Computers on the desk are angled fo

Computers on the desk are angled for users to easily see and follow along on. I frequently saw a user and a librarian both leaning against their respective sides of the information desk, attention focused on the computer between them and actively engaged in a quest of information. The stance implied a "we're in this together" appearance, with the librarian in the role of an empowering guide to resources. I also saw some librarians allowing users to control the search at the desk, whether by typing in commands or using the mouse. Also, librarians occasionally let the user continue the search at the desk while they helped other users.

I saw was librarians printing off a copy of the demonstration search. While some users are willing to learn more about using the system, most are only looking for quick answers and are often not mentally prepared for a tutorial. By printing the results, the user is not forced to repeat the search to get the same information, and they at least have a hard copy to provide some guidance for later.

The various handouts on using the library were also nice features. It gives the user something they can peruse later when not they are not feeling pressured at the desk. I'm sure the handouts don't all get read, but it's a good start on providing user education.

It was also reassuring to see librarians acknowledging people who were waiting. Many librarians returning to the desk to find a user waiting would say something like, "Sorry about the wait. What can I do for you?" Other times they would say, "I'll be with you in just a minute," to users who were waiting impatiently in line. Sometimes I would see a librarian interrupt helping the current user to help someone else with a quick question. This usually worked out fine, but occasionally it backfired when it turned out the second user actually had a couple of questions. This could be a sticky situation, but it was generally handled well with librarians saying they could help more after finishing with the original user. Though it can be messy at time, I think I would continue to encourage occasional breaks to help impatient users with short questions. I'm sure librarians develop a feel for these things over time.