Designed to complement every
introductory library reference course, this is the perfect text for students
and librarians looking to expand their personal reference knowledge, teaching
failsafe methods for identifying important materials by matching specific types
of questions to the best available sources, regardless of format. Guided by a
national advisory board of educators and practitioners, this thoroughly updated
text expertly keeps up with new technologies and practices while remaining
grounded in the basics of reference work. Chapters on fundamental concepts,
major reference sources, and special topics provide a solid foundation; the
text also offers fresh insight on core issues, including:

• ethics,
  readers' advisory, information literacy, and other key aspects of reference
  librarianship;


• selecting
  and evaluating reference materials, with strategies for keeping up to date;


• assessing
  and improving reference services;


• guidance
  on conducting reference interviews with a range of different library users,
  including children and young adults;


• a
  new discussion of reference as programming;


• important
  special reference topics such as Google search, 24/7 reference, and virtual
  reference; and


• delivering
  reference services across multiple platforms.

As librarians experience a
changing climate for all information services professionals, in this book
Cassell and Hiremath provide the tools needed to manage the ebb and flow of
changing reference services in today's libraries.

Designed to complement every introductory library reference course, this is the perfect text for students and librarians looking to expand their personal reference knowledge, teaching failsafe methods for identifying important materials by matching specific types of questions to the best available sources, regardless of format. Guided by a national advisory board of educators and practitioners, this thoroughly updated text expertly keeps up with new technologies and practices while remaining grounded in the basics of reference work. Chapters on fundamental concepts, major reference sources, and special topics provide a solid foundation; the text also offers fresh insight on core issues, including:

ethics, readers' advisory, information literacy, and other key aspects of reference librarianship;
selecting and evaluating reference materials, with strategies for keeping up to date;
assessing and improving reference services;
guidance on conducting reference interviews with a range of different library users, including children and young adults;
a new discussion of reference as programming;
important special reference topics such as Google search, 24/7 reference, and virtual reference; and
delivering reference services across multiple platforms.

As librarians experience a changing climate for all information services professionals, in this book Cassell and Hiremath provide the tools needed to manage the ebb and flow of changing reference services in today's libraries.