Results by title

Based on the latest research in communication theory but tailored specifically for real-world application, this updated manual speaks equally to the needs of students preparing to enter the profession and those who are already fielding reference inquiries. The authors, working in consultation with a stellar advisory board of scholars and practitioners, present a convenient and comprehensive resource that will teach you how to understand the needs of public, academic, and special library users across any virtual setting—including email, text messaging, and social media—as well as in traditional and face-to-face models of communication. Packed with exercises and examples to help you practice effective reference transactions and avoid common pitfalls, this book

• tackles the fundamentals of the reference interview, from why it’s important in the first place to methods for setting the stage for a successful interview and techniques for finding out what the library user really wants to know;
• covers the ins and outs of the readers’ advisory interview;
• examines a wide range of contexts, such as children, young adults, parents, seniors, adults from diverse communities, and those with disabilities;
• presents case studies of innovative reference and user encounters at a variety of libraries;
• offers updated coverage of virtual reference, including new research, virtual reality transcripts, and a look at crowd-sourcing reference via social media;
• features new content on common microaggressions, with guidance on how to use awareness of emotion as a factor in reference interactions to ensure better outcomes;
• discusses topics such as respecting/protecting privacy, overcoming assumptions, implicit judgment, the importance of context, determining the real information need, and many other lessons learned from challenging reference encounters; and
• thoroughly addresses policy and training procedures, as well as the unique challenges faced by paraprofessionals and non-degreed staff.

Find your bearings in the continually evolving hybrid reference environment through proven strategies, advice, exercises, and research from three experts in the field.

Cheryl Oestreicher is the head of Special Collections and Archives and associate professor at Boise State University. She has a PhD in modern history and literature from Drew University and an MLIS from Dominican University. She previously worked at Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History at Emory University, the University of Chicago, Drew University, and Princeton University. Oestreicher has taught introduction to archives, archives management, reference, and research methods at Georgia State University, Clayton State University, and Boise State University. She has been actively involved in SAA by serving on the Publications Board, Manuscripts Section Steering Committee, 2016 Annual Meeting Program as co-chair, and the SAA-ACRL/RBMS Joint Task Force to Revise Statement on Access. She was the 2015 recipient of the Emerging Leaders Award. For the Academy of Certified archivists, she was a member of the Recertification Review Task Force and Nominating Committee, and serves on the Exam Development Committee focusing on Domain 3: Reference Services and Access. She has served as a grant reviewer for the Council on Library and Information Resources, National Historical Publications and Records Commission, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She is a former editor of Provenance, the journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists.

From the ongoing flood of misinformation to the swift changes occasioned by the pandemic, a myriad of factors is spurring our profession to rethink reference services. Luckily, this classic text is back in a newly overhauled edition that thoughtfully addresses the evolving reference landscape. Designed to complement every introductory library reference course, Cassell and Hiremath's book also serves as the perfect resource to guide current practitioners in their day-to-day work. It teaches failsafe methods for identifying important materials by matching specific types of questions to the best available sources, regardless of format. Guided by a national advisory board of educators and experts, this thoroughly updated text presents chapters covering fundamental concepts, major reference sources, and special topics while also offering fresh insights on timely issues, including

• a basic template for the skills required and expectations demanded of the reference librarian;
• the pandemic’s effect on reference services and how the ingenuity employed by libraries in providing remote and virtual reference is here to stay;
• a new chapter dedicated to health information, with a special focus on health equity and information sources;
• selecting and evaluating reference materials, with strategies for keeping up to date;
• a heightened emphasis on techniques for evaluating sources for misinformation and ways to give library users the tools to discern facts vs. “fake facts”;
• reference as programming, readers’ advisory services, developmentally appropriate material for children and young adults, and information literacy;
• evidence-based guidance on handling microaggressions in reference interactions, featuring discussions of cultural humility and competence alongside recommended resources on implicit bias;
• managing, assessing, and improving reference services; and
• the future of information and reference services, encapsulating existing models, materials, and services to project possible evolutions in the dynamic world of reference