ISBN-13: 9781440836961

744 pages 7 x 10
2016

Thoroughly updated, this go-to work links you—and though you, your patrons—to the significant changes that have occurred in reference and information sciences thanks to the growth in digital content.

A user favorite through four previous editions, the fifth edition of this classic text remains an ideal resource for anyone seeking to master the latest nuances in reference and information services. Edited by reference authority Linda C. Smith and Melissa A. Wong, the single-volume work is presented in three parts. Part I focuses primarily on new ideas and methods for providing reference service. Part II shares information on how to evaluate and search on electronic sources and also examines the content, structure, and advantages of various types of print and electronic outlets. Part III explores the future of reference services.

The book has been updated throughout to reflect the impact of fast-changing technology and the resulting changes in user behavior. Discussion of virtual/digital reference is now integrated throughout the services chapters, and the book now includes separate chapters on consortia and cooperation; marketing and promotion of reference services; readers' advisory services; business, health, and legal sources; and primary and archival sources. In addition, you'll find more emphasis on responding to the needs of specific populations, including children and young adults.

Features

• Offers a comprehensive text edited by two highly regarded experts in reference and academic librarianship, Linda C. Smith and Melissa A. Wong, and engagingly written by some of the best minds in the library science field
• Provides fully updated information that reflects today's realities in reference service as well as ways in which reference services may be offered in the future
• Encompasses the effective use of print sources, free online sources, and fee-based sources
• Features individual chapters that can be used for in-service trainings or in course packs