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.

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, includingNew chapters on ethics, readers’ advisory, and reference services for children and young adultsWebsite development and maintenanceRSS feedsSocial networkingDelivering 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 the 21st century.

PrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart I: Fundamental Concepts1 Introduction to Reference and Information ServicesEthicsKinds of Information ServiceSelecting and Evaluating Print and Electronic ResourcesCreating Finding Tools and WebsitesPromotion and MarketingEvaluating Staff and ServicesThe Changing Nature of ReferenceRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited2 Determining the Question: In-Person, Telephone, and Virtual Reference InterviewsWhy Do the Reference Interview?What We Know About the Reference InterviewConducting the Reference InterviewProblematic Strategies in the Reference InterviewThe Telephone InterviewAnswering Questions VirtuallyRUSA Guidelines—an Integrated ApproachCultural DifferencesImproving our SkillsA Look AheadRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited3 Finding the Answer: Basic Search TechniquesTools of the Answering TradeTypes of AnswersCommon Pitfalls in Reference AnsweringRaison d’être: Finding the AnswersRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works CitedPart II Introduction to Major Reference Sources4 Answering Questions about Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Libraries and Publishing, and Bibliographic Networks—Bibliographic ResourcesOverviewMajor Bibliographic Resources Used in Reference WorkCollection Development and MaintenanceFurther ConsiderationsRecommended Resources Discussed in This ChapterRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited5 Answering Questions about Anything and Everything—EncyclopediasOverviewMajor Encyclopedic Resources Used in Reference WorkCollection Development and MaintenanceFurther ConsiderationsRecommended Resources Discussed in This ChapterRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited6 Answering Questions That Require Handy Facts—Ready Reference SourcesOverviewMajor Ready Reference Resources Used in Reference WorkCollection Development and MaintenanceFurther ConsiderationsRecommended Resources Discussed in This ChapterRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited7 Answering Questions about Words—Dictionaries, Concordances, and ManualsOverviewMajor Dictionaries Used in Reference WorkCollection Development and MaintenanceFurther ConsiderationsFinal ThoughtsRecommended Resources Discussed in This ChapterRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited8 Answering Questions about Events and Issues, Past and Present—Databases (and Indexes)OverviewMajor Databases Used in Reference WorkCollection Development and MaintenanceFurther ConsiderationsFinal ThoughtsRecommended Resources Discussed in This ChapterRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited9 Answering Questions about Health, Law, and Business—Special Guidelines and SourcesOverviewMajor Health Resources Used in Reference WorkMajor Legal Resources Used in Reference WorkMajor Business Resources Used in Reference WorkCollection Development and MaintenanceFurther ConsiderationsRecommended Resources Discussed in This ChapterRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited10 Answering Questions about Geography, Countries, and Travel—Atlases, Gazetteers, Maps, Geographic Information Systems, and Travel GuidesOverviewMajor Geographic Information Resources Used in Reference WorkCollection Development and MaintenanceFurther ConsiderationsRecommended Resources Discussed in This ChapterRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited11 Answering Questions about the Lives of People—Biographical Information SourcesOverviewMajor Biographical Resources Used in Reference WorkCollection Development and MaintenanceFurther ConsiderationsRecommended Resources Discussed in This ChapterRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited12 Answering Questions about Government and Related Issues—Government Information SourcesOverviewMajor Government Publication Resources Used in Reference WorkCollection Development and MaintenanceFurther ConsiderationsRecommended Resources Discussed in This ChapterRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works CitedPart III Special Topics in Reference and Information Work13 When and How to Use the Internet as a Reference ToolThe FactsThe PuzzleThe solutionNature of Internet ReferenceFive Steps to Successful Internet ReferenceRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited14 Readers’ Advisory ServicesCindy OrrIntroductionHistory of Readers’ Advisory ServiceCurrent Status and Importance of RANuts and Bolts—the Readers’ Advisory InterviewCommon Mistakes and Best PracticesKey Works and Tools for Readers’ AdvisoryIndirect RAKeeping CurrentConclusionRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited15 Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young AdultsMeghan HarperIntroductionHistory and Overview of Reference Services for Youth in AmericaTypes of Reference Service Transactions for Youth in LibrariesCommunication in Reference ServiceDigital Reference ServicesEvaluating Reference Services to YouthManaging Reference Services for YouthThe Future of Reference Services for YouthRecommended Core Reference Collection ResourcesBibliography and Works Cited16 Information Literacy in the Reference DepartmentStandards for Information LiteracyApproaches to Information LiteracyInformation Literacy by Type of LibrarySocial and Ethical Uses of InformationOne-on-one InstructionInformation Literacy in a Classroom SettingImpact of New Technology on the Teaching of Information LiteracyAssessment and Evaluation of Information LiteracyInformation-seeking BehaviorFurther ConsiderationsRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works CitedPart IV Developing and Managing Reference Collections and Services17 Selecting and Evaluating Reference MaterialsIdentifying, Selecting, and Evaluating New Reference MaterialsManagement of the Reference BudgetOngoing Assessment of Reference CollectionsWeeding the Reference CollectionWriting a Reference Collection Development PolicyPromoting and Marketing Reference Materials to Library UsersRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited18 Ethics in ReferenceAngela EcklundOur Professional Codes of EthicsService Ethics (aka Doing a Good Job)Equitable Access to InformationConfidentialityConflicts of InterestCopyright and Intellectual Property RightsIntellectual Freedom and Human RightsBibliography and Works Cited19 Managing Reference DepartmentsOf Car Designs and Learning StylesOrganizing Reference DepartmentsOrganizing StaffManaging Service DeliveryNew RolesFurther ConsiderationsRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited20 Assessing and Improving Reference ServicesWhy AssessWhat to AssessHow to AssessActing on AssessmentsOngoing Assessments: An ImperativeRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited21 Reference 2.0Changing Vocabulary Attests to Changing TimesWhat is the 2.0 Universe?Cooperative Content CreationSocial NetworkingCustomizationSeamlessnessConcluding Remarks: the Tree of 2.0 KnowledgeRecommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works Cited22 The Future of Information ServiceNew Ways of Doing Business—Reference 2.0Providing New Materials and FormatsProviding New Service ModelsWhat Will Librarians do? Competencies NeededPlanning the FutureWhat Will the Future of Reference Look Like?Does Reference Have a Future?Recommendations for Further ReadingBibliography and Works CitedAppendix: RUSA Outstanding Reference Sources 2007–2012Index of Reference ResourcesSubject IndexAbout the Authors and Contributors

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, includingNew chapters on ethics, readers’ advisory, and reference services for children and young adultsWebsite development and maintenanceRSS feedsSocial networkingDelivering 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 the 21st century.