Reference and Information Services : An Introduction

by Kay Ann Cassell, Uma Hiremath

Overview

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, including
*New chapters on ethics, readers' advisory, and reference services for children and young adults
*Website development and maintenance
*RSS feeds
*Social networking
*Delivering reference services across multiple platforms
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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838915684
Publisher:	Ala/Library Video
Publication date:	02/28/2018
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	64,247
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

Editorial Reviews

In Reference And Information Services: An Introduction, Cassell and Hiremath take readers through the basic print tools of reference services, and expand to include twenty-first-century tools. The book begins with chapters explaining reference services, how to decode and understand what your patron is really searching for, and what basic tools should be relied upon for answers. The focus then moves to specific categories of reference questions and resources for those questions, including print media, encyclopedias, ready reference sources, dictionaries, databases, travel, law, health, business, biographical information, and governmental questions. New to the third edition is material pertaining to the Internet as a reference tool. This section includes not only when to use the Internet but also how to evaluate sources to find the best information quickly. The book also includes insightful chapters about the differences in reference services when dealing with young adults and children, as well as the importance of interweaving information literacy with providing patrons with answers to reference questions. Cassell and Hiremath spend the final portion of the book discussing ethics in reference, selection of reference materials, managing reference departments, and the future of reference services, including social networks, website development and maintenance, RSS feeds, and planning for an uncertain future. It is a common belief that all reference information can be easily found on the Internet by any layperson. Cassell and Hiremath dispel this myth by illustrating that finding information is a transferable skill—what one used to search for in print can now be searched for in print and online. Further, patrons still need help navigating these searching waters, maybe even more now than in the past, and librarians providing reference services need to know the best tools to assist their patrons. This third edition includes relevant and timely information for library students as well as professionals in larger academic and public libraries. Reviewer: Charla Hollingsworth

VOYA - Charla Hollingsworth