So, lets say that, hypothetically, a graduate student assistant was at the reference desk. And that a student asked for a book that was required reading in a class. And lets say that it is the sixth week of class. And that the book review is due in 14 hours. The following is a possible scenario.....
The student, dressed in pajama pants, and smacking gum, flippantly asks for a book. The reference librarian finds the book on the OPAC only to discover it was checked out. Books 24x7....no luck. Google books.....no luck. What to do?
Now, lets suppose the reference librarian is about to try and find book reviews to help the student get a better understanding for the book. As results are coming up the student utters the following sentence, "It doesn't matter if I have the book, I'll write the review with or without it."
Now, lets say that the reference librarian is no book snob, but the preceding comment convinces him that this patron is not serious about their scholarship and closes the book review search before the results come up.
My question, was this hypothetical behavior ethical?
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2 comments:
Hypothetically, I would have to say that the student was out of luck, and since they didn't need the book review aforesaid reference librarian was under no obligation to help them.
The hypothetical patron effectively signaled the end of the reference interview by indicating that s/he did not want the item in question.
What's the ethical dilemma? Would the reference librarian have refused to reopen the search if the patron had asked for the help?
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