A reference interview is a conversation between a librarian and a library user, usually at a reference desk, in which the librarian responds to the user's initial explanation of his or her information need by first attempting to clarify that need and then by directing the user to appropriate information resources.
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Definition
Bopp & Smith (1995) defines the reference interview as the "conversation between a member of the library reference staff and a library user for the purpose of clarifying the user’s needs and aiding the user in meeting those needs".
According to ODLIS, the reference interview is "the interpersonal communication that occurs between a reference librarian and a library user to determine the person's specific information need(s), which may turn out to be different from the reference question as initially posed...A reference interview may occur in person, by telephone, or electronically (usually via e-mail) at the request of the user, but a well-trained reference librarian will sometimes initiate communication if a hesitant user appears to need assistance".
Forming the query
One of the biggest problems with providing an effective reference service is that of badly formed queries. In this instance, the user's reference question doesn't match up to the information they actually need. Badly formed queries may lead to user frustration, as they perceive that the reference interview is not solving their problem.
Many of the techniques used in the reference interview are geared towards developing a badly formed query until a sense of the user's true information need is gained. A great degree of care must be taken when helping users to develop their query. The librarian typically has little insight into the social and psychological barriers that might be preventing the user from explaining their question accurately. Anything from anxiety from an approaching deadline to lack of confidence with language can get in the way.