Layanan Referensi di Perpustakaan Universitas Medan Area

Abstract

The university library is an essential institution in supporting educational, research, and community service activities. In the rapidly evolving digital era, libraries not only serve as repositories for book collections but also as information centers providing reference services to meet the information needs of the academic community. Reference services are activities aimed at assisting users in finding information by receiving inquiries from them and providing answers using the available reference collections. The purpose of this study is to determine how reference service activities meet the information needs of users at the University of Medan Area Library, and to identify the challenges faced by the library in implementing the utilization of reference services to fulfill those needs. The method employed is a qualitative descriptive method, with data collection techniques comprising observation, interviews, literature review, and documentation. The results indicate that reference services at the University of Medan Area Library carry out three main activities, namely: responding to user inquiries, whether simple or complex; conducting information searches both within and outside the library; and providing reader guidance or/User Education. Students generally come to find references for coursework or theses, and librarians provide assistance through the use of the online public access catalog (OPAC), the University of Medan Area repository, and external sources such as search engines and social media. The University of Medan Area regularly conducts user orientation sessions for new students, both during and after the PKKMB (Introduction to Campus Life for New Students) program, as well as for final-year students. Facilities such as the OPAC and the Ask Librarian service also support ease of information access. In conclusion, although the reference services at the University of Medan Area Library have been running quite well and are supported by technology and certified librarians, improvements are still necessary, particularly in the availability of collections and the number of librarians, to ensure the services operate more optimally and equitably in accordance with user needs.