Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: An Introduction

Citation

Petrauskienė, Ž. (2007), "Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: An Introduction", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 63 No. 4, pp. 590-592. https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410710759020

Libraries all over the world are under an obligation to provide reference and information service to users. This activity is associated with the libraries' individual missions. The aim of this activity is to support the demands – educational, scientific, personal, economic, social, etc. – of members of their communities. Reference and information services in libraries embrace a variety of forms including direct personal assistance, reader's advisory service, dissemination of information according to user needs or interests, access to electronic information, etc. Each library must develop reference and information services adjusted to the needs of its users. These services should take into account the information‐seeking behaviour, information needs, and service expectations of the library users. Libraries of various types in various countries have specific purposes, and operate in various ways, in providing reference and information services. The authors have succeeded in attempting to write a book which could be relevant to every library, and which summarizes the main features of reference and information services.

The authors of the book Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: an Introduction hold different positions in professional life. Kay Ann Cassell is an Assistant Professor in a School of Communitation; academic, scientist, theorist. Formerly she has worked in academic and public libraries as a reference librarian and as a library director. Uma Hiremath is Principal Librarian and Head of Reference Services at a Public Library; professional librarian, practitioner. These position differences have a positive effect on the content of the book. This combination of authors – academic and practitioner, theoretical and professional viewpoint – provides a good balance of a scientific and theoretical view of reference and information service, harmonizing well with a practical and professional view.

The book is structured logically and deliberately; the subject matter is laid consistently, professionally and clearly. In the preface of the book main purposes and structure are described. The authors indicate three main objectives of the book (p. x in the preface):

1. 1.

   to introduce the reader to the broad world of reference and information service;

2. 2.

   to serve as a ready resource for working reference librarians; and

3. 3.

   to provide the profession with a current overview of what reference service encompasses in today‘s changing word.

The book consists of four main parts, which analyze the principal subjects. Each of these parts consists of chapters (there are 20 chapters in all), that cover separate questions of the main subject. At the end of each chapter there are recommendations for further reading, and at the end of the book there is a Subject Index and an Index of Reference Resources Described.

The first part, Fundamental Concepts, summarizes the main roles and actions of reference and information service. In this part, the authors provide readers with a brief history of reference service and indicate main points of this activity. According to the authors, the reference process “is, and always will be, predicated on contact and communication, even in times of change” (p. x). The statement “reference interview is more an art than a science” (p. 15) is really truthful. Each reference librarian should learn the elements of the good reference interview, to recognize a user's needs. It is very difficult to describe all this process theoretically, but the book manages to accomplish this task successfully. In this part one can find recommendations on how to develop a strategy for a particular request and how to find the right solution in a particular situation.

The second part, Introduction to Major reference sources, according to authors, is “perhaps the most important section of this book”. The topics in this part comprise the bulk of the whole book. Each of the chapters in this part is dedicated to describing specific questions on specific subjects. One can find advice on how to select relevant solutions, on answering questions on different topics and on what sources may be used in each case. In this part of the book, these issues are discussed for specific topics, such as: books, magazines, newspapers, libraries; facts; current events and issues; health, law, and business; geography, countries, and travel; lives of people; and governments. Each chapter is uniformly structured, so one can easily find there an overview of reference materials and how they are used in answering particular requests. Fundamental print, electronic, and web‐based resources useful for specific queries are described.

The third part of the book, Special Topics in Reference and Information Work, describes specific aspects of the activity. One of the topics is the Internet as a reference source and advises when and how to use Internet as a reference tool. This chapter offers five steps to successful using Internet resources: step 1: evaluation as to whether the Internet is the right medium; step 2: selection of the right Internet tool; step 3: construction of the most effective search strategy; step 4: consideration of the most effective search operations; step 5: evaluation of the search results.

The second topic, authored by Mary K. Chelton, deals with reader‘s advisory work. She describes the most usual sorts of readers’ advisory queries, recommends a “top ten” readers’ advisory tools, and introduces the most typical mistakes librarians make in the readers' advisory process. The other topic by the same author relates to a special reference audience – children and young adults. It describes information literacy instruction, information‐seeking behaviour, and other issues, and discusses common problems in work with young people. “Reference work is more than simply answering questions – it can also be learning experience for both the patron and the professional”: following this remark the importance of information literacy and instructions is described, as are social and ethical uses of information.

Part four is devoted to discussion of the development and management of reference collections and services. It describes how to identify, select and evaluate reference sources, what evaluation criteria should be used, and how to manage and maximise the library‘s reference budget. The importance of a reference collection development policy, and of the promotion of reference materials to the library‘s users, and to library staff themselves, is emphasised. Useful material is offered in this chapter about managing reference departments: dealing with staff, changing paradigms in reference department management, and the management of service delivery.

Despite the unwritten postulate that libraries “like Mom and apple pie, will always be there” (p. 315), the assessment and improvement of reference services should be essential and continuing condition for libraries. Three basic aspects should be assessed: the reference collection, reference staff and reference services. A variety of instruments could be used there: suggestion boxes, observation, surveys, focus groups, case studies, etc. All these forms and methods of evaluating and improving reference services are described in this part of the book.

Finally the authors forecast the future of information services in libraries. New technologies, new types of resources, progress in science, culture, and social life, and the growth of collaboration, all motivate the birth of new generation of users and services. It changes the role of the librarians and the nature of reference and information services. Does reference have a future? Yes, if it is to be the sum of “high tech and high touch” (p. 345).

The work has positive significance. The broad spectrum of topics analysed is the main value of the book, as well as its success in giving the reader an outlook to the future activities in information and reference work. The topic, and the contents of the book, determine that the possible audience will be wide. This book could be useful not only for professional librarians and information specialists, whose activities are associated with reference and information service. The book is strongly recommended for students and lecturers of library and information science as well.