Philosophies of reference service

Author(s)

    • Hales-Mabry, Celia

Bibliographic Information

Philosophies of reference service

Celia Hales Mabry, editor

Haworth Press, c1997

Uniform Title

Reference librarian

Available at  / 4 libraries

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Note

Published also as no. 59, 1997 of The Reference Librarian

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

In Philosophies of Reference Service, reference librarians share with you their reflective thinking about what they do as service providers. An important addition to the personal and occupational library of anyone in reference services, this book discusses the origins of reference service, its founding principles, the pleasures and pitfalls of the reference encounter, delivering high-quality service, and much, much more!In a clever juxtaposition of the fundamentals of reference service provision with top-notch thinking about the role of the reference librarian and what makes a reference unit effective, Philosophies of Reference Service advocates for continuing familiarity with books in the reference section, recognizing the diversity of service users, and using collegiality in the work environment to boost productivity. It discusses why reference service should move toward instructing people in mediums, not systems, as well as: achieving consistency in reference service through "shared values" the concept of tiered reference services (based on survey research) the little-discussed "art" of reference desk scheduling the importance of knowing your user and making appropriate accommodations partnerships in reference services techniques for conducting reference rovering the advantages of print fostering widely grounded research through reference service why reference librarians share with the corporate world many of the same desired outcomes with regard to service provisionDesigned to assist readers in defining and developing their own approaches to reference service delivery, Philosophies of Reference Service offers reference librarians insight, practical knowledge, and guidelines for keeping on top of new reference techniques, establishing a partnership between the library and the user population, and maximizing the helpful nature of reference service.

Table of Contents

Contents Introduction What We Do: Reaffirming the Founding Principles of Reference Services Forming a Reference Philosophy: The Role of Shared Values Tiered Reference Services: A Survey Eight Days a Week: The Art of Reference Desk Scheduling Management by Wandering Around: Reference Rovering and Quality Reference Service Pleasures and Pitfalls That Can Make or Break a Reference Encounter Making the Right Assumptions: Know Your User and Improve the Reference Interview Librarians and the Art of Helping Leveraging the Wave: The Role of Today's Academic Reference Librarian Techno Reference: Impact of Electronic Reference Resources on Traditional Reference Services Tears Live in an Onion Surfing the Stacks in an Electronic Age The Human Side of Reference in an Era of Technology Scheduling Technical Services Staff at the Reference Desk Crossing the Line: A Cataloger Goes Public Providing Reference Services for Young Adults: School and Public Librarian Partnerships Plays Well with Others, or the Importance of Collegiality Within a Reference Unit From Missionary and Graduate Student to Reference Librarian The Impact of First Careers on "Second Career" Academic Reference Librarians: A Pilot Study Master Reference Librarians for a New Age: A Study of Characteristics and Traits Index Reference Notes Included

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