Legislative Reference Services and Sources

Here is the first introductory guide to all aspects of providing legislative reference services. Unlike special libraries which deal with one specific discipline, legislative reference bureaus must deal with a full spectrum of subject areas and meet the unique needs of elected and appointed officials and their staffs. This guide helps librarians find the best current resources and services to answer the varied demands for information typical of legislative reference libraries. Legislative Reference Services and Sources facilitates the work of legislative librarians and makes them confident so that they can supply legislators and their staffs with the information needed to effectively examine, draft, or enact legislation of benefit to the public.No other book on the market provides such a comprehensive overview of legislative reference services. Author Kathleen Low acquaints librarians with over 100 sources useful in responding to information requests from legislators. A wide range of valuable topics are covered that will help legislative reference librarians meet the information demands of legislators and lawmakers including:

• an overview of essential reference services needed by legislators and their staffs
• specific protocols and forms of etiquette to observe when promoting services to elected and appointed officials
• over 100 frequently consulted titles in legislative references
• the usefulness of online resources
• how to recognize special services and sensitivity warranted by patrons and the services and responses to expect in returnLegislative Reference Services and Sources addresses the legislative reference services commonly provided, promotion of services, the librarian/client relationship, client expectations, the ethics of responding to certain requests, and the core resources used in legislative reference requests. It is an invaluable tool for beginning level legislative librarians, public services librarians, and state and federal agency librarians who need an introduction to this unique type of information service.

Kathleen Low, Peter Gellatly