Peer reference, post reference desk: what is next? An interview with Allison Faix, instruction coordinator and librarian at Coastal Carolina University

Abstract

PurposeKimbel Library used a peer reference model of service beginning in 2009 that was successful for several years but eventually phased out due to shifting priorities and needs. This article aims to describe Kimbel Library's second attempt at creating and using a peer reference program in 2018, how it was different from the original approach, and what ultimately happened.Design/methodology/approachIn this article Reference Services Review Co-editor Sarah Barbara Watstein interviews Allison Faix, Instruction Coordinator and Librarian at Coastal Carolina University, about her experiences with peer reference services.FindingsBecause of the marked decline in the number of research-based questions asked at the library's help desk, the library found itself with smart, well-trained peer research assistants who were disappointed that their research assistance was not in greater demand.Originality/valueThis interview looks at two different ways that peer reference was implemented at the same institution starting in 2009.