PART 1: FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS
1. Introduction to Reference and Information Services

Ethics
Kinds of information service
Selecting and evaluating print and electronic resources
Creating and finding tools and websites
Promotion and marketing
Evaluating staff and services
The changing nature of reference
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

2. Determining the Question: In-Person, Telephone, and Virtual Reference Interviews

Why do the reference review?
What we know about the reference interview
Conducting the reference interview
Problematic strategies in the reference interview
The telephone interview
Answering questions virtually
RUSA guidelines - an integrated approach
Cultural differences
Improving our skills
A look ahead
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

3. Finding the Answer: Basic Search Techniques

Tools of the answering trade
Types of answers
Common pitfalls in reference answering
Raison d'etre: finding the answers
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

PART 2: INTRODUCTION TO MAJOR REFERENCE SOURCES
4. Answering Questions about Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Libraries and Publishing, and Bibliographic Networks: Bibliographic Resources

Overview
Major bibliographic resources used in reference work
Collection development and maintenance
Further consideration
Recommended resources discussed in this chapter
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

5. Answering Questions about Anything and Everything: Encyclopedias

Overview
Major encyclopaedic resources used in reference work
Collection development and maintenance
Further consideration
Recommended resources discussed in this chapter
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

6. Answering Questions That Require Handy Facts: Ready Reference Sources

Overview
Major ready reference resources used in reference work
Collection development and maintenance
Further consideration
Recommended resources discussed in this chapter
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

7. Answering Questions about Words: Dictionaries, Concordances, and Manuals

Overview
Major dictionaries used in reference work
Collection development and maintenance
Further consideration
Final thoughts
Recommended resources discussed in this chapter
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

8. Answering Questions about Events and Issues, Past and Present: Databases (and Indexes)

Overview
Major databases used in reference work
Collection development and maintenance
Further consideration
Final thoughts
Recommended resources discussed in this chapter
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

9. Answering Questions about Health, Law, and Business: Special Guidelines and Sources

Overview
Major health resources used in reference work
Major legal resources used in reference work
Major business resources used in reference work
Collection development and maintenance
Further consideration
Recommended resources discussed in this chapter
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

10. Answering Questions about Geography, Countries, and Travel: Atlases, Gazetteers, Maps, Geographic Information Systems, and Travel Guides

Overview
Major geographic information resources resources used in reference work
Collection development and maintenance
Further consideration
Recommended resources discussed in this chapter
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

11. Answering Questions about the Lives of People: Biographical Information Sources

Overview
Major biographical resources resources used in reference work
Collection development and maintenance
Further consideration
Recommended resources discussed in this chapter
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

12. Answering Questions about Government and Related Issues: Government Information Sources

Overview
Major government publication resources resources used in reference work
Collection development and maintenance
Further consideration
Recommended resources discussed in this chapter
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

PART 3: SPECIAL TOPICS IN REFERENCE AND INFORMATION WORK
13. When and How to Use the Internet as a Reference Tool

The facts
The puzzle
The solution
Nature of internet reference
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

14. Readers' Advisory Services - Cindy Orr

Introduction
History of Reader's Advisory Service
Current status and importance of RA
Nuts and bolts - the Readers' Advisory interview
Common mistakes and best practices
Key works and tolls for Readers' Advisory
Indirect RA
Keeping current
Conclusion
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

15. Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults - Meghan Harper

Introduction
History and overview of reference services for youth in America
Types of reference service transactions for youth in libraries
Communication in reference service
Digital reference service
Evaluating reference services to youth
Managing reference services for youth
The future of reference services for youth
Recommended core reference collection resources
Bibliography and works cited

16. Information Literacy in the Reference Department

Standards for information literacy
Approaches to information literacy
Information literacy by type of library
Social and ethical uses of information
One-on-one instruction
Information literacy in a classroom setting
Impact of new technology on the teaching of information literacy
Assessment and evaluation of information literacy
Information-seeking behaviour
Further consideration
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

PART 4: DEVELOPING AND MANAGING REFERENCE COLLECTIONS AND SERVICES
17. Selecting and Evaluating Reference Materials

Identifying, selecting and evaluating new reference materials
Management of the reference budget
Ongoing assessment of reference collection
Weeding the reference collection
Writing a reference collection development policy
Promoting and marketing reference materials to library users
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

18. Ethics in Reference - Angela Ecklund

Our professional codes of ethics
Service ethics (aka doing a good job0
Equitable access to information
Confidentiality
Conflicts of interest
Copyright and intellectual property rights
Intellectual freedom and human rights
Bibliography and works cited

19. Managing Reference Departments

Of car designs and learning styles
Organizing reference departments
Organizing staff
Managing service delivery
New roles
Further consideration
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

20. Assessing and Improving Reference Services

Why assess
What to assess
How to assess
Acting on assessments
Ongoing assessments: an imperative
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

21. Reference 2.0

Changing vocabulary attests to changing times
What is the 2.0 Universe?
Cooperative content creation
Social networking
Customization
Seamlessness
Concluding remarks: The Tree of 2.0 Knowledge
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

22. The Future of Information Service

New ways of doing business - Reference 2.0
Providing new materials and formats
Providing new service models
What will librarians do? Competencies needed
Planning the future
What will the future of reference look like?
Does reference have a future
Recommendations for further reading
Bibliography and works cited

About the Author

Kay Ann Cassell is a Lecturer and Director of the MLIS Program in the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Uma Hiremath is Executive Director at the Ames Free Library, Massachusetts.

Reviews

"Different groups of readers will use the book in different ways. The comprehensiveness of its content may help new instructors to define the scope of a course on reference services, clarify the content of the course sections and design assignments. Library school students will benefit from reading the book cover-to-cover, and the most diligent of them will remember it as an important component of their education. Library practitioners are most likely to see the publication of a new edition as evidence of the continuing importance of reference services and, depending on their experience, will appreciate the concrete sections on answering reference questions, the discussion of reference practices in the technological context and some of the philosophical issues related to the reference librarian’s work. The book is an irreplaceable source that can be recommended as an essential item for any library’s professional collection."
*Collection Building*

Table of Contents

About the Author

Reviews