Reference and Information Services: An Introduction

(Hardback, 6th edition)

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Description

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 typeincluding dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes, and abstractsas 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.

Reviews

Essential reading for all librarians, particularly those with a concentration in reference and bibliographic instruction. * Library Journal Starred Review *
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. * Booklist Online *

Author Bio

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.