Crash Course in Contemporary Reference

Introduction
Chapter 1-An Overview of Professional Library Reference Service
What Makes Reference Work a Professional Job?
Reference Work Adds Library Value to Your Community
Reference Service as Authority-Based
Reference Service as Lifelong Learning Support
Reference Service as Supporting Civic Engagement
Recognizing Formal Reference Questions
Responding to Reference Needs
Communication
Resource Awareness
Question-Specific Evaluation
Just-in-Time Teaching
Passive and Indirect Reference Guidance
Notes
Chapter 2-Communication and Reference Work
Communication Is Dynamic
Take Responsibility for Good Communication
Tips for Optimizing Successful Communication
The Reference Interview
Identifying the Information Gap: Establishing the Question
The Power of Open-Ended Questions
Clarifying What Is Being Said
Verify
Identifying Contextual Details
Completing the Interview
Follow-Up
Referring a Question
"No" Should Never Be the Final Answer
Before Making a Referral
Types of Referral
Providing the Results of a Referral, Including an Interlibrary Loan
Personalities and Behavioral Considerations
RUSA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance
Guidelines for Specific Age Demographics
Guidelines for Specific Subject Areas of Inquiry
Handling Communication Challenges
Linguistic Challenges
Communication Challenges Arising from Minimized Physical or Intellectual Capacities
A Not So Final Word on Communication
Notes
Chapter 3-Professional Ethics of Reference Service
Professional Codes of Ethics
ALA's Code of Ethics
Ethics and Reference Services to Special Populations
Ethical Reference Practices
Useful Resource Organization Is an Ethical Matter
Equitable Service Policies
Equitable Access
Accurate, Unbiased, and Courteous Responses to All Requests
Intellectual Freedom
Privacy
Confidentiality
Respect for Intellectual Property Rights
Treatment of Coworkers
Distinguishing between Personal Convictions and Professional Duties
Practicing Professional Development and Supporting It in Others
Reference Services and the Law
Children's Internet Protection Act
The Current Status of the USA PATRIOT Act
Laws and Ethics with Mutually Supported Ends
Disability as a Legal Status
Copyright and Fair Use
Other Ethical Codes of Interest to Reference Staff
Notes
Chapter 4-Building and Maintaining a Reference Collection
Know Your Community
Budget
Reference Sources Should Include a Variety of Format Types
Print and Bound Materials, Including Books and Pamphlets
Subscription Databases
Multimedia Formats
Make Use of Standard Selection Aids
Strive for Balance of Subject Area Development
Identifying Experts as Development Resources
Maintain the Reference Collection, Not Necessarily Its Material Pieces
Evaluating Reference Sources
Print
Databases
The Open Web
Standing Orders and Subscriptions
Multimedia
Community Agencies and Experts
Notes
Chapter 5-Organizing Print and Electronic Reference Sources
Understanding Organization within Traditional Books
Searching Print Reference Sources
Bibliographies
Indexes and Abstracts
Dictionaries
Encyclopedias
Almanacs
Directories
Handbooks and Manuals
Atlases
Using Children's Nonfiction as Reference Resources
Online Resource Structures
Databases Accessible through Internet Connections
Websites
Locating Websites for Reference Work
From Analysis of the Information Need to Web Searching Structure
Evaluating a Website's Authority
Resources Intended to Guide Reference Staff to More Resources
Notes
Chapter 6-Library Catalogs and Bibliographies
The Online Catalog Is a Database
Searching the Catalog
Documentation of e-Resources in the Local Catalog
Using the Catalog as an Information Resource in Itself
OCLC WorldCat
Teaching Others Efficient Use of the Library Catalog
Union Catalogs
Bibliographies as Information Finding Aids
Trade Bibliographies: What's Available to Acquire?
Subject Bibliographies
Where We Go from Here
Notes
Chapter 7-Understanding the Role of Serials in Knowledge Publishing
Serials and Reference Concerns
Newspapers
Magazines
Journals
Annuals
Catalogs
Subscription Databases and Periodical Access
Understanding Embargoes
Commercial Periodical Database Purchase Decisions
Using Archival Serials Sources
Microforms: Fiche, Film, and the Machines to Read Them
Digitized Collections
Because We Can't Know Something about Everything
Note
Chapter 8-Background Information and Definitions: Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
Encyclopedias
General Commercial Encyclopedias for Adults
Wikipedia
General Encyclopedias for Younger Teens and Children
Subject Encyclopedias
Dictionaries and Usage Guides That Treat English and Other Languages
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
Other Authoritative English Language Dictionaries
Dictionaries Documenting Other Languages
Formal English Usage Guidance
Dictionaries for Children
Subject Dictionaries and Subject Thesauri
Where We Are Going Next
Notes
Chapter 9-Finding Facts Fast: Ready Reference
Data Traditionally Delivered through General Almanacs
Directories
Telephone Directories
Business Directories
Locating Literary Quotations
Handbooks and Manuals for Quick Facts
Facts about Countries and Cultures
Maps and Giving Directions
Statistics and Conversion Tables
Authoritative Breaking News Sources
Local Government Information
Mobile Apps
Notes
Chapter 10-Using the Web to Guide Your Community to Authoritative Information
The Web as a Reference Tool
Finding and Using Free Web Sources
The Web Is a Fluid Collection
Search Engines
Constructing a Good Search
Evaluating Search Results
Searching for Web-Based Reference Support
Experts' Sites
Searching Blogs
Digital Collections from World Libraries
The Reference Section of the Library's Website
Seasonal Resources
Notes
Chapter 11-Reference Service Delivery Models
New Tools
Evaluating Reference Services
In-House Models
Single-Point Service Desks
Roving Reference Staff
Interactive Reference Services Online
Formal Readers Advisory
Community-Based Delivery Models
Deploying Reference Staff Outside the Library Building
Reference Staff Presence at Community Events
Taking Reference Support into the Community
Publishing and Other Production Support
Supporting Civic Engagement through Reference Programming
Building Community Archives through Crowdsourcing
Notes
Chapter 12-Networking and Professional Development
Professional Development Technologies
Webinars
Web-Based Course Participation
E-Mail Lists
Using Professional Blogs
Twitter
Networking with the Local Community
Reference Staff's Role in the Local Community
Networking with Other Libraries and Library Staff
State Libraries, Regional Consortia, and Local Systems
Professional Association Membership
Reference Staff Training
Beyond Formal Instruction
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author