Search

This study looks at the incidence and volume of faculty use of virtual reference services operated by academic libraries. Survey participants describe their use of virtual reference and their extent of familiarly with it. It also looks at the extent to which virtual reference acts as a gateway to other library services, including consultations with library subject specialists. Data in the report is based on a survey of 725 faculty at nearly 500 higher education institutions in the United States. Data is broken out by 12 personal and institutional variables including size, type or Carnegie class, tuition level and public/private status of the participant's affiliated institutions, as well as personal characteristics such as academic field, tenure status, academic title, gender, income and other variables.

Tożsamość i wizerunek współczesnej biblioteki. Usługi biblioteczne w dobie wirtualizacji. Wdrażanie innowacji – doświadczenia bibliotek.

This informative and practical book teaches how to get better and faster results from Internet searches and methods for maximizing the potential of the world's most popular search engine.Mastering Internet research skills is a must for today's information professionals and LIS students, as well as for educators and all high school and college students. But without specific instruction in how to conduct online research, people are destined to waste time in their Internet queries or to come up emptyhanded when the information they're seeking is, in fact, available. Harnessing the Power of Google: What Every Researcher Should Know offers simple strategies that streamline research and improve anyone's search results. It will specifically benefit information professionals, students, and academic researchers in disciplines like international studies, political science, and statistical research. Illustrated with helpful screen shots, this handbook will be an often-consulted desk reference and can serve as a workshop guide or supplementary reading in courses on online research skills.The book starts with a review of general guidelines for searching that covers topics like the difference between primary and secondary sources, determining authority, citing sources, indexing, and ranking before addressing Google's power-searching features, such as the ability to search by top-level Internet domain or file type. The book describes the history of information access over the past century, culminating in today's digital information archives and how Google now augments—not replaces—what libraries provide. The three Google interfaces that together comprise a powerful toolkit are covered in detail: Google Web for finding primary source materials; Google Scholar for full text searching of scholarly, peer-reviewed material; and Google Books for searching the full text of a very high percentage of books.

Reference service, the idea that librarians provide direct assistance to users, has been a central function of libraries for over a century. Today's libraries are even more complex and intimidating to new users than libraries of the past, and the technical and social contexts in which users experience their library's resources add to this complexity. The availability of a friendly librarian who helps users find materials, search for information on a topic, interpret citations, identify quality information, and format bibliographies has become a standard component of what libraries do. However, changes in technologies, economics, and user populations are causing many libraries to question the need and function of traditional reference services. This book examines how library services meet user needs in the twenty-first century. Many libraries are asking key questions about reference services, such as: Should librarians be on call waiting for users or out in the community promoting the library? Should we assign staff to help users one-on-one or is it more effective to assign them to build and use tools to teach users how to find and evaluate information? Will we continue to purchase commercial reference sources or just use Wikipedia and other free resources on the web? With the proliferation of information available today, how can we help users evaluate search results and select the best resources that they can find? And how do we evaluate the effectiveness of reference services? Through contributions from the leading scholars and practitioners in the field, this volume addresses such issues and how they affect practices in public and academic libraries. In addition, it presents perspectives from the publishing community and the creators of discovery tools. Each section is enhanced by short case studies that highlight real-world practices and experiences.

Stay up-to-date with the growing amount of reference resources available onlineHow important is the World Wide Web to information retrieval and communication? Important enough that information professionals have seen students exit from their libraries en masse when Internet service was lost. Internet providers dominate the indexing and abstracting of periodical articles as major publishers now offer nearly all of their reference titles in digital form. Libraries spend increasing amounts of funding on electronic reference materials, and librarians devote an increasing amount of time to assisting in their use. The Reference Collection: From the Shelf to the Web is an essential guide to collection development for electronic materials in academic and public libraries. The Reference Collection: From the Shelf to the Web tracks the continuing evolution of electronic reference resources-and how they're accessedin a variety of settings. Librarians representing university, elementary school, and public libraries in the United States and Australia examine how reference collections have evolved over time (and may soon be a thing of the past); how public and school libraries have dealt with the changes; why library research assignments have become more difficult for teachers to make and for students to complete; how to organize online reference sources; and why the nature of plagiarism has changed in the electronic era. The book also examines the use of electronic references from a publisher's perspective and looks at the most important Web-accessible reference toolsboth free and subscriptionin the areas of humanities, medicine, the social sciences, business, and education. The Reference Collection: From the Shelf to the Web also examines: issues of authority, accessibility, cost, comfort, and user education in evaluating electronic resources the formation of purchasing consortia to facilitate the transfer of reference materials from print to online formats current literature and research findings on the state of digital versus print reference collections what electronic publishing means to smaller reference books (dictionaries, almanacs, etc.) the need for increased information literacy among students the nature, extent, and causes of cyber plagiarism the use of federated search tools and includes a selected list of the top 100 free Internet reference sites The Reference Collection: From the Shelf to the Web is an essential resource for all reference and collection development librarians, and an invaluable aid for publishing professionals.

This issue of Library Technology Reports explores how embedded librarians can use free and low-cost teaching technologies to support and enhance participatory learning experiences in school and academic libraries.

The all-in-one “Reference reference” you've been waiting for, this invaluable book offers a concise introduction to reference sources and services for a variety of readers, from library staff members who are asked to work in the reference department to managers and others who wish to familiarize themselves with this important area of librarianship. Written in an accessible style and designed for everyday use, it presents an overview of the basic tools and techniques of reference work, including“Reference Services,” a section addressing such important topics as telephone reference, the reference interview, and electronic reference“Reference Sources,” chapters which focus on types of reference tools, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, handbooks, and almanacsAppendixes with key documents prepared by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) and an annotated bibliography An excellent training tool for both new and experienced staff, Fundamentals of Reference will quickly become your fundamental reference!

More than 30 stellar authors have contributed to these up-to-date essays on public services librarianship, including timely topics such as new service configurations, the impact of e-resources in reference and collection development, and innovative outreach.The roles of reference and public librarians are constantly changing. Today, it's not unusual for librarians to also serve as trend trackers, data analysts, project managers, IT troubleshooters, marketers, and staffing specialists. Academic and public libraries across the country are experimenting with new service models to accommodate new technology, budget constraints, and a clientele with new needs and expectations. Not surprisingly, librarians are assuming revised roles as a result.Reference Reborn: Breathing New Life into Public Services Librarianship is a collection of over two dozen essays on developments and trends in reference and public services librarianship, highlighting some of the best thinking on reference services, outreach initiatives, the migration from print to e-reference collections, staffing 21st century libraries, library school curriculum, and more. This text will appeal to library and information science students and educators, beginning and seasoned reference librarians and managers of public service departments in academic and public libraries. The education and training of reference librarians receives special attention.

Description based on print version record.

Written for information professionals and librarians trying to implement and manage Web 2.0 in their physical and online collections, Building Library 3.0 pays careful attention to the implementation of social web applications, mobile computing, and RFID and QR Code technology. The book details both how to make these technologies work for libraries and also explores why libraries must gain ground in the important new territories of Web 2.0. The changing relationships between information seekers, the information being sought, and the professional information gatekeepers is of great importance in this change, and this book explains both the use of the technology to reach information seeking communities, and the profound ways in which such relationships will change the nature of librarianship. - A primer for Library 2.0, and concrete steps available to libraries seeking to catch up to their web-savvy patrons - Detailed and critical examinations of social networking sites, and their potential for libraries outreach - Studies the actions librarians can take right now to prepare for the'border-bleeding'between physical and virtual collections

Widespread use and acceptance of the World Wide Web in the home and office has eclipsed many other technological advances. Next-generation applications like wikis, podcasting, streaming video, virtual reference, RSS feeds, and blogs sit on the cutting edge of changes that will—and have already begun to—transform librarianship. Medical Librarian 2.0 is a vital groundbreaking resource for understanding and implementing these technologiesin reference services.Medical Librarian 2.0 is both an examination of current technology and a resource for practical applications as well. This important collection includes informative chapters that cover the evolving spectrum of digital tools. Through detailed explorations of current technologies, as well as the ways institutions have implemented them to better serve both patrons and staff, this text provides the insight and necessary awareness required for librarians who want to stay current with these technologies and to make their services relevant to the newer generation of users.With a wealth of informative tables, diagrams, Web site illustrations, online resources, photographs, and references, Medical Librarian 2.0 is an essential resource that looks at the pervasive Web technologies medical libraries—and other libraries—are successfully adapting to both update old services and provide new ones.Contributors to Medical Librarian 2.0 discuss:• the tools and applications shaping Web 2.0• extending these vibrant technologies into librarianship with Library 2.0• virtual reference services in academic health science libraries• e-mail, chat, and web forms in the changing landscape of reference services• syndicated information delivery via RSS and its integration• producing, using, organizing, and distributing podcasts• challenges to and successes of streaming video in health sciences libraries• social networking, social media sharing, and social bookmarking tools• tagging, peer production, blogs, and folksonomy• open source software and content management systems like Drupal• wikis and the organizational knowledgebase• creating and utilizing blended applications and mashups• current concerns over data and security • and many other important topics!With a wealth of tables, diagrams, Web site illustrations, online resources, photographs, and references, Medical Librarian 2.0 offers readers clear examples of these applications put into practice. Medical Librarian 2.0 is an essential resource for librarians, especially those in medical settings, library science educators and students, and those looking to stay at the forefront of emerging reference technology.

This book examines the questions: how academic libraries provide value-added reference and information services in the digital age. It provides best practices from a global perspective. The book starts by looking at the information needs and info-seeking behaviours of university students and faculty. Then it examines the use cycle: consumer, instruction, and producer. It examines the resource cycle: collection development, instructor, maintenance. What are the essential elements of reference: orientation, instruction, collaborative planning, products? - Focuses on information needs and information-seeking behaviours of academic library stakeholders (faculty, students, community) - Focuses on technologies: impact on reference and information services (selection, access, interaction, instruction, administration), focusing on the human issues - Emphasizes collaborative aspects of reference/info services (with faculty for program/course instruction, with computer services for digital integration, with other libraries for resource

A daily diary of actual interactions between a reference desk librarian and his patronsReference Librarianship documents a year in the life of a young librarian working in the “trenches” at a library in the Midwestern United States. This one-of-a-kind book provides a daily diary of every librarian/patron transaction—no matter how mundane or absurd—to demonstrate not only how advances in technology have affected the reference librarian's job, but how the public's expectations have changed, as well. The book also includes observations by a now-retired reference librarian on the current state of the field based on these unedited interactions.Over the past two decades, the job of reference librarian has seen many changes. But in many ways, reference desk work hasn't changed a bit, with its mix of odd, humorous, routine, and ridiculous requests that capture what it's like to deal with patrons day after day. Reference Librarianship paints a clear picture of the field for library school students, provides emotional and philosophical support to practitioners, and reminds library administrators of what life was like on the “front lines.” A sampling of the daily transactions documented in Reference Librarianship:Monday, May 19, 2003: pencil pencil network down I tell people that I can't sign them up for an Internet terminal because the network is down and they just stand there, staring into space One of them asks for three days worth of newspapers microfiche machine explanation Sorry, Sir, the network is still down (multiply by twenty and insert randomly into the remainder of the day) magic tricks, but he pretty much knew where they were One of our large interior plate glass windows shattered. No one was hurt and it made a fascinating noise, like a crystal waterfall landing on soil. “Books on prostitution, you know—whores?” Someone from the County called to ask if any criminal activity had occurred on a particular street. Someone else referred her to us. She was dubious—with good reason. “Math puzzles.” Okay. I show him the books. “Just math.” Certainly. I show him the books. “I need them in Spanish.” Grrr... Reference Librarianship is an enlightening, educational, and entertaining look at the real world of reference desk work. It's an essential read for reference librarians (both public and academic), library administrators, and library school students, as well as anyone who works with the public.

'A Searcher book'--Cover.

It has become increasingly common for libraries to provide a reference service which operates via e-mail or through online forms. This paper compares the performance of three digital reference services available on the World Wide Web, namely, AllExperts, Ask a Librarian, and Internet Public Library (a fourth service, Ask Bob, was included initially but eventually excluded). The online digital reference/''expert''services are generally very effective; most provide an answer within three days, and include suggestions for sources of further information. Although the general response rate from al.

Compare and contrast library reference models and more consumer-oriented models! Digital versus Non-Digital Reference: Ask A Librarian Online and Offline analyzes the quality of commercial Ask A Librarian (AskA) and tutorial services and how they compare to traditional library services. Edited by Jessamyn Westproprietor of librarian.net and the hippest ex-librarian on the Web according to Wired magazinethe book looks at library models and more consumer-oriented models, examining a variety of services that range from Ask Jeeves® and Google Answers to your own reference desk and Web e-mail reference forms. Academic librarians and information specialists share their experiencesgood and badin starting, assessing, or ending AskA services and in working with collaborative reference tools and outsourcing reference services, and discuss the highs and lows of dealing with individual online services. Digital versus Non-Digital Reference: Ask A Librarian Online and Offline chronicles the experiences and interactions of librarians with digital reference, including case studies, how-to guides, and philosophical essays. The book's contributors discuss their concerns about using the Internet as not only a reference tool but as a reference medium that most libraries find inevitable to some degree. Topics include the political ramifications of offsite or outsourced reference, the truth behind the assertion that it's all available online, cultural and/or language barriers to text-based reference services, and patrons'experiences with reference tools, from a librarian's perspective. Digital versus Non-Digital Reference: Ask A Librarian Online and Offline addresses: policy, staffing and technology for telephone reference services e-mail reference in public libraries the University of Michigan's Internet Public Library archivists and remote users in the digital age success and failure with commercial AskA programs the history of Q and A NJ, New Jersey's virtual reference service multilingual chat reference systems the ongoing debate over the value of digital reference the case for nonintrusive reference Digital versus Non-Digital Reference: Ask A Librarian Online and Offline is an invaluable resource for practitioners and academics on the appropriate assessment, technologies, and methods for successfully creating and operating human-mediated, Internet-based information services.