Abstract
This article provides a brief explanation of mental models theory, a summary of the ways in which mental models theory has been used in library and information science (LIS) research, and a description of one phase of research study where mental models theory has been used as a framework for understanding the cognitive behavior of librarians and public library users as they interact during a reference transaction. In this study, perceived difficulty of a reference question was used as an indicator of mental models held by librarians and users. Analysis of thirty-three pairs of interviews suggested that different mental models may account for differences in perceptions of the difficulty of reference question, both before and after the search. Suggestions for future research are provided.
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