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From the ongoing flood of misinformation to the swift changes occasioned by the pandemic, a myriad of factors is spurring our profession to rethink reference services. Luckily, this classic text is back in a newly overhauled edition that thoughtfully addresses the evolving reference landscape. Designed to complement every introductory library reference course, Cassell and Hiremath's book also serves as the perfect resource to guide current practitioners in their day-to-day work. It teaches failsafe methods for identifying important materials by matching specific types of questions to the best available sources, regardless of format. Guided by a national advisory board of educators and experts, this thoroughly updated text presents chapters covering fundamental concepts, major reference sources, and special topics while also offering fresh insights on timely issues, including a basic template for the skills required and expectations demanded of the reference librarian; the pandemic's effect on reference services and how the ingenuity employed by libraries in providing remote and virtual reference is here to stay; a new chapter dedicated to health information, with a special focus on health equity and information sources; selecting and evaluating reference materials, with strategies for keeping up to date; a heightened emphasis on techniques for evaluating sources for misinformation and ways to give library users the tools to discern facts vs. “fake facts”; reference as programming, readers'advisory services, developmentally appropriate material for children and young adults, and information literacy; evidence-based guidance on handling microaggressions in reference interactions, featuring discussions of cultural humility and competence alongside recommended resources on implicit bias; managing, assessing, and improving reference services; and the future of information and reference services, encapsulating existing models, materials, and services to project possible evolutions in the dynamic world of reference

Community colleges are a cornerstone of higher education and serve the unique needs of the communities in which they reside. In 2019, community colleges accounted for 41 percent of all undergraduate students in the United States. Community college librarians are engaged in meaningful work designing and delivering library programs and services that meet the needs of their diverse populations and support student learning. The Community College Library series is meant to lift the voices of community college librarians and highlight their creativity, tenacity, and commitment to students. The Community College Library: Reference and Instruction collects research, programs, and new approaches to reference and instruction implemented by community college librarians around the U.S. Chapters include sample activities and materials and cover topics including using race-centered and trauma-informed practices in the reference interview; incorporating online workshops into an existing information literacy program; and using student-driven pedagogy to navigate the early stages of research. This book demonstrates the innovative and replicable ways community college librarians are meeting the information and research needs of their college population both in person and remotely, all while providing a safe, inclusive space for students to explore and learn.

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.

This book, first published in 1986, discusses reference personnel concerns and problems and offers suggestions to administration and management for improving reference personnel performance and staff development.

This book, first published in 1987, provides important information on reference publishing, including valuable guidelines on evaluating publications and sources. The articles contained here are all written by leading experts in the field.

This book, first published in 1988, discusses the use and handling of newspapers in libraries and information centres. Although newspapers are recognized as an important source of information about current history and local events, they have been largely ignored by information specialists. Individuals who work with newspapers on a daily basis - as tools in research or as an ingredient in a larger process - have contributed valuable chapters on bibliographical and physical control of newspapers, working with newspapers in a variety of settings, and international, educational, and technical aspects of using and handling newspapers.

Taking a broad approach from career counselling theory to recommendations of major sources of career and job information, this book, first published in 1992, covers subjects such as cooperative programs between librarians, career planning professionals, and job search counsellors and the evaluation of career-related materials. It emphasizes the constant demand for career and job information regardless of economic conditions. Librarians can act as intermediaries to help patrons locate career and employment sources dispersed throughout the collection, demonstrate their proper use, and guide them to additional useful sources. Specific chapters explain how to expand career and job services by networking with other community resources and developing a strong core collection of the best resources available. Other ground breaking topics analysed include employment and labour market trends for the 1990s, unemployment services in libraries, evaluation criteria for career resources, essential career planning and employment materials, specialized collections for relocation literature, and employment of persons with disabilities.

A-Z Common Reference Questions for Academic Librarians is a survival guide for frontline library staff to help them find appropriate information quickly, whether they are answering questions at a physical help desk or remotely by telephone, email or instant messaging service. The book will help academic librarians tackle the questions most commonly asked by students, academics and researchers. A broad cross-disciplinary A-Z of themes including topics such as literature searching, plagiarism and using online resources are covered helping you to address an query confidently and quickly. Each topic is split into three sections to guide your response: typical questions: listing the common enquiries encountered points to consider: exploring the issues and challenges that might arise where to look: listing annotated UK and international resources in print and online including key organisations, scholarly bodies, digital libraries, statistical data and journal article indexes. A-Z Common Reference Questions for Academic Librarians updates and expands the author's previous book, Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries, and includes new sections on blogging and social media text and data mining and data visualization assistive technology resources early career researchers impact measurement including bibliometrics; citation analysis and journal rankings academic internet searching LGBT studies Middle East studies project management open access publishing research data management study skills systematic reviews. This will be an indispensable day-to-day guide for anyone working with students, academics and researchers in an academic library.

This revised and updated sixth edition of Reference and Information Services continues the book's rich tradition, covering all phases of reference and information services with less emphasis on print and more emphasis on strategies and scenarios.Reference and Information Services is the go-to textbook for MSLIS and i-School courses on reference services and related topics. It is also a helpful handbook for practitioners. Authors include LIS faculty and professionals who have relevant degrees in their areas and who have published extensively on their topics. The first half of the book provides an overview of reference services and techniques for service provision, including the reference interview, ethics, instruction, reader's advisory, and services to diverse populations including children. This part of the book establishes a foundation of knowledge on reference service and frames each topic with ethical and social justice perspectives. The second part of the book offers an overview of the information life cycle and dissemination of information, followed by an in-depth examination of information sources by type—including dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes, and abstracts—as well as by broad subject areas including government, statistics and data, health, and legal information. This second section introduces the tools and resources that reference professionals use to provide the services described in the first half of the text.

This book, first published in 1991, explores the changing roles of reference services and offers advice and practical ideas to guide librarians through the increasingly tangled maze of duties being thrust upon the reference staff. Although the everyday work of the reference librarian is often taken for granted, these insightful chapters illuminate the essential service performed by the reference librarians as they facilitate access to information for a wide variety of users. Furthermore, this book helps reference librarians face the future by examining the technological and service developments that will challenge their profession.It addresses unique reference problems such as making use of the telephone as an information gathering tool, selecting reference material for the interdisciplinary field of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER), and helping non-law students with legal research. Topics related to information systems are examined such as the limitations of end-user online services, and an evaluation of the Library of Congress Information system. Authoritative contributors make recommendations on how to design services to coordinate with the new technology and how to change librarians'roles so they can assist people in using these systems.

学術情報へアクセスするための極意を、情報検索のプロである大学図書館司書が伝授。検索時代における図書館の機能と図書館員の役割がわかる。たとえば「表層ウェブ」よりも「深層ウェブ」を探す。キーワード発想法から情報リテラシーまで、「探し当てる力」こそ情報洪水時代の武器。

The contradictory yet complementary relationship between libraries and information brokers is examined in this volume, first published in 1988. Since its escalation in the 1960s, information brokering has challenged the role of the library in society. Librarians discuss their concerns about information brokers - the impact of brokers on reference services, the competence of brokers, abuse of library services by brokers, and whether libraries should provide competing fee-based services. Brokers share their own view as ‘entrepreneurs', providing background, offering advice, and explaining the risks involved in their business. This lively, often controversial discussion offers suggestions for improving relations between libraries and information brokers, while continuing to serve the public well.

Based on the latest research in communication theory but tailored specifically for real-world application, this updated manual speaks equally to the needs of students preparing to enter the profession and those who are already fielding reference inquiries. The authors, working in consultation with a stellar advisory board of scholars and practitioners, present a convenient and comprehensive resource that will teach you how to understand the needs of public, academic, and special library users across any virtual setting—including email, text messaging, and social media—as well as in traditional and face-to-face models of communication. Packed with exercises and examples to help you practice effective reference transactions and avoid common pitfalls, this book tackles the fundamentals of the reference interview, from why it's important in the first place to methods for setting the stage for a successful interview and techniques for finding out what the library user really wants to know; covers the ins and outs of the readers'advisory interview; examines a wide range of contexts, such as children, young adults, parents, seniors, adults from diverse communities, and those with disabilities; presents case studies of innovative reference and user encounters at a variety of libraries; offers updated coverage of virtual reference, including new research, virtual reality transcripts, and a look at crowd-sourcing reference via social media; features new content on common microaggressions, with guidance on how to use awareness of emotion as a factor in reference interactions to ensure better outcomes; discusses topics such as respecting/protecting privacy, overcoming assumptions, implicit judgment, the importance of context, determining the real information need, and many other lessons learned from challenging reference encounters; and thoroughly addresses policy and training procedures, as well as the unique challenges faced by paraprofessionals and non-degreed staff. Find your bearings in the continually evolving hybrid reference environment through proven strategies, advice, exercises, and research from three experts in the field.

Re-emergence of Reference Materials in Libraries gives the readers an introduction to the libraries and the history related to it. The book takes the readers through the subject of reference materials in libraries and the references services and the sources. The book further talks about the virtual reference libraries, the relation of information science with libraries and the management of library and reference material. Also discussed in the book are the books which are recommended by bibliographies, the computerized system of library, the use of technology in library and the future that the libraries may have. The book provides the knowledge to give insight on the reference material and their relevance, to the readers.

This book, first published in 1984, analyses the provision of more effective library service by relying more heavily on collaboration between reference and technical services librarians.

Designed to complement every introductory library reference course, this is the perfect text for students and librarians looking to expand their personal reference knowledge, teaching failsafe methods for identifying important materials by matching specific types of questions to the best available sources, regardless of format. Guided by a national advisory board of educators and practitioners, this thoroughly updated text expertly keeps up with new technologies and practices while remaining grounded in the basics of reference work. Chapters on fundamental concepts, major reference sources, and special topics provide a solid foundation; the text also offers fresh insight on core issues, includingethics, readers'advisory, information literacy, and other key aspects of reference librarianship;selecting and evaluating reference materials, with strategies for keeping up to date;assessing and improving reference services;guidance on conducting reference interviews with a range of different library users, including children and young adults;a new discussion of reference as programming;important special reference topics such as Google search, 24/7 reference, and virtual reference; anddelivering reference services across multiple platformsAs librarians experience a changing climate for all information services professionals, Cassell and Hiremath provide the tools needed to manage the ebb and flow of changing reference services in today's libraries.

Providing Reference Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians was written with the working librarian in mind; it focuses on specific methods and information to help foster effective, exceptional results. Topics covered include:Reference services: basic information and backgroundReference resources and tutorials Organizing and providing services Staffing and performance managementForming helpful partnerships (internal and external)The future of reference Readers will come away with a solid foundation in reference services. They will have the knowledge to update or restructure an existing reference program, or to create a program from the ground up. Individual chapters and subsections provide constructive tips and advice for specific reference issues. Taken as a whole, this book provides a valuable, inclusive source of information for all major aspects of reference service.Providing Reference Services is an appropriate resource for nearly all librarians in public-service positions, especially those with reference responsibilities, whether they are working reference librarians at any level of experience, reference supervisors, or administrators with oversight of reference services. The content is relevant to academic, public, school, and special libraries—any library or organization, in fact, that offers reference or research assistance.

Reference collections and services have changed considerably in the last three decades. We have moved from all services coming from the reference desk to a more fluid environment where users can be served in person, by phone, email, virtual reference/chat, instant messaging, texting, skyping, etc.Collections have changed too– from print collections, microfilm, microfiche and microcards to e-resources and e-books plus e-research collections in institutional archives.Although we see many libraries still providing traditional services, others have begun to move away from this model and try to develop and offer services and collections which will better serve their user population. With technology changing so fast, users expect to communicate with the library in whatever way they choose. They also want to obtain information with little effort on their part.Managing Reference Today: New Models and Practices• highlights newly developed service models that libraries are developing as well as the way they are handling changing reference collections. • describes new ways of providing reference services and new ideas of how to select and manage reference collections. • Identifies the best practices for meeting the needs of current and future library users in academic, special, and public library settings.

A fresh, detailed, and thoughtful examination of reference services in the context of evolving community information needs and habits, a changing technological landscape, and new search strategies.Professional practices in the field of library reference services have changed dramatically in the past decade in response to shrinking print reference collections and evolving technology, search strategies, and user needs and interests. This new guide explains all the basics of reference services, covering resource types and awareness of their appropriate uses, collection development and maintenance techniques that support reference service work, the latest online searching techniques, and best practices for service interactions through various platforms, including email, chat, text, phone, and face to face. Additionally, it addresses reference service ethics; communication and conducting reference interviews; important policies related to reference service development, provision, and maintenance; alternative reference service delivery points now in use; and professional service provider networking.Both experienced reference librarians and those new to reference service will benefit from in-depth coverage of recent changes in online reference resources and print-based resources, guidelines for authoritative evaluation of web-based resources, explanations of online catalog searching skills, and tips for reference web page construction. The book also contains an expanded section on making digitized collections accessible and relevant; information on the growing need of members of the general population for help with various federal government access programs ranging from Veterans Affairs and Social Security to health care access, income tax regulation fulfillment, and immigrant documentation; and explanations of copyright in the digital sphere of resource use and transfer.

Library Roles in Achieving Financial Literacy among its Patrons is a collection of articles from 25 librarians in different parts of the U.S. and Canada, each contributing 3,000-4,000 words: concise chapters with sidebars, bullets, and headers; there is an introduction. Contributors were selected for the creative potential in their topics, those that can be used in various types of libraries and that demonstrate a command of financial literacy and are able to communicate what they know to aiding users solve their financial information problems. The collection has three sections. The first provides an overview of financial literacy: what it means generally, what needs exist among library patrons, and what approaches have been tried to date. The second section deals with resources that are available in libraries, or should be made available. These include collections, skill sets in librarians, program opportunities and others. The third section is a series of case studies that demonstrate successes and best practices.

Uniquely positioned to connect library users to the information they seek, and thus to the wider world, library staff who serve on the front lines of reference have both the power and responsibility to position the library as an institution that remains relevant and responsive. This collection takes a critical look at the overarching trends that affect current library policy and practice regarding the process of delivering information services, and how factors such as public policy, economics, and popular culture will continue to affect those trends in the future. Library leaders and visionaries from across the spectrum of institutions address such topics as The history of reference librarianship and how it relates to the current landscape Privacy, censorship, and reference ethics The effects of the “born digital” library user on the purpose and function of reference Strategic challenges for reference in the coming decade A reference forecast for 2025Placing these issues in historical and cultural context, this book offers practical solutions for new paradigms of reference service for all users.

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.

To compete today, librarians need to not only provide old services in new ways but also to provide new services. Repositioning Reference: New Methods and New Services for a New Age re-imagines reference services in libraries and information organizations and the role of reference librarians, taking into account rapid developments in technology and information-specific services in non-library sectors. It traces the history of technology adoption for reference services, describes competitive pressures facing reference services, identifies untapped opportunities for reference services and librarians, details innovative and creative solutions for energizing the profession and engaging library user communities, and prescribes means to evaluating technologies for reference services. This book:• Includes current and unique examples of innovative reference services to serve as inspiration and launching points for readers.• Offers contemporary management theory and practice from outside of the field of LIS to offer readers a guide for initiating, leading, and managing change in their organizations.• Outlines the processes of environmental scanning and SWOT analysis, which are important practices for keeping abreast of changes in the field and positioning an organization to make the most of their opportunities and to minimize threats.Repositioning Reference may be used as a textbook by LIS educators whose courses and learning experiences prepare aspiring librarians to lead the reference revolution and by practicing librarians in diverse settings who want to be change agents.

More an art than a science, the reference interview requires not only knowing a specific set of skills, but also how to apply those skills in an ever-changing world. Good reference interviews accomplish three goals: establishing contact with the user, determining what the user's information need actually is, and checking to make sure that the answer actually meets that need completely. Built around timeless service principles including Ranganathan's Five Laws, The Reference Interview Today: Negotiating and Answering Questions Face to Face, on the Phone, and Virtually is a practical field guide to conducting reference interviews in every modality: face-to-face, phone, chat, text, virtual world such as Second Life, and even mashup reference interviews where multiple modalities are used to answer the question. Following a concise presentation of reference interview basics, the heart of the book is 12 different reference interview scenarios set in different modes and demonstrating a specific principle. Each of these twelve follows a similar construction: a general overview of the principle (for example, save the time of the reader), a script of the reference interview, and then learning questions designed to demonstrate the principle(s) as illustrated in the script. Examples range from assisting faculty members with scholarly resources to helping a high school student with a paper to assisting a hairdresser with a reference question. One scenario is based in the year 2025 to emphasize the timeless nature of reference service.Seamlessly combining both time-honored principles and multiple technologies, this practical book demonstrates how librarians can be as relevant and necessary in the digital age as in the print world. Appropriate for both novice and experienced librarians as well as for LIS students, this concise handbook speaks to those working in or preparing for careers in public, school, academic, and special libraries..

Research within the Disciplines is designed to help reference librarians – and students studying to become librarians – gain that deeper understanding of disciplinary differences that allows them to comfortably solve information needs rather than merely responding to questions, and practical knowledge about how to work with researchers in a library setting. The book has three chapters that cover the disciplines at the broadest level – humanities, social sciences, and sciences, plus supplemental chapters that focus on associated disciplines (research in history, business, and engineering, research using government sources) and across disciplines (interdisciplinary and critical information literacy). For the second edition of Research within the Disciplines, several chapters have been added that together give a broader and deeper overview of research across all subject areas: research practices of creative and performing artists and of clinical scientists, research in international documents, research strategies for foreign language materials, and visual literacy across the disciplines. Major shifts in technology have been accounted for that have changed how we do research and have expanded the range of resources available to researchers in all disciplines. All of the chapters have been rewritten or heavily revised; this is much more a new book than a new edition.

Ideal for public, school, and academic libraries looking to freshen up their reference collection, as well as for LIS students and instructors conducting research, this resource collects the cream of the crop sources of general reference and library science information. Encompassing internet resources, digital image collections, and print resources, it includes the full section on LIS Resources from the Guide to Reference database, which was voted a #1 Best Professional Resource Database by Library Journal readers. Organized by topic and thoroughly indexed, this guide makes it a snap to find the right sources. It offers an appealing introduction to reference work and resources for LIS students and also serves as an affordable course book to complement online Guide to Reference access.

Reference and Access: Innovative Practices for Archives and Special Collections explores how archives of different sizes and types are increasing their effectiveness in serving the public and meeting internal needs. The book features twelve case studies that demonstrate new ways to interact with users to answer their questions, provide access to materials, support patrons in the research room, and manage reference and access processes. The featured case studies areBuilding Bridges: Closing the Divide between Minimally Processed Collections and ResearchersManaging Risk with a Virtual Reading Room: Two Born-Digital Projects Improvements on a Shoestring: Changing Reference Systems and Processes Twenty-First Century Security in a Twentieth-Century Space: Reviewing, Revising and Implementing New Security Practices in the Reading RoomTalking in the Night: Exploring Webchats to Serve New Audiences A Small Shop Meets a Big Challenge: Finding Creative Ways to Assist the Researchers of the Breath of Life Archival Institute for Indigenous Languages The Right Tool at the Right Time: Implementing Responsive Reproduction Policies and ProceduresGoing Mobile: Using iPads to Improve the Reading Room Experience Beyond “Trial by Fire”: Towards A More Active Approach to Training New Reference StaffAccess for All: Making Your Archives Website Accessible for People with DisabilitiesNo Ship of Fools: A Digital Humanities Collaboration to Enhance Access to Special CollectionsWebsites as a Digital Extension of Reference: Creating a Reference and IT Partnership for Web Usability StudiesEach of these case studies deconstructs reference and access services into their essential elements: interacting with people who have questions, providing access to materials that meet researcher needs, assisting researchers as they use materials, and managing the processes needed to support reference and access. The volume will be useful to those working in archives and special collections as well as other cultural heritage organizations, and provides ideas ranging from the aspirational to the immediately implementable. It also provides students and educators in archives, library, and public history graduate programs a resource for understanding the issues driving change in the field today and the kinds of strategies archivists are using to meet these new challenges.

Designed to complement every introductory library reference course, this is the perfect text for students and librarians looking to expand their personal reference knowledge, teaching failsafe methods for identifying important materials by matching specific types of questions to the best available sources, regardless of format. Guided by a national advisory board of educators and practitioners including Eileen Abels, Anita Ondrusek, Marie L. Radford, and Steven Tash, this text expertly keeps up with new technologies and practices while remaining grounded in the basics of reference work. Chapters on fundamental concepts, major reference sources, and special topics in reference provide a solid foundation, plus fresh insight on new issues, including New chapters on ethics, readers'advisory, and reference services for children and young adults Website development and maintenance RSS feeds Social networking Delivering reference services across multiple platforms As librarians experience a changing climate for all information services professionals, Cassell and Hiremath provide the tools needed to manage the ebb and flow of changing reference services in the 21st century.

Here is unique volume offering practical advice on weeding and maintaining reference collections. It covers different types of libraries--academic, corporate, public--and problems, and librarians describe in detail methods and criteria used by their libraries in weeding their reference collections. Dr. Pierce has organized the topics of her book into relevant chapters. These chapters, bound to appeal to a variety of needs, address and discuss the problems and management of growing reference collections. As many librarians find weeding reference books a difficult task, most reference departments suffer from a lack of space as a result. Collection growth reduces shelf and seating space, and both books and people are lost in the clutter. In reading this essential book, reference supervisors will come to understand the importance of allowing reference area growth combined with effective weeding to promote an attractive and well-stocked reference area. Heads of reference will find Weeding and Maintenance of Reference Collections full of useful information, from the specific criteria and detailed methods contributed by several librarians who have found success in weeding their reference collections, to the practical hints on planning and evaluating collection contents and organization. Students and faculty of library schools and information studies will gain insight into successful management of increasing amounts of reference material as the Information Age gathers momentum into the 1990s.

This best-selling'one-stop'practical guide is designed to help all information professionals become self-sufficient in answering enquiries. Step by step, it guides the reader through all stages of research, from finding out what the enquirer really wants, to providing a polished, value-added answer, with an emphasis throughout on how to make the best use of limited resources. This fully updated sixth edition features a brand new chapter on remote enquiry handling by email, SMS and social media. It has cutting-edge coverage of developments in new mobile media (smart phones and e-books), assessing new sources of information (crowdsourcing, blogs) and how to manage, evaluate and improve remote enquiry handling. The new'Starter Sources'section provides an essential and up to date list of quality-checked reference sources, on the web and in print. Ideal for anyone who has to answer enquiries from users, in any environment, this essential manual is suitable for use in large or small libraries and information units. It's particularly valuable for information professionals and those working on enquiry desks in academic, public, school and special libraries.

Here is the first comprehensive survey of the growing practice of'embedded librarianship'—a strategic model for placing information professionals into partnerships with the individuals and working groups that depend upon their knowledge and expertise. David Shumaker looks at implementations in all types of organizations, identifies the characteristics of successful embedded librarians, and explains how information professionals in public, academic, school, medical, law, and other specialized library settings are using embedded librarianship principles to enhance their work and careers. In demonstrating the value of information professionals to a broad range of knowledge-intensive projects, The Embedded Librarian is an important book for managers and executives involved in team building. In addition, its wealth of practical coverage and analysis, case studies, templates, and exercises make the book an invaluable resource for library school students, practicing librarians who wonder if an embedded role is right for them, and current embedded librarians who want to be ready for new opportunities in this exciting area of library work.

Learn and perfect the skills needed to conduct satisfying reference interviews in the modern technological environment with this easy-to-use guide.In today's technology-driven world, reference librarians must serve users who come into the building as well as remote users who ask via various digital means. With virtual reference and social networking tools now commonplace, reference questions have become more complex and interdisciplinary. The Reference Interview Today will help reference librarians decide which tools and strategies will best serve their diverse group of patrons—in person and in cyberspace.This text covers the skills needed for traditional face-to-face reference and how they can be applied in 2.0 media. Best practices for culturally diverse, disabled, and'difficult'patrons; strategies for public and academic libraries; and virtual technologies like Twitter and Second Life are described. Written by a practicing reference librarian, this invaluable book makes it easy to train paraprofessionals and serves as a guide for experienced librarians to hone their skills in new delivery methods.

Reflecting the dramatic changes shaped by rapidly developing technologies over the past six years, this new fourth edition of Reference and Information Services takes the introduction to reference sources and services significantly beyond the content of the first three editions. In Part I, Concepts and Processes, chapters have been revised and updated to reflect new ideas and methods in the provision of reference service in an era when many users have access to the Web. In Part II, Information Sources and Their Use, discussion of each source type has been updated to encompass key resources in print and on the Web, where an increasing number of freely available sources join those purchased or licensed by libraries.A number of new authors are contributors to this new edition, bringing to their chapters their experience as teachers of reference and as practitioners in different types of libraries. Discussions of services in Part I integrate digital reference as appropriate to each topic, such as how to conduct a reference interview online using instant messaging. Boxes interspersed in the text are used to present scenarios for discussion, to highlight key concepts, or to present excerpts from important documents. Discussions of sources in Part II place more emphasis on designing effective search strategies using both print and digital resources. The chapter on selection and evaluation of sources addresses the changing nature of reference collections and how to evaluate new types of sources. Each chapter concludes with an updated list of additional readings to guide further study.A new companion website will provide links to Web-accessible readings and resources as well as additional scenarios for discussion and example search strategies to supplement those presented in the text.

Aimed at teaching professionals working with first-year students at institutions of higher learning, this book provides practical advice and specific strategies for integrating contemporary information literacy competencies into courses intended for novice researchers. The book has two main goals - to discuss the necessity and value of incorporating information literacy into first-year curricula; and to provide a variety of practical, targeted strategies for doing so. The author will introduce and encourage teaching that follows a process-driven, constructivist framework as a way of engaging first-year students in library work that is interesting, meaningful and disciplinarily relevant.Provides helpful advice and guidance for seamlessly integrating library research competencies into first-year coursesOffers practical models and real life examples of successful student-centered, course-based library research assignmentsIs written by an academic librarian with nearly 20 years of experience in the field

The proliferation of online access to social science statistical and numeric data sources, such as the U.S. Census Bureau's American Fact Finder, has lead to an increased interest in supporting these sources in academic libraries. Many large libraries have been able to devote staff to data services for years, and recently smaller academic libraries have recognized the need to provide numeric data services and support. This guidebook serves as a primer to developing and supporting social science statistical and numerical data sources in the academic library. It provides strategies for the establishment of data services and offers short descriptions of the essential sources of free and commercial social science statistical and numeric data. Finally, it discusses the future of numeric data services, including the integration of statistics and data into library instruction and the use of Web 2.0 tools to visualize data.Written for a general reference audience with little knowledge of data services and sources who would like to incorporate support into their general reference practiceCombines information on establishing data services with an introduction to available statistical and numeric data sourcesProvides insight into the integration of statistics and data into library instruction and the social science research process

Description based on print version record.

Career Planning and Job Searching in the Information Age answers key questions for today?s providers of career-planning and job-searching information. Librarians and career development professionals'concerns--such as cost-effective use of the Internet, the reliability and integrity of electronic resources, and successful search strategies--are addressed in this comprehensive collection. In this follow-up to Library Services for Career Planning, Job Searching and Employment Opportunities (1992), real-life methods used by information providers to reduce costs and improve quality of service through a better understanding of today?s technology and audience needs and expectations are shown. Readers learn about: issues and ethics in the electronic environment job searches conducted on the World Wide Web a university placement office?s gopher site for 24-hour access to job information a university library and career service department?s collaboration on job search seminars how a public library fit electronic job searching into its mission an alumnae network?s evolution into a national career development organizationCareer Planning and Job Searching in the Information Age presents a broad base of knowledge from which readers are launched into tightly focused case studies offering details on how to deal with the issues of technology and service. This book makes it clear that in the ever-changing world of information technology, there is little room for the status quo. Professionals who don't learn about electronic resources risk missing out on a wealth of up-to-the-minute information that is infinitely useful to patrons planning a career or searching for a job. Library professionals just beginning to address these issues, professionals already possessing a general knowledge of these issues, and students of library science and career development will all benefit from this collection.