Reference and Information Services

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Reference and Information Services

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What is Reference?

• Reference is a service provided by a library to
  assist a patron in finding the information that
  is needed.
• Reference Service is the ability of librarian
  or library staff to translate a query or question
  into terms that can be met by a given reference
  work in other words, personal assistance is
  the essence of reference service and fundamental
  role of the reference librarian

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Ready Reference, Reference and Research

• Ready Reference Quick answer or guidance (often
  under 10 minutes)
• Reference More extensive search (10-30 minutes
  or more.)
• Research (extensive, exhaustive studywill help
  you make connections between information and
  ideas, as well as broaden your perspectives on
  the world.)

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Variations on a theme

• Reference Service the provision of reference
• Reference Work the activities involved in
  reference
• Reference Sources the tools involved in
  reference

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Historical Notes

• 1876 Samuel Green, known as the Father of
  Reference Service, instituted the first formal
  reference service at the Worcester Public Library
  
• Emphasized the importance of personal aid to
  those requesting information
• Shift from librarians as keepers of archives to
  activists in providing information for the
  public

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• 1880s 90s need for trained staff in
  principles of personal assistance became widely
  accepted this became the forerunner of
  reference work
• 1887 Columbia Library School opened with courses
  offered in reference by 1900 many libraries had
  reference rooms
• 20th Century, practice expanded (telephone
  reference, specialized reference collections e.g.
  business, music, science ...Electronic
  arena 24/7
•  

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Varieties of Service

• Service to individuals one-on-one
• Service to groups bibliographic instruction
• Electronic reference 24/7
• Changing dramaticallycore functions remain the
  same
• Core elements Information, Guidance,and
  Instruction

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Reference Process

• In order for reference service to be initiated
• someone must have and pose a question
• someone must respond to the question
• someone has to have access to the resources to
  answer the question

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Step 1. User poses a Question

• Question Does the person know what they are
  looking for or what they actually
  need?Question Does the person know how to
  articulate that need? Example They may
  remember reading it in a book with a red cover!
• Question Do I understand what the user needs? 

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Step 2. Clarify the question and Conduct a
Reference Interview

• Restate the question
• Ask for additional information using open ended
  questions
• Is this for a specific class?
• Are you looking for brief information or
  extensive information?
• Do you require a particular format (media, books,
  electronic?)
• Is your information date-sensitive?

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Step 3. Analyze the question

• What type of question is it? What has user
  already done??
• Directional?
• Ready Reference? (Identify the types of
  resources that may be useful, e.g., dictionaries,
  encyclopedias, almanacs or other statistical
  resources, etc.)
• Subject specific (use topical resources)
• Research (map out an extensive strategy)

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Step 4. The Search

• Present options for exploration
• Guide user to resources
• Point of use instruction to enhance information
  competency skills
• Empower users!

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Follow-up/Evaluation

• Is this the type of information you
  wanted?(evaluate quality and quantity)
• Were you also interested in statistics to support
  your argument?
• Have you thought about using visual aids for your
  speech?
• Come back to the desk if you need additional
  information

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Know how to evaluate resources

• Evaluating Reference Works
• Purpose What is it for?
• Authority What are the authors qualifications
  and knowledge?
• Scope How broad and/or comprehensive is the
  coverage? i.e. all nations? all periods? every
  personage?
• Audience Who is it intended for? scholar,
  student, or layperson?
• Format How is it organized and arranged?

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Know your basics

• Basically, there are two kinds of reference
  books
• the general kind which are broad in scope and
  deal with all fields, and the
• specialized kind, which deals with one subject
  field.

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Dictionaries (These provide definitions of
words)

• General
• Oxford English Dictionary (good for history of
  words)
• Random House Dictionary of the English Language
• Roget's International Thesaurus (use for synonyms
  and antonyms)
• Webster's Third New International Dictionary of
  the English Language

• Specialized
• Black's Law Dictionary
• Dictionary of Literary Terms
• Dictionary of the Bible
• Dictionary of Philosophy
• Dictionary of the Social Sciences
• Encyclopedia Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing,
  and Allied Health
• McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and
  Technical Terms

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Encyclopedias(These deal with subjects or ideas)

• General
• Academic American Encyclopedia
• Collier's Encyclopedia
• Encyclopedia Britannica (also online!)
• Encyclopedia Americana
• World Book Encyclopedia

• Specialized
• Encyclopedia of American History
• Encyclopedia of Chemical Tech.
• Encyclopedia of Religion
• Encyclopedia of Sports
• Encyclopedia of World Art (also Grove Dictionary
  of Art online!)
• International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences
• McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and
  Technology
• Oxford Illustrated Companion to Medicine

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Indexes and Databases (guides to books and to
the contents of books, magazines, newspapers, and
other resources. Many databases now provide full
text and full image)

• Specialized
• Art Index (also Grove Dictionary of Art online)
• Business Periodicals Index
• Granger's Index to Poetry
• Humanities Index
• Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature
  (CINAHL online through Proquest!)
• Play Index
• Song Index

• General
• Book Review Index
• Books in Print (online!)
• Essay and General Literature Index
• Infotrak (online)
• Proquest (online!)
• Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (Index
  Table)

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Almanacs and Yearbooks (These deal with
statistics and events in a given year.)

• General
• Facts on File
• Statesman's Yearbook
• Statistical Abstract of the United States
• World Almanac
• Yearbooks (that update encyclopedias annually)

• Specialized
• Almanac of American History
• Astronomical Almanac
• Bird Almanac
• Native American Almanac
• NEA almanac of higher education

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Atlases and Gazetteers (These present
geographical information)

• General
• Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World
• National Geographic Atlas of North America
• Webster's New Geographical Dictionary  

• Specialized
• California Gold camps a geographical and
  historical dictionary of camps, towns, and
  localities
• Atlas of American Women
• World Atlas of the Oceans
• Historical Atlas of California
• Shepherd's Historical Atlas

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Bibliographies (Lists of books on specific
topics)

• General
• Guide to Reference Books
• The World's Best Books
• end of article bibliographies citations

• Specialized
• Bibliography of Alaskan literature 1724-1924
• A Guide to American Literature and its background
  since 1890...
• Guide to Eastern Literatures
• Women's Studies a core biblio.
• Library Research Guide to Nursing

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Biographical Sources (background info about a
person's life.)

• General
• Biography Almanac
• Biography Index
• Current Biography
• Dictionary of American Biography
• Who's Who in America
• Who's Who in the World

• Specialized
• American Men and Women of Science
• Contemporary Artists
• Contemporary Authors
• Dictionary of Scientific Biography

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Handbooks, Manuals, Directories (These contain
specialized information in a subject field.)

• General
• Encyclopedia of Associations
• Ulrich's Periodicals Directory
• United States Government Organization Manual

• Specialized
• Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
• Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy
• Handbook to American Literature

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Reference Instruction

• Empowerment
• Information competency/literacy
• Onsite or online training?
• Who will do the teaching?
• Tutorials www.lii.org

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Reference Careers

• http//www.ala.org/rusa/
• http//www.ala.org/rusa/careers.html