1 / 16

Information and Reference Services

Information and Reference Services. Dr. Dania Bilal IS 530 Fall 2007. Definitions. Information/reference service: provision of information, guidance, and instruction to users Reference librarians: information specialists and intermediaries between information sources and users.

fiona
Download Presentation

Information and Reference Services

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Information and Reference Services Dr. Dania Bilal IS 530 Fall 2007

  2. Definitions • Information/reference service: • provision of information, guidance, and instruction to users • Reference librarians: • information specialists and intermediaries between information sources and users

  3. Purposes • Assist in meeting user information needs • Educate users in effective access, evaluation, and use of information • Develop and maintain virtal and non-virtual collections to meet user needs

  4. Information Services • Reference • Circulation • Interlibrary loan • Technical services to support access to information • Media digitization • Reserves

  5. Reference Services • User mediation • User guidance • User instruction • Database searching • Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) • Digital/virtual reference • User outreach (Web 2.0) • Other

  6. User Mediation • Identify user information need • Negotiation & mediation of need • Types of user queries • Directional • Factual • Research

  7. User Queries • Directional: location-driven • Factual: known as ready reference • Have target answers; simple • Research: require research to find relevant information sought • No target answers; complex Examples

  8. APTs and Ready Reference Queries • Answer-providing tools (APTs): • almanacs, dictionaries, maps, directories, encyclopedias, atlases, etc. • APTs may be: • print (books, encyclopedias, newspapers, etc.) • electronic (database(s), online catalog(s), Web site(s), etc.)

  9. APTs and Research Queries • Journals, magazines, books, encyclopedias, government documents, theses, etc. • Print and electronic/online

  10. User Instruction • Type of programs: • Orientation/guidance • Web-based tutorials • class-integrated • class-related • One-on-one

  11. Database Searching • Fee-based • Available through commercial vendors such as Dialog • Command-driven and menu-driven • service policies • Not all libraries offer service • Dialog searches performed to users by intermediaries or other specialists

  12. End-User Databases • Menu- rather than command-driven • Web-based, GUI-driven, non command-driven • Type, point and click! • Examples: databases accessible through Hodges Library

  13. Other Services • SDI • Information & Referral • Virtual reference • Chat • Email • Telephone • Web 2.0

  14. Reference and the Community • Who uses the library? • Are libraries competing with bookstores? • What type of users do libraries serve? • Are search engines such as Google competing with library use?

  15. Serving Diverse/Special Groups • Multicultural groups • Refugees • People with disabilities • Other groups?

  16. Information and the Community • Patterns of information seeking: Are they the same across various cultures? • Katz II: pp. 17-19 • What challenges are facing information professionals in the digital age?

More Related