Role Conflict and Ambiguity in Reference Librarianship

When asked to write about an aspect of conflicts in reference service it seemed like a good opportunity to clarify some thoughts that have been bothering me since graduate school days. The problems which I wish to address are based on my perception that reference librarians frequently find themselves in situations where there are no rules to follow or if there are rules they may conflict with what the reference librarian is being asked to do. It is the reference librarian who usually bears the brunt of the public's demands on the library. The public being served may not understand the nature of a complex organization such as a library nor may persons working in other units of a library understand the demands of public service.