Reference Renaissance: Current and Future Trends - Softcover

Marie L. Radford (Editor); R. David Lankes (Editor)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1555706800 ISBN 13: 9781555706807

Publisher: ALA Neal-Schuman, 2010

Synopsis

Respected authorities on today's rapidly changing reference landscape Marie L. Radford and R. David Lankes have brought together a pioneering collection that delivers creative, proven guidance to LIS professionals in public, academic, and special libraries and information centers. In addition to featuring current research trends and philosophical approaches to reference, the editors present a wide-range of exciting new reports from the field. Reports include the practical information you need to replicate these groundbreaking programs in your library, and includes the institutional context, a detailed description of the initiative, best practices, an assessment of results, a bibliography of cited references, and websites on similar efforts. You will learn about all modes of virtual reference, re-invented face-to-face services, novel mobile services, and how to apply text messaging, Facebook, and other social-networking tools to reference service. A few of the forward-looking reports include: Giving Users Options for Chat Reference; You Bought It, Now Sell It: Creating a Reference Renaissance in the Public Library by Marketing Collections and Services; and, Stayin' Alive in the Google Age: Adding Custom Search Engines for Better Internet Research. Reference Renaissance provides an exciting array of outstanding reference endeavors that will help you to leverage staff resources and discover new ways to fully meet your users' diverse needs.

About this title

Reviews

This work contains 22 essays based on presentations given at the two-day conference Reference Renaissance: Current and Future Trends in August 2008. Contributors include librarians from academic and public libraries, LIS faculty, and PhD students. There are three sections. Part 1 includes the keynote address followed by essays from a panel discussion on the direction of reference services. Part 2, “What Research Tells Us about Reference,” and part 3, “Reference in Action: Reports from the Field,” contain the remaining 20 papers. Some essays review philosophical aspects of reference services (e.g., exploring the differences between system-centered and user-centered librarianship), while others detail practices (e.g., improving access to online subject guides) and technology tools (e.g., custom search engines). Chat services are reviewed in six papers. Reference librarians seeking insight on trends in reference services should find this resource useful and relevant. --Stephen Fadel

Edition details

• Publisher: ALA Neal-Schuman
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1555706800
• ISBN 13: 9781555706807
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 312
• Editor: Marie L. Radford, R. David Lankes