Die Reference and User Service Association innerhalb der American Library Association hat "Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers" herausgebracht. Darin steht zum Beispiel, dass die Bibliothekarin "seeks to clarify confusing terminology and avoids excessive jargon", "uses open-ended questioning techniques to encourage patrons to expand on the request or present additional information", "uses closed and/or clarifying questions to refine the search query".