In the library world, there seems to be a fundamental conflict between reference and readers' advisory (RA). But in fact, the two are similar in approach, an insight that goes back to James Wyer's 1930 "Reference Work: A Textbook for Students of Library Work and Librarians." It defined the reference librarian as a mediator of information, answering questions that involve three factors: (1) an inquirer (or reader); (2) a librarian; and (3) a source of materials. That's exactly how RA works as well, at the intersection of reader, librarian, and the collection. With the growth of the Internet, as patrons look to librarians to answer different kinds of questions, public libraries nationwide are reconsidering the role of public service librarians. Often the result is a change of duties and responsibilities that places staff in unfamiliar and unsettling territory. This is a fundamental shift not from reference to RA, but an integration of the two that strengthens both.