Reference and Information Services: An Introduction(Library and Information Science Text Series)

This revised and updated sixth edition of Reference and Information Services continues the book's rich tradition, covering all phases of reference and information services with less emphasis on print and more emphasis on strategies and scenarios. Reference and Information Services is the go-to textbook for MSLIS and i-School courses on reference services and related topics. It is also a helpful handbook for practitioners. Authors include LIS faculty and professionals who have relevant degrees in their areas and who have published extensively on their topics. The first half of the book provides an overview of reference services and techniques for service provision, including the reference interview, ethics, instruction, evaluation and assessment, and services to diverse populations including children. This part of the book establishes a foundation of knowledge on reference service and frames each topic with ethical and social justice perspectives. The second part of the book offers an overview of the information life cycle and dissemination of information, followed by an in-depth examination of information sources by type—including dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes, and abstracts—as well as by broad subject areas including government, statistics and data, health, and legal information. This second part introduces the tools and resources that reference professionals use to provide the services described in the first half of the text.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Linda C. Smith Preface Acknowledgments Part I: Concepts and Processes 1—History and Functions of Reference Service Dave A. Tyckoson 2—Ethics Emily J. M. Knox 3—The Reference Interview Laura Saunders 4—Instructional Strategies for the Reference Interview Susan Avery 5—Consortia and Cooperation Kelly Jo Woodside 6—Models of Reference Services Lili Luo 7—Management of Reference Services JoAnn Jacoby, M. Kathleen Kern, and Lesley K. Mackie 8—Evaluation and Assessment of Reference Services Laura Saunders 9—Training and Professional Development Piper Martin and Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe 10—Marketing and Promotion of Reference Services Cassandra Graesser and Lillian Sundell-Thomas 11—Reference Services for Children and Young Adults Amy S. Pattee 12—Reference Services for Diverse Populations Nicole A. Cooke Part II: Information Sources and Their Use 13—Introduction to Information Creation and Dissemination Laura Saunders and Melissa A. Wong 14—Selection and Evaluation of Reference Sources Carol A. Singer 15—Licensing and Managing Electronic Resources Michael Rodriguez 16—Search Strategies for Online Sources Melissa A. Wong 17—Ready-Reference Sources Opetoritse A. Adefolalu 18—Dictionaries Stephanie Davis-Kahl 19—Encyclopedias Melissa A. Wong 20—Bibliographic Sources Linda C. Smith 21—Readers' Advisory Services and Sources Neal Wyatt 22—Indexes and Abstracts Linda C. Smith 23—News Sources Barbara A. Alvarez 24—Geographical Sources Matthew D. MacKellar 25—Biographical and Genealogical Sources Jeanne Holba Puacz 26—Government Information Sarah Erekson 27—Data and Statistical Sources Celina Nichols McDonald 28—Business Sources Celia Ross 29—Health and Medicine Sources Maura Sostack and Rebecca Davis 30—Primary and Archival Sources Shelley Sweeney 31—Legal Sources Paul D. Healey Part III: The Future of Reference Service 32—Creating the Future of Reference Service Amy VanScoy Index About the Contributors About the Editors

About the Author :
Melissa A. Wong has been an online instructor for the University of Illinois since 2001, teaching courses in reference, instruction, management, and academic librarianship. Laura Saunders is associate professor at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science, teaching in the areas of reference, instruction, and academic libraries.

Review :
Essential reading for all librarians, particularly those with a concentration in reference and bibliographic instruction. This thorough overview goes into working in a reference department in a variety of different types of libraries. Though the previous edition is only four years old, this sixth edition is a notable and useful upgrade because of its focus on serving diverse populations.