Reference Training Materials

This material was used in the graduate Library Media Education program at Western Kentucky University. It is placed here to allow library workers to train themselves in the use of reference materials. Copyright 2001 - 2005 Bryan M. Carson.
All Rights Reserved

Readings

The Future of Reference

We know that reference is changing, but what does the future hold? RUSA president Carol Tobin invited five experts in the field to gaze into their crystal balls and share what they see. The experts are:

  • James Rettig, University Librarian, University of Richmond Library
  • David Tyckoson, Head of Reference, California State University-Fresno Library
  • Jo Bell Whitlatch, Associate Dean, San Jose State University Library
  • Joe Janes, Assistant Professor, Information School, University of Washington
  • Anne G. Lipow, Director, Library Solutions Institute and Press

    • Their forecasts are now available on the RUSA Web site at the following address:

    http://www.ala.org/Content/NavigationMenu/RUSA/Professional_Tools4/Future_of_Reference_Services/Future_of_Reference_Services.htm.

    Using Reference Resources
    Copyright 2002-2003 Bryan M. Carson

    The following is a description of some of the different kinds of reference sources that you will use as a librarian. This includes both paper resources and electronic resources.

    What is a reference source? "Any material, published work, database, Web site, etc. which is used to obtain authoritative information." (Harrod's Librarians' Glossary and Reference Book.) There are two main types of reference sources:

    Compilations that refer to other sources containing information include:

    Compilations that furnish information directly include:

    There are a number of different formats for reference sources. Regardless of format, they are all reference sources. One of the choices that you will have to make as a librarian is which format to purchase. Later, you will also have to choose which format is appropriate for that particular patron. However, all of these formats are valid reference sources:

    One thing to remember about online databases is that they often are limited in the time period they cover. Most online databases only go back to the early 1990s or the late 1980s, since computers were not in general use before that time in libraries. Therefore it is often necessary for researchers to use the online database for recent information, and then go to the paper copy for older information. For example, WKU subscribes to the Science Citation Index from 1990 forward. If you are looking for materials from the 1970s, you would need to go to the printed version. Also, not all the printed indexes have online equivalents, or sometimes the library doesn't subscribe to the online version. In that case, you would need to go to the printed resource.

    There are several ways to arrange a reference collection. These include:

    One of the most important tasks you can make involves evaluation of reference sources. You do this when you decide what to purchase, and again every time you are helping a library patron. You will need to evaluate the resources with the patrons in order to determine which resources are most appropriate for the patron standing in front of you and for his or her specific question.

    Here are some guidelines to use for evaluating reference sources:

    The Electronic Library: Types of Electronic Resources

    There are a number of online resources that are available for librarians to use. These include library catalogs, bibliographic networks, commercial networks, etc.

    Library Catalogs

    Bibliographic Networks

    Major Bibliographic Networks

    Commercial Networks--Usually searched by librarians rather than end users

    Many different kinds of databases for end users (patrons/clients/students/teachers) covering many different topics. Some of the major companies that sell databases put them together in packages, or groups of databases with similar look and feel; sometimes these can be searched simultaniously. Librarians call these companies "Agregators." Some of the major agregators include:

    The lines between agregators and bibliographic networks are bluring, as many bibliographic utilities now provide databases.

    E-Journals -- The difference between E-journals and databases is that e-journals are aimed at people looking for specific issues of the journal or specific articles. As a result, the search capabilities are far less flexible than a database. Databases are aimed at people who are looking for articles on a particular topic, regardless of what journal they are in. E-journals are often used by faculty who know what journal they want or are looking for a specific article. Databases are better for students who don't care as much which journal the article comes from.

    Agregated E-Journal services that WKU subscribes to:

    Web Portals and Search Engines

    The lines between search engines and web portals are blurring. Search engines now have hierarchtical approaches, and web portals now have search engines. For purposes of this class, I am defining web portals as being those sites like Yahoo which allow you to click on topical links to "drill down" to the item you are looking for. I am defining search engines as being sites where you type in your term and the the search engine looks through various websites to match your search terms.

    There are also a number of metasearch engines. These are sites where you type in your search term, and the term is sent to a number of search engines at the same time. Metasearch engines are a good way to conduct research with a number of search engines simultaniously.

    Evaluation of Websites

    The Internet today is a technological leap similar to that of the printing press. One advantage of Internet is that anyone can create their own homepage. Unfortunately, that is also one of the drawbacks of the Internet! How do we judge whether the information is reliable? Reliability is one of the biggest problems with the use of Internet information, and is a prerequisite for using information from the web.

    In order to judge the reliability of a website, always ask yourselves the following questions:

    IMPORTANT: Watch out for second-level sources! Sometimes you start with a reliable site, then follow a link to an unreliable site.

    How to find reference books

    How to find electronic products and product reviews

    Here are some indexes and abstracts to use for finding reviews of electronic products:

    If you can't find a review, sometimes you can find a listing in a directory that will tell you about the product. Sometimes these listings will also contain an evaluation. Some of the directories you can look at include: