Reference services in public libraries are changing dramatically. The Internet, online databases, and shrinking budgets are all making it necessary for non-traditional reference staff to become familiar with online reference tools. Recognizing the need for cross-training, Chesapeake Public Library (CPL) developed a program called the Database…

What is the future direction of reference books? What types of policies are libraries implementing regarding the purchase of electronic reference books? Are libraries still buying hard copy reference items when an electronic equivalent is available? This paper discusses a national survey of libraries regarding the purchase and use of electronic…

Describes reference tools useful for helping library patrons locate educational films. A "Film Search Form" is described which is useful as an aid to systematic film searching. (LLS)

Most municipalities do not have bibliographic control and checklists of their publications. Because of the complexity of the subject, and major obstacles in locating materials of interest to their clientele, reference librarians need to understand the benefits of documents and locate sources for them. (10 references) (Author/DH)

The number of electronic resources has climbed up steadily in recent times. Some of these e-resources are reference sources, mostly in Science, Technology and Medicine (STM), which publishers convert to electronic for obvious reasons. The library budgets for materials usually have two main lines, budget for one time purchase (monographs) and…

A project team was commissioned to gather information which could be used by the Reference Standards Committee of the American Library Association in their development of standards for library reference services. The metropolitan Atlanta area was selected because it includes in an accessible geographical area the entire range of types of…

Argues for the creation of a genealogy and history file in libraries, using the Bristol (Virginia-Tennessee) Public Library experience. As an extension of the library's collection, the file also provides access to the private collections of participants and offers users a means of obtaining selective information quickly and inexpensively. (JD)

Two major sections comprise this first in a projected series of bibliographies and reference works on documentation, libraries, and archives. The series will be published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and is intended to replace UNESCO's series of bibliographical handbooks. Part I of this volume…

Identifying and describing hundreds of the most valuable and up-to-date references for smaller libraries and media centers, this book can help librarians build better reference collections and answer everyday reference questions with confidence. Approximately 500 titles have been selected from "American Reference Books Annual" (Libraries…

Like the first two editions, this third edition is designed primarily to provide the beginning student of library and information science with an overview both of the concepts and processes behind today's reference services and of the most important sources consulted in answering common types of reference questions. The first 12 chapters deal with…

Presents questions for evaluating a media center's reference section, focused on types of resources; reference-material evaluation criteria and items that belong in or are misplaced in the reference section; relocating materials and ensuring use of newly classified materials; and how to collect data on usage of resources. (AEF)

The papers in this lecture series are: "Meeting National and International Library Needs" which describes the work of the National Agricultural Library; "The Library and the Collector: The Newberry Library" which relates the history of and the contributions to the library and concludes that entrepreneurship and hard work are…

This annual review source is designed to assist smaller libraries in the systematic selection of suitable reference materials for their collections. Approximately 500 unabridged reviews, written by over 250 practicing librarians and subject specialists, identify and describe the most useful and affordable reference sources available for small and…

This survey to determine how the library resources in the Buffalo-Niagara area might be utilized in a regional Reference and Research Library Resources (3R's) system studied: (1) area library resources, (2) strength of the libraries at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) and the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library…

This annual review source is a guide for libraries with limited budgets to finding the reference sources that best fit their needs and it also is a source for helping reference librarians advise patrons on information sources. More than 500 reviews, written by over 250 practicing librarians and subject specialists, identify and describe the most…