Reference and information services in the 21st century : an introduction

This practical guide teaches failsafe methods for identifying important materials by matching specific types of questions to the best available sources, regardless of format. Information on more than 300 sources has been updated to provide you high quality information.

Introducing reference and information service -- Determining the question : in-person, telephone, and virtual reference interviews -- Finding the answer : basic search techniques -- Answering questions about books, magazines, newspapers, libraries and publishing, and bibliographic networks : bibliographic resources -- Answering questions about anything and everything : encyclopedias -- Answering questions that require handy facts : ready reference sources -- Answering questions about words : dictionaries -- Answering questions about events and issues, past and present : indexes and full-text databases -- Answering questions about health, law, and business : special guidelines and sources -- Answering questions about geography, countries, and travel : atlases, gazetteers, maps, geographic information systems, and travel guides -- Answering questions about the lives of people : biographical information sources -- Answering questions about governments : government information sources -- When and how to use the Internet as a reference tool -- Reader's advisory work / Mary K. Chelton -- Reference work with children and young adults / Mary K. Chelton -- Information literacy in the reference department -- Selecting and evaluating reference materials -- Managing reference departments -- Assessing and improving reference services -- Reference 2.0 -- The future of information service.