Argues for more widespread utilization of the U.S. Government Printing Office's Publications Reference File, a reference tool in microfiche format used to answer questions about current U.S. government documents and their availability. Ways to accomplish this task are suggested. (Author/JD)

Reviews the literature on online bibliographic databases for secondary sources in history. The effect of online databases on the reference process is discussed, and the principal databases in the field are introduced. Areas for future research are suggested, and 23 references are listed. (Author/MES)

Guidelines for individual researcher describe bibliographic methods for achieving high standards of quality while maintaining maximum efficiency in each step of all necessary procedures involved in the construction of a bibliography ranging from several hundred to several thousand items. Ways to minimize waste motion and duplication of effort are…

Describes project initiated at Georgia College to provide access to the information in small-town newspapers by developing an index-abstract for the Milledgeville, Georgia, "Southern Recorder" and its successors (1820-present). The nature of the index project, subject terms, funding, and the use of computers are discussed. Seven…

Describes a study that compared pretest to posttest differences among three groups of college freshmen: those who took a traditional library tour, those who had no formal library instruction, and those who used a computer assisted instruction (CAI) program. The results indicate that the CAI program was an effective alternative to traditional…

Guest columnist Paul D. Healey discusses World Wide Web as an Internet reference tool for librarians in adult reference services. Discussion highlights include an examination of Web uses in retrieving hypertext documents, a review of Web uses in law libraries, an analysis of quality control problems, and challenges faced by users. (JMV)

Discusses primary-source legal materials (laws, regulations, court decisions) useful for public libraries. Highlights include a discussion of federal and state branches of government and corresponding publications; tools needed for legal research (digests, annotated codes, "pocket parts"); four levels of legal service; and primary…

Discusses gradual emergence of reference service in today's liberal arts college libraries through a century of changes in the liberal arts curriculum, in teaching methods, faculty attitudes toward librarians, library facilities, and research tools. The relatively recent acceptance of reference service has obscured difficulties early proponents…