Reference and Information Services: An Introduction

by Linda C. Smith (Editor)

Thoroughly updated, this is the essential guide to one of the most fundamental fields in the library profession. It links you—and through you, your patrons—to the significant changes that have occurred in reference and information sciences with emphasis on the growth of digital content.

• Provides a comprehensive text edited by two highly regarded experts in reference and academic librarianship, Linda C. Smith and Melissa A. Wong, with chapters written by some of the best minds in the library science field

• Includes newly updated information that reflects today's realities in reference service with an indication of how reference service may be provided to meet changing patron needs 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 staff training or in student course packs

Genres: Nonfiction, Library Science, Reference, School, Textbooks, Librarianship, Grad School

893 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Marta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can this book get any duller or drier? It's printed Ambien, guaranteed to put you to sleep. Perhaps a lively update would help, but I highly doubt it.

[Lindsay]

020

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Textbook for school. Did the trick.

[SaraKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a textbook, it wasn't terribly boring. I read the entire thing--even the few chapters that weren't assigned, because there was interesting information. The health, legal, and government information chapters were especially interesting since that is the kind of information I can use even if I'm not a reference librarian. The main point of a reference librarian's existence is summarized on p. 23:

Reference librarians know how to search and how to evaluate information. We understand how to judge which sources are credible, and we know search techniques that find resources that simple searching cannot. We know how to determine an author's biases. We know how to identify the underlying political aspects of a document. And we never tell anyone else what we helped you with.

This book focuses on the skills and structures of a reference librarian--not general librarianship, but it covered the theory, the rationale, the structures, the types of sources and how to evaluate and select them, how to market the services and design them, and the future of reference libraries of all types. This is a great book to keep as reference for the reference librarian or student since it is full of chapters about collection development guidelines, tables, and other useful features. Much of it, I won't use anytime soon, but I can see the information that I starred and marked with tags being useful in the future as I get into different work situations.
I also enjoyed the box of text on p. 269 that speaks to the job stress that reference librarians encounter:

Some experts suggest that jobs with a high emotional labor content, jobs where the performer's persona goes on the line time and time again at the customer interface, should be treated as combat. And like combat soldiers, people in high-stress service jobs need to be rotated off the front line frequently-- and sometimes permanently. As one expert puts it, "In Vietnam we knew come hell or high water, that after so many months, we were out of there. You need to do that for service people. They have to know there is a light at the end of that tunnel-- and it isn't from an oncoming train.

This excerpt is so true. I think that is why so many teachers count down to the end of the school year or the next break--not because we don't like teaching (I can't really imagine doing something else), but because the emotional requirement is so intense that we need that time to reboot and gather our strength. I think this rings true for a lot of service professions as well, since working with the public--especially in areas that have upset public a lot-- can be stressful.

Another box on p. 331 resonated with me as a teacher.

Don't blow it. ... If you mess up or only put forth halfhearted effort for a simple homework request there's no way that teen is coming back to ask you about how to write an essay that will get them into the college of their dreams, or how to find resources on their life's great passion for surfing, or how to get out of an abusive relationship. Every interaction we have with teens is an opportunity to make a difference in their lives, either by being the one person that smiled at them today or being the one to give them the perfect resource for their paper. All of it matters. Every day.

This is true for all businesses, but the stakes are higher with young people and we can change their lives forever for good or bad.

And of course, on the lighter side, the joke on p. 423 about Boolean searching made me giggle. "If you send a reference librarian to the store with a Boolean list of "sugar" and "flour" and "eggs," you will get a cookie." he he he

[Lou]

Good solid reference work on Reference! If you get your MLIS, you will be assigned this book. Lays it all out on the line in clear, precise prose.

[Amy Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in preparation for the first year of my library science degree (and, not to mention, it was part of my required reading).  I can see why this book is the perfect tome for beginner librarians to read--it covers just about every subject about reference services imaginable, and is updated fairly often (the most recent 5th edition was published in 2016).  

With the help of different authors, diagrams, and topics, this book lays everything out at a manageable level, where different writing styles are employed and various learning styles are offered.  I'm excited to see what we do with the information from this textbook in my class, and would definitely recommend this to those who are already librarians (though that may be a bit redundant), or to those who are thinking about going into library science.

Get the full review here!

[Martin Maenza · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text was a bit of a mixed bag when used for my class. Half the material really serves as a reference source for various types of reference sources - and thus not the easiest material to be tested on. The most useful and critical chapter was the one that outlines the very important Reference Interview process.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful for those looking into librarianship in reference services. Almost a must for anyone thinking of going into the field

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dry, but packed with helpful information.

[Rooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is the most scintillating book ever? No. Will I be using it to find information for the rest of my life? Probably yes.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read all of it but two chapters. Let's call it done.

It did its job as a textbook.

[Kate Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

It probably seems a little weird to review a textbook, but I appreciated the down to earth tone/style and the clear cut helpful hints.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some chapters were interesting but the many chapters about specific types of resources are repetitive and dense.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustive. A bit dry, which makes reading less enjoyable, but on the whole a great comprehensive effort. This book is worth looking at for the source lists alone.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not the worst textbook that I've read.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The basic information is solid, but this edition is quite obsolete. I only read this ed. because it was what our professor wanted us to use. If you have a choice, seek out the newer edition. ;)

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really useful resource for people going into reference or IS specialists interested in learning some basics in Information Services. I decided to purchase this book when I was doing digital literacy and information services work with small-scale non-profit organizations. Super relevant to the field today, even if you work outside the traditional library setting.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is why I hate reading text books, I seriously had to reward myself for making it through like 4 pages at a time and not falling asleep or letting my mind wander! Good luck if you are assigned this book.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't much enjoy my Reference course, but I will admit that the textbook had some merits - moreso than most books written in the field of Library and Information Science, in fact. It's not exactly a fun read, and it does get repetitive at times, but it also is - drumroll please - a great reference work. Although the resources listed are a little out of date (and many things that weren't digital and easily searched when it was printed are now), it gives details on a surprisingly wide-range of reference works and their possible applications. The 2 indexes in the back are good starting points to find out the names of useful basic resources, from Encyclopedias to databases, and from atlases to census reports. The reference librarian who needs more specific information will of course want more training than just this book can offer, but it will generally keep you out of hot water in fielding the (should be) easy questions.

[Stefanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for a Reference and Info Services class in graduate school. This is a good foundational resource for those preparing to go into Librarianship or an Information Profession that requires access to authority sources of information at a variety of levels. Excellent recommendations of ideal resources both in print and electronic for all kinds of information needs. Also many chapters regarding operations of reference within a library or info center. This book serves as a good practical read to develop your base knowledge into strategic thinking about how to provide information services to those who need it.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will retain this book as a reference. A reference book about reference; I never would have expected that. However, it will have it's uses from time to time. As a more thorough (and expensive) reference, I would recommend the Taylor & Francis Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Third Edition.

Until further notice, I'm reading this book, and a whole lot of library & information science journal articles. Grad school can be fun, but pleasure reading is on hold. :( Update: This course was completed in December 2011!

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second part of the book describes different kinds of reference resources and how best to use them; for example, there is a chapter on dictionaries, a chapter on almanacs, etc. I thought that was going to be dry as sand... reading about dictionaries?! Turns out, that was may favorite part. The first half of the book is about reference service, history, ethics, the reference interview, instruction and of course search strategies plus other topics. I expected that to be enlightening and it was. This is a textbook I expect I will be turning to in the future.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A required text for LS 500, a Reference and Information class. While it had some useful information, such as the Reference Interview, most of this was confined to the pop-out boxes interspersed throughout the chapters. Some of the information is dated though it is a fairly new (2011) book. Reference Services are quickly taking a leap into the 21st century, but this text focused heavily on print information and reference.

[Tayler K · Rating 2 out of 5]

LIS 621
Assigned: 1,058 pages
Textbook: 565 pages (total book without the additional materials)
Articles: 456 pages
Lectures: 37 pages

Read: 674 pages
Textbook: 367 pages (Ch 1, 3-8, 10, 11, 13-15, 17, 19-21)
Articles: 234 pages
Lectures: 37 pages

LIS 630
No textbook
Assigned: 532 pages
Required Articles: 154
Optional Articles: 155
Lectures: 223 pages

Read: 416 pages
Required Articles: 154
Optional Articles: 39
Lectures: 223 pages

[Anna Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A VERY thorough description of tools (indexes, bibliographies, encyclopedias) to be used as a Reference Librarian. The chapters were lengthy and full of detail. I'll be keeping this one on my shelf as I'm pretty sure I've only retained 5% of what this book had to offer - and I've retained a lot. There was just TOO much. So it's a keeper :)

[Amy Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the fourth edition. I thought it gave a nice overview of the LIS profession, and it is excellent for someone who's just getting started in the field. I used this in two of my first LIS courses, and I've referred back to it several times. Of particular interest is the Tyckoson article in the very beginning and the articles about reference source types at the end.

[Tommy /|\ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Precisely what the text says it is...its an Introduction to Reference and Information Services in a library setting. The material is not all-inclusive, nor should it be. With information services and technologies constantly changing - and user needs and requests methods constantly changing, mutating and evolving - this will never be a be-all, end-all text. But its an excellent starting point.

[Angie]

Finished! ...well, as finished as I'm ever going to be. Covers the scope of the field of library science, specifically the topics of (surprise, surprise!) reference and information. This is definitely a great resource for library school, but other than that I can't imagine a single person outside that demographic ever deliberately cracking these covers. Fin.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there is some useful information here, for the most part this is a boring, dry, and, at times, out-dated textbook. Much of the information is also self-evident, such as the fact that encyclopedias are a reference source. No kidding. I read this for a class on reference services; as much as I enjoyed the class itself, I do wish this textbook were at least somewhat engaging. Dry, dry, dry.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers library reference work in extensive detail. I appreciate this introduction to the field and am generally glad I read it. It is dry textbook reading, however, and has little to offer in way of style. It tends toward the abstract, rather than providing a how-to for reference service.