Explores aspects of accuracy (in the context of question answering) in reference services. Some factors that might influence accuracy include: education, attitude, reference setting, reference collection, the nature of requests, and the patron. (57 references) (Author/AEF)

Suggests several ways that reference librarians can improve their skills beyond library school training. Reference interviews are discussed; effective methods of browsing the reference collection are described; opportunities for learning at the reference desk are suggested; and professional reading and study is discussed, including professional…

Discusses the use of the OCLC Authority File for answering reference questions. Contents of the authority file are described, including personal, corporate, conference, and geographic names, uniform titles, and subject headings; accessing the authority file is explained; searching strategies are discussed; and examples of authority records are…

After undertaking the time and energy consuming task of reference assessment, the library might discover that it needs to tweak delivery of service, weed and update the collection, upgrade workstations, or advance marketing strategies to get patrons to use reference materials and services. Like any other product or service, reference departments…

Designed to introduce the student to some of the bibliographic tools used to locate information on music in the Fogler Library at the University of Maine, this guide begins by listing examples of relevant Library of Congress subject headings and providing brief explanations of call numbers and classification systems (Library of Congress and Dewey…

This guide provides annotated lists of books, journals, indexes, and computer-based services and organizations that are sources of test information. The guide directs educators to test information about assessing academic ability, aptitude, achievement, personality, vocational aptitude, and intelligence, as well as specialized topics such as…

This 1974/75 survey with a follow-up study in 1980 assembles data on the management and use of vertical file (VF) collections in the 18 libraries of the City University of New York. Results of questionnaires sent to 188 reference department heads or reference librarians show that the sizes of the VF collections studied range from 1,000 to 79,000…

An annotated bibliography of reference sources dealing with psychology and cognate subjects which are part of the reference collection at the State University of New York at Albany University Libraries is presented. Included are: (1) Biographies; (2) Dictionaries and Glossaries; (3) Encyclopedias; and (4) Indexes, Abstracts, and Bibliographies.…

This annotated listing of books was compiled by the reference department of McLennan Library to introduce college students to reference resources in political science and to suggest useful bibliographic tools to facilitate literature searches. Only general works are cited. The bibliography is organized by the following categories: (1) Guides; (2)…

To help librarians answer patrons' questions about art works, especially paintings, the procedures followed by the reference division of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System are outlined, and a list of reference materials is suggested. Topics covered include biographical information about artists, identification of paintings, location of…

This bibliographic guide to water resources materials provides a guide to reference materials in the field. Of the 411 references to individual publications or services, 46 percent are government publications or services sponsored by government agencies. Reference materials reviewed include: guides to the literature; dictionaries; encyclopedias;…

In order to measure the effectiveness of its libraries, the City of London Polytechnic Library and Learning Resources Service surveyed its users and compared the results with a study completed the previous year (1973). Tables and statistics have been provided for: number, type, status, and academic department of users; frequency of use;…

The "Reference Encyclopedia of the American Indian, Second Edition, Volume I", includes listings of related museums, libraries, government agencies, urban Indian centers, visual and instructional aid sources, authentic arts and crafts, reservations and tribal councils, monuments and state parks, government publications and newspapers, magazines…

Six brief papers on expert systems for libraries cover (1) a knowledge-based approach to database design; (2) getting started in expert systems; (3) using public domain software to develop a business reference system; (4) a music cataloging inquiry system; (5) linguistic analysis of reference transactions; and (6) a model of a reference librarian.…

Compares online literature retrieval with traditional reference services. Discusses the reasons for and against adding online reference services to two-year college libraries and the unique applications online search services may have in the community college environment. (CBC)