Prospect Researchers as the Reference Librarians of the Development Office

by | Jan 5, 2021 | Learning Edge Blog, News

Jennifer Filla

Welcome to this episode of #ChatBytes. What do you want to know about the reference librarian interview technique?

I can guarantee you that if you reach out to Olesya Zaremba and tell her what you are seeking to learn, she will help you!

In fact, I encourage you to check out her LinkedIn page and send her a connection request. She’s pretty new to the platform and welcomes you to reach out.

That welcoming nature, while apparently intrinsic to Olesya, is the first step librarians are taught when learning the reference librarian interview technique. It may seem like simple customer service everyone should know without pointing it out, but welcoming and active listening are too often neglected in the workplace.

And the workplace is where you will find prospect research professionals. Olesya considers herself the solo reference librarian of her fundraising office and she takes her customer service seriously.

So, if you’ve ever complained about development officers refusing to complete the feedback loop on prospects, or if you never want to be ignored by your development officer, it’s time to listen in to what Olesya has to say about the reference librarian interview!

Resources Mentioned

Reference Interview | Coonin, Bryna, & Levine, Cynthia R. (December 2012). Reference Interviews: Getting Things Right. (Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10342/4360)

Probing | Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data by Herbert J. Rubin & Irene S. Rubin, 2nd ed., 2004, Chapter 8: Designing Main Questions and Probes

Question Types | InterViews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing by Svend Brinkmann and Steinar Kvale, 2014.

Words from happy Researchers

Success Stories

★★★★★

I love your Master Class format – small group, clearly defined curriculum, solid professional information and resources and focus on discussion.  But most importantly I was impressed and delighted to see that you incorporated an additional and extremely practical layer of knowledge, through hands on experience with tools (pivot tables) or resources (Candid).  This adds real value to the educational experience you offer.

Betsy Mehlman

2020-Master Class

★★★★★

Jen’s course on insider stock and compensation was informative, interesting, and well-thought out. Jen broke down the complicated material into digestible pieces. She showed us resources that I use in my day-to-day research that I wouldn’t have otherwise known about. Jen is always quick to respond and has been helpful even after the class has ended. She answers questions thoroughly and is always pleasant.

I was able to take what I learned from the course and present the material to our front-line fundraisers. One fundraiser told me after my presentation that she discovered one of her donor’s compensation was much higher than she thought. So, already, this information has come in handy! Thanks again Jen!

Kim Anthony, San Francisco CA

Insider Stock and Compensation

★★★★★

The Capacity Rating Workshop was really useful. I was new to the prospect research field when I took the workshop, so it helped to demystify capacity ratings for me. The online classroom provided a great forum for interaction with the other participants and for a robust exchange of ideas. Beyond that though, Jen shared a wealth of information and resources about capacity ratings and other important aspects of prospect research. I highly recommend this workshop whether you’re new to the field or have years of experience in our profession.

David Lloyd, Prospect Research Professional, San Francisco, CA

Capacity Rating Workshop

Articles that inspire

Learning Edge

Prospect Research institute logo

12094 Anderson Rd., Unit 211
Tampa FL 33625

FORUM
LEARNING EDGE BLOG
CHATBYTES PODCAST

FEATURED COURSES

 POLICIES | JOIN ELIST | SEARCH CATALOG

Powered by Aspire Research Group, LLC.