Reference and Information Services: An Introduction / Edition 4

by Kay Ann Cassell, Uma Hiremath

Overview

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, including

ethics, 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; and

delivering reference services across multiple platforms

As librarians experience a changing climate for all information services professionals, in this book Cassell and Hiremath provide the tools needed to manage the ebb and flow of changing reference services in today's libraries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838915684
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	06/11/2018
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	504
Sales rank:	698,973
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Kay Ann Cassell received her BA from Carnegie Mellon University, her MLS from Rutgers University, and her PhD from the International University for Graduate Studies. She has worked in academic libraries and public libraries as a reference librarian and as a library director. Ms. Cassell is a past president of Reference and User Services Association of ALA and is active on ALA and RUSA committees. She is the editor of the journal Collection Building and is the author of numerous articles and books on collection development and reference service. She was formerly the Associate Director of Collections and Services for the Branch Libraries of the New York Public Library where she was in charge of collection development and age-level services for the Branch Libraries. She is now 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. She was Assistant Director at the Thayer Public Library, Massachusetts; Head of Reference at the West Orange Public Library, New Jersey; and Supervising Librarian at the New York Public Library where she worked for five years. She received her MLS from Pratt Institute, New York, and her PhD in political science at the University of Pittsburgh.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables vii

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xv

Part I Fundamental Concepts

1 Introduction to Reference and Information Services 3

2 Determining the Question: In-Person, Telephone, and Virtual Reference interviews 15

3 Finding the Answer: Basic Search Techniques 33

Part II Introduction to Major Reference Sources

4 Answering Questions about Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Libraries and Publishing, and Bibliographic Networks-Bibliographic Resources 59

5 Answering Questions about Anything and Everything-Encyclopedias 77

6 Answering Questions That Require Handy Facts-Ready Reference Sources 103

7 Answering Questions about Words-Dictionaries, Concordances, and Manuals 121

8 Answering Questions about Events and Issues, Past and Present-Databases (and Indexes) 147

9 Answering Questions about Health, Law, and Business-Special Guidelines and Sources 171

10 Answering Questions about Geography, Countries, and Travel-Atlases, Gazetteers, Maps, Geographic Information Systems, and Travel Guides 207

11 Answering Questions about the Lives of People-Biographical Information Sources 225

12 Answering Questions about Government and Related Issues-Government Information Sources 239

Part III Special Topics in Reference and Information Work

13 When and How to Use the Internet as a Reference Tool 259

14 Readers' Advisory Services Cindy On 281

15 Reference Services for Children and Young Adults Sujin Muggins 301

16 Information Literacy in the Reference Department 319

Part IV Developing and Managing Reference Collections and Services

17 Ethics in Reference Diana Floegel 335

18 Selecting and Evaluating Reference Materials 347

19 Reference as Programming 361

20 Managing Reference Departments 381

21 Assessing and Improving Reference Services 397

22 Reference 2.0 419

23 The Future of Information Service 443

Appendix RUSA Outstanding Reference Sources 2007-2018 453

About the Authors and Contributors 461

Index of Reference Resources 463

Subject Index 475