Library and Information Science

Compared with verbal communication, nonverbal communication is more reliable in terms of verifying users' mentality. It is because of relative difficulty in controlling one's behavior than verbal expression. Therefore, nonverbal communication is most important in conducting reference interview. In this paper, I would like to present what I have examined and analyzed through careful observation of the users' nonverbal behavior (recorded by VIDEO camera) and enquete made among reference librarians of some one hundred thirty librarians of universities and colleges, as to their consciousness toward nonverbal communication.

Following are main findings in brief: (1) It is very effective and fruitful for improvement of reference interview to carefully observe the users' nonverbal behavior and appreciate what they require. (2) While reference librarians are rather conscious of users' nonverbal behavior, they are not so much conscious of their own nonverbal behavior. (3) In order to apply nonverbal communication effectively to reference interview, it is indispensble to train librarians themselves.