Reference and Information Services: An Introduction

by Linda C. Smith (Foreword by), Melissa A. Wong (Editor), Laura Saunders (Editor)

Overview

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, evaluation and assessment, 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 part introduces the tools and resources that reference professionals use to provide the services described in the first half of the text.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440868832
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/04/2020
Series:	Library and Information Science Text Series
Edition description:	6th ed.
Pages:	768
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.62(d)

About the Author

Melissa A. Wong has been an online instructor for the University of Illinois since 2001, teaching courses in reference, instruction, management, and academic librarianship.

Laura Saunders is associate professor at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science, teaching in the areas of reference, instruction, and academic libraries.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Linda C. Smith
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I: Concepts and Processes
1—History and Functions of Reference Service
Dave A. Tyckoson
2—Ethics
Emily J. M. Knox
3—The Reference Interview
Laura Saunders
4—Instructional Strategies for the Reference Interview
Susan Avery
5—Consortia and Cooperation
Kelly Jo Woodside
6—Models of Reference Services
Lili Luo
7—Management of Reference Services
JoAnn Jacoby, M. Kathleen Kern, and Lesley K. Mackie
8—Evaluation and Assessment of Reference Services
Laura Saunders
9—Training and Professional Development
Piper Martin and Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe
10—Marketing and Promotion of Reference Services
Cassandra Graesser and Lillian Sundell-Thomas
11—Reference Services for Children and Young Adults
Amy S. Pattee
12—Reference Services for Diverse Populations
Nicole A. Cooke
Part II: Information Sources and Their Use
13—Introduction to Information Creation and Dissemination
Laura Saunders and Melissa A. Wong
14—Selection and Evaluation of Reference Sources
Carol A. Singer
15—Licensing and Managing Electronic Resources
Michael Rodriguez
16—Search Strategies for Online Sources
Melissa A. Wong
17—Ready-Reference Sources
Opetoritse A. Adefolalu
18—Dictionaries
Stephanie Davis-Kahl
19—Encyclopedias
Melissa A. Wong
20—Bibliographic Sources
Linda C. Smith
21—Readers' Advisory Services and Sources
Neal Wyatt
22—Indexes and Abstracts
Linda C. Smith
23—News Sources
Barbara A. Alvarez
24—Geographical Sources
Matthew D. MacKellar
25—Biographical and Genealogical Sources
Jeanne Holba Puacz
26—Government Information
Sarah Erekson
27—Data and Statistical Sources
Celina Nichols McDonald
28—Business Sources
Celia Ross
29—Health and Medicine Sources
Maura Sostack and Rebecca Davis
30—Primary and Archival Sources
Shelley Sweeney
31—Legal Sources
Paul D. Healey
Part III: The Future of Reference Service
32—Creating the Future of Reference Service
Amy VanScoy
Index
About the Contributors
About the Editors

What People are Saying About This

Meredith Farkas

"This is a welcome update to a core professional resource. Discussions of diversity and services to diverse populations have been elevated and are threaded throughout the book, better representing the current realities of librarianship. This book will prepare library workers to provide culturally-responsive reference services in complex, technology-rich environments."

William Badke

"What a pleasure to see the 6th edition of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction. Embracing recent developments in technology and an increasing social consciousness, this edition makes a wise and comprehensive contribution to today's reference service. As someone engaged in reference and information literacy for over 30 years, I strongly recommend it to LIS students and practicing librarians."

Emily Drabinski

"A well-thumbed edition of this book sits on the shelves of most library workers for good reason: few titles offer the breadth and depth of coverage of information sources and their use. It is equally hard to keep such content up to date, a task achieved admirably by Wong and Saunders. The integration of critical perspectives in the field; a focus on the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion in reference services; and a reckoning with the ways changes in scholarly communication shape library work bring this classic into the present."

Lynn Silipigni Connaway

"Reference is alive and well, which is demonstrated by this collection of essays! The editors have included an impressive list of authors who are experts in reference service practice and research. The chapters range from an overview of sources and their uses to the history, ethics, management, evaluation, and delivery of reference services to diverse populations. The final chapter on creating the future of reference service is provocative and inspiring."

Editorial Reviews

Essential reading for all librarians, particularly those with a concentration in reference and bibliographic instruction.” —Library Jourbanal Starred Review

“This thorough overview goes into working in a reference department in a variety of different types of libraries. Though the previous edition is only four years old, this sixth edition is a notable and useful upgrade because of its focus on serving diverse populations.” —Booklist Online

From the Publisher

★ 08/01/2020

While intended as a textbook for reference service students, this updated work from Wong (online instructor, Univ. of Illinois) and Saunders (Simmons Univ. Sch. of Library &Information Science) is useful reading for all librarians and a brilliant update on previous editions. Part 1, "Concepts and Processes," contains valuable information for library leadership on training and professional development, marketing and promotion, and evaluation and assessment. Some chapters are targeted more specifically toward reference services, including the reference interview, instructional strategies, ethics, and reference services for special groups such as children and young adults. Those involved in collection development should refer to Part 2, "Information Sources and Their Use." The chapters on selection and evaluation of reference sources and the licensing and management of electronic resources are incredibly thorough, and the principles apply to all information resources. Part 2 also provides a succinct overview of different types of resources, such as government information, data and statistical sources, geographical sources, and primary and archival sources, and readers' advisory sources. Each chapter closes with references and an extensive list of sources. VERDICT Essential reading for all librarians, particularly those with a concentration in reference and bibliographic instruction.—Margaret Sylvia, St. Mary's Univ. Lib., San Antonio

Library Journal

Textbook for an initial reference course provides beginning students in library and information science with an overview of the most important tools for general reference work as well as the concepts and theory behind contemporary reference services. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, Reference And Information Services offers detailed discussion on a wide range of reference-related services including interlibrary loan, document delivery, access to networked electronic resources, readers' advisory services, and more. Of special interest on the chapters regarding the Internet and World Wide Web, the attention to ethical issues and the strong focus on user-centered services, both face-to-face and those mediated by technology. Reference And Information Services is an essential reference for library school and professional library reference collections, as well as in-service library training supplement reading resource lists. REVIEW%> THE LANGUAGE STUDIES SHELF