NYPL provides reference service by mail to incarcerated people at Rikers Island as well as people incarcerated in jails and prisons nationwide. Our Reference & Instruction class served as volunteers that responded to the reference requests the service receives each week.
Over the course of the semester I received three scanned reference letters. I answered these letters using NYPL’s response template, performed research on the requested information, and presented and formatted the information paying specific attention to the program guidelines and user needs.
This project afforded me an opportunity to meet the information needs of a unique and underserved user community, incarcerated people, who have limited options when seeking information. I believe my responses adequately met the users’ needs through the difficult reference situation of letter writing, where follow-up or clarification isn’t an option. Through locating, assessing, formatting, and providing these responses I have demonstrated an understanding of navigating appropriate information systems tailored to specific users. While writing the response letters, I presented information clearly, concisely, and with appropriate language for the audience.
While the letters remain confidential, this report serves as an explanation of my reference service provided throughout the project and a reflection on the process.
Beth Rudig 