semester-long assignment of writing to incarcerated partons who were asking questions ranging from religious information to the origin of the universe. I was able to locate most of the information and also follow the NYPL guidelines on what was acceptable to share and what was not. These limitations highlighted the role of vulnerability on both sides, as you serve patrons and how they may interact with you. The final report reflects my ability to maintain professionalism and transparency in identifying what was appropriate and what was not.

Methods

• I would first take notes on the question, then organize what was feasible on a personal level, knowing I had a week to answer it. I would search on Google, JSTOR, and the Pratt Library website. I'm sharing information without paywalls in case incarcerated patrons want to search this once the time comes.   I would add most of the findings to my Zotero to keep a working citation list in case I needed to recall an entry. I deliberately used information graphics as visual cues to navigate and use the letter that was a final Google Doc. 

My Role

• I worked on these letters alone, and periodically, I would email my professor to clarify an aspect of my work as a guide. Early on, it was easy to get caught up in the trivial points. 

Learning Outcome Achieved: User-Centered Services

• I successfully attained a learning outcome focused on providing user-centered services. This involved not only staying attentive to specific requests but also catering to a patron's needs belonging to an underserved demographic.

Rationale

• I include this in my portfolio due to the pragmatic necessity of responding to inquiries within agile constraints while maintaining a critical evaluation of the delivery process.