Music Reference Sources: Analog in a Digital World

ABSTRACT

Do we need print reference collections at all? In the case of music reference materials, the answer is definitely “yes.” At the University of Memphis, reference titles in the music library are used at about three times the rate of reference materials in the main library. This paper leverages local reference and reserve book usage to investigate how print reference sources support music research of various kinds, how music faculty integrate reference sources into their courses, and how librarians can make finding and using these resources easier for users accustomed to accessing materials online without an intermediary.     

Evolving,Not Extinct: Music Reference in the 21st Century

As reference work changes dramatically due to computer technology, tangible reference collections are disappearing from academic libraries in many fields. Such is not the case in music research libraries, however. While many important online music reference resources exist, many print resources remain vitally important, and because of limited funding, they are unlikely to be digitized soon. Music libraries and music reference collections are currently a combination of traditional and online resources, enhanced by human expertise. This beneficial combination should be maintained.     

Current Issues in Music Reference

Abstract

The climate of change in music reference represents a challenge to librarians. The three issues in the library literature that probably have the greatest impact on music reference service and are the subject of this paper are changes in users, sources, and modes of access to sources. These three issues are certainly related, as users need to use sources, and they need to know how to access them in order to use them. Reference librarians are called upon to mediate this process. Music library collections have their own peculiarities, however. Because they contain a wider variety of materials than many other kinds of library collections, reference librarians for music collections must be aware of the format, content, and intended uses of these materials, as well as the research patterns of their patrons. In the recent past, as cultural norms have changed with the paradigm of Western culture, users have wanted to use music libraries in new ways, and librarians are challenged to accommodate them. The musical genres used and requested by today's library patrons are different than they once were, both for listening and for academic study. Musical reference sources are being issued in electronic formats, and this represents a challenge for some users. The expanded use of interlibrary loan and electronic access to materials represents new opportunities and challenges. Music librarians are being called upon to provide services to patrons they may never see.     

Assessing Digital Reference and Online Instructional Services in an Integrated Public/University Library

Abstract

In spite of the explosion of interest in virtual reference and instruction, assessment of digital reference remains relatively uncharted territory in the library literature. What standards exist for online reference and instruction and how can they be used to assess the innovative new merged online reference environment at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library? Led by co-unit heads from the former San Jose Public Library Main Branch and the San Jose State University Clark Library, the merged reference unit is a unique testing ground for perceived differences between public and academic reference service. Evaluation of both the online and the live merged reference environment is crucial and will be necessary to determine what is working and what is not. This paper will discuss plans for current and future assessment of digital reference including e-mail, live online reference, and online instruction.     

Reference Services in Law Firm Environments

SUMMARY

Law firm libraries have undergone drastic changes in recent years. This chapter chronicles the evolution in the size of the law firm library and its collection, the changing expectations of law firm library users, and the inventive ways that law firm librarians are fulfilling the needs of the law firm library users with technology and other means. This chapter also explores how law firm libraries can improve service and overall efficiency through limited outsourcing of reference services.     

Reference Services in Rural Libraries

Abstract

The information age has changed libraries of all types and sizes in ways that no one could have predicted. For a rural library, though, changes have been fast and furious and have made a dramatic impact on the very nature of the library and the services the library offers. Rural libraries went from a gathering place for community activities to fully wired information centers in a matter of a few years. The article addresses what these changes mean for reference services-one of the most basic functions of a public library. While people are consuming more information than ever, will the rural library be able to keep up with this demand even with the Internet? The article explores reference services in rural public libraries, using examples from libraries in central and northern Illinois, giving consideration to the nature of reference services, how they have changed over time, and how this compares to small libraries in a metropolitan setting.     

高校图书馆文献信息咨询服务的新思路

本文论述了新形势下高校图书馆文献信息咨询服务工作的新思路，并介绍了一些实际做法。     

Implementing and Assessing Library Reference Training Programs

Comprehensive assessments have shown that academic library users prefer a welcoming environment that provides the opportunity for self-sufficiency. Libraries need to meet these expectations and improve the quality of library reference by creating a comprehensive training program for librarians, staff, and students. This article will review standards for reference training in academic libraries with a focus on one-desk service points and consider best practices for planning, implementing, and assessing training programs for staff, students, and librarians.     

Budget Planning and Performance Measures for Virtual Reference Services

Abstract

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, as a county government agency, is required to follow a specific budget planning process in order to obtain funding for library programs and services. One tool of this planning process-the “decision unit”-requires advanced planning and continued evaluation of potential and existing library services. Prior to receiving funds for any new service, performance measures must be established in order to measure the success of the service in relation to the public money invested. This article will look at the evaluation process built into the funding of the library's participation in a statewide virtual reference service and the implications for continuation and/or expansion of this service based on continued assessment.     

Our Experience with Two Virtual Reference Services at IUPUI University Library

Summary

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) University Library first introduced virtual reference in May 2001 after four months of preparation. In the summer of 2002, University Library decided to reconsider the virtual reference software and provider and implemented a new service during the fall 2002 semester. A Reference Team Working Group was formed to review replacement options for the virtual reference software the library had been using for about a year. The decision to find a new virtual reference service was prompted by the connectivity and electronic resource compatibility problems experienced with the first virtual reference software the library chose. This article compares and contrasts the two virtual reference services used at IUPUI University Library and describes the two virtual reference projects. Following the article is a checklist of “Seven Questions to Ask When Choosing a Virtual Reference Service.”     

利用威客强化图书馆参考咨询服务的思考

威客模式的零门槛和价值驱动性的实现机制,使其在知识服务领域形成了一种“我帮人人、人人帮我”的交往模式,这种模式符合图书馆平等、开放、共享和“以读者为中心”的服务理念。通过构建图书馆威客网站,将威客模式引入参考咨询工作中,以期改变工作中存在的简单重复劳动、被动消极服务以及人力资源缺乏的局面。     

Issues and Trends in the Management of Reference Services: A Historical Perspective

ABSTRACT

In this article, the author reviews the history of reference service from a management perspective. Topics covered include: definitions of reference service; staffing; service models; modes of communication, including remote reference services; collections; education and training; and assessment. The author discusses changes over time and current challenges for reference managers.

This article originally published in Journal of Library Administration, Vol. 51, Issue 3, pages 259–278, 2011. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2011.556936.     

Virtual Reference Services

Summary

Traditional reference services are changing in response to the rapid growth of electronic resources available outside of the library. There are an increasing number of libraries that are providing digital reference services to meet the demands and expectations of remote users. This article provides an overview of virtual reference services at Louisiana State University (LSU) Libraries. It also examines the planning, implementation, marketing and user feedback of real time reference service after its first year.     

Determining the Effectiveness of Digital Reference Services in Malaysian Academic Libraries

The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of digital reference services in academic libraries in Malaysia. It focuses on the awareness, usage, users' perception, library's performance, perceived needs, issues, and problems faced by students. The research methodology employed was a case study approach that combined three data collection methods: questionnaires, interviews, and content analysis.     

Improving Reference Services Through a Library Website: Strategies for Collaborative Change

SUMMARY

Websites are virtual front doors to the university library for many distance education students and for those simply choosing to access the numerous resources available to them through the library from off-campus. A driving force behind the redesign of the library website was to provide a user-friendly, content-rich website that offers assistance at the point of need, wherever the student is located. The University of Oklahoma Libraries' Web Committee's research and development focus combined with a collaborative environment provided a positive impetus for change to the library website and improved reference services to the University community.     

参考咨询服务的变革:香港的经验

数项新近的研究显示:全球学术图书馆的使用量出现骤降,本科生对图书馆的使用情况尤其如是,借阅量呈递减趋势;杂志与书籍(纸本和电子本)的使用率偏低;以学习、完成作业或休闲阅读为目的的使用率也出现下降。或许跌幅最大、最显著的版块在于向馆员提交查询请求方面,即一般统称的参考咨询服务。这种跌幅背后,隐藏着若干因素,层出不穷的信息查阅模式为其中之一种,而读者对馆员工作范畴与能力的了(误)解程度亦为其原因之一。这种趋势在亚洲,特别是在文化语言多元化的香港,究竟有多明显？在数字时代,要提供切合学术图书馆读者需求的咨询服务,实有必要进行更详细的地区性调查研究,以探讨学术图书馆读者现有的态度和行为。     

传统参考咨询与网络参考咨询的比较研究

传统参考咨询和网络参考咨询在内涵、地位与作用、参考信息源、用户服务、用户与咨询人员、管理模式等方面都有所不同。传统参考咨询是网络参考咨询的基础,网络参考咨询是传统参考咨询的继承与发展。网络参考咨询代表着机遇、未来和数字图书馆发展的潮流,它将成为图书馆应对挑战,保持可持续发展的战略性选择。表4。参考文献16。     

Beyond Circulation: The Evolution of Access Services and Its Relationship to Reference Librarianship

Academic libraries have undergone a variety of organizational changes in the last two decades. One area that has evolved out of these changes is access services. Relationships between circulation, interlibrary loan, and reference have been explored though informal and formal organizational structures. Because of these types of interactions it is feasible for reference librarians to consider positions in access services.