ALA RUSA Guidelines
The ALA RUSA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers are the standard guidelines for interacting with patrons at libraries throughout the United States. They can be found in the ALA RUSA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers document.
RUSA Definition of Reference
The official Definition of Reference Transactions comes from the Reference & User Services Association (RUSA).
"Reference Transactions are information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others to meet particular information needs. Reference transactions do not include formal instruction or exchanges that provide assistance with locations, schedules, equipment, supplies, or policy statements."
Professional Competencies for Reference and User Services
"As the professional organization for reference and user services, the Reference and Users Services Association (RUSA) has developed and updated a model statement of competencies essential for successful reference and user services librarians." These can be found in Professional Competencies for Reference and User Services.
Suggested Guidelines for Virtual Reference Services
Suggested Guidelines for Virtual Reference Services are on the Research Services Teams site. These guidelines provide recommendations about how to prioritize chat, in-person, e-mail and telephone questions and how to handle a various situations that may arise during chat reference.