This book, first published in 1992, examines the reference librarian's role as a connecting link between information seekers and the resources they need. It provides the best approaches to providing resolutions or guidance to the appropriate resources. It analyses librarians’ reference skills, communication abilities, accuracy in responding to specific inquiries, and sensitivity to various groups such as paraprofessionals and non-traditional patrons. This provocative book encourages librarians to go beyond merely providing an answer or resource to helping clients better understand the physical surroundings, the social or educational context, and the ethical, political and economic climate in which the process takes place.

Provide the best possible service to your library patrons. With a healthy respect for those who seek assistance at the reference desk, a group of library and information service specialists examine the public whom they serve. The Reference Library User focuses on the possible interactions between the reference librarian and the library user. The authoritative contributors discuss many problems in the relationship between the public and the library, and all offer suggestions that will at least help librarians to better serve the public on a daily basis. A major emphasis of The Reference Library User is on the various populations using the library and their particular needs. For example, one chapter examines the information needs of deinstitutionalized patrons and presents methods of providing service and a rationale for community outreach. The state program in Rhode Island is outlined, describing efforts to reach community residents through public libraries and the state operated Bookmobile. Other chapters provide strategies for providing reference services to older adults, the learning disabled, the blind, and the physically handicapped. This informative new volume also deals with general concerns facing librarians today, including determining the audience for both public and academic libraries, educating the user, encouraging nonusers to become library users, and calming irate patrons. Reference librarians will be particularly interested in the problems and solutions discussed in this new volume, as will library managers and administrators who will always benefit from a fresh perspective on public service for the library user.

Expert advice for more effective teamwork in the library! Cooperative Reference: Social Interaction in the Workplace addresses the need for reference librarians to work together to keep the system running smoothly. This book explores the various means of developing social professionalism, collaborating on projects, and combining forces with other libraries to remain on the cutting edge of information services in this new century. Using this guide, you will learn from the first-hand experiences of on-the-job reference librarians. This book will give you—as a reference librarian, administrator, library science student, or educator—ideas to support cooperative efforts in the library and beyond. This book will show you how to better interact with: other reference librarians face-to-face users online users library and academia faculty other libraries Cooperative Reference reveals how patrons perceive you from the other side of the desk. This book shows that first impressions—how you dress, your attitude, how you interact with other workers, and how you address the patron’s questions—directly affect the patron’s visit and influence his or her decisions about using your library in the future. The social skills in this volume can also directly benefit your library as library budgets can no longer keep up with the skyrocketing costs of library materials. To continue viability, many libraries must be willing to work together to share costs and experience. Other topics in Cooperative Reference include: tag-team referencing—a dynamic, synergistic environment at the reference desk teaching librarians about interpersonal skills—how to establish professional, collegial relationships with one another librarians teaming up to teach a class together cooperative reference desk scheduling—how to create and implement tailored desk hours collection development between librarians for different departments working together to create online services a consolidation of reference services by two separate libraries Using several case examples, this well-referenced book takes an innovative look at the ever-increasing necessity for librarians to work together for the good of the patrons, the workers, and the library structure. Cooperative Reference will improve the reference services of public and academic libraries both large and small.

This provocative new book will help you design and implement the most effective library user education possible--one that builds on basic library use skills through a progressively sophisticated program that is fully integrated into course curriculum at all levels, from the freshman year to graduation and beyond. By exploring major issues underlying the integration of library use skills and research methodologies into the general education curriculum, contributors raise important questions, offer creative ideas, and provide insight into the many improvements made in library instruction in the past few years. Following an introduction by Patricia Breivik, a recognized national authority on libraries and general education, contributors representing two- and four-year institutions and research universities discuss such issues as the relationship between high school and college programs, research skills instruction in a remote access environment, the use of microcomputers and end user searching programs to promote critical thinking, and the improved relationship between librarians and faculty. In addition to articles on library instruction geared towards question analysis, information generation by field, structure of published knowledge and dissemination of a discipline's literature, chapters identify cooperative efforts needed among school, public, special, academic libraries and other information agencies, computer center personnel, and online database vendors. Bibliographic instruction librarians who are active participants in planning and administering library user education programs will find this volume to be essential for building and developing stronger, more integrated programs.