Purpose

This paper aims to present an overview of the history of communication research and theory in reference services literature and to discuss the potential of one relatively recent-emerging theory of communication (anxiety-uncertainty management theory) to describe and mitigate breakdowns in reference communication.

Design/methodology/approach

An overview and discussion of existing literature and communication-based theories of library reference services is presented.

Findings

This paper identifies and describes anxiety-uncertainty management theory as a lens through which to view communication breakdowns during library reference transactions. The concepts behind the theory and articulated as well as its insights for reference librarians.

Originality/value

This is the first article to discuss the anxiety-uncertainty management theory to examine communication breakdowns in library reference transactions.

中文翻译：

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基于通信的图书馆参考服务方法：焦虑-不确定性管理作为通信故障的模型

目的

本文旨在概述参考服务文献中的传播研究和理论的历史，并讨论一种相对较新出现的传播理论（焦虑-不确定性管理理论）在描述和缓解参考传播中的故障的潜力。

设计/方法/方法

概述和讨论了现有的文献参考服务和基于通信的图书馆参考服务理论。

发现

本文确定并描述了焦虑-不确定性管理理论，以此作为查看图书馆参考交易过程中沟通故障的一种手段。该理论背后的概念和阐述以及对参考图书馆员的见解。

创意/价值

这是讨论焦虑-不确定性管理理论以检查图书馆参考交易中的通讯故障的第一篇文章。