Delivers the necessary resources librarians can use to connect patrons to specific information via government sites and electronic documents. This guide discusses historical contexts and contemporary issues of electronic government collections. It also includes practical guidance for implementing and improving services.

A classic. Topics include resource-sharing networks, the importance of nonbook formats, the greater complexity of censorship challenges, and the expansion of the library's informational role.

Here is a refreshing new book that takes a unique look at the many aspects of reference librarianship. Written by reference librarians for reference librarians, this new volume explores the changing roles of reference services and offers advice and practical ideas to guide librarians through the increasingly tangled maze of duties being thrust upon the reference staff. Although the everyday work of the reference librarian is often taken for granted, these insightful chapters illuminate the essential service performed by the reference librarians as they facilitate access to information for a wide variety of users. Furthermore, this book helps reference librarians face the future by examining the technological and service developments that will challenge their profession. Opportunities for Reference Librarians addresses unique reference problems such as making use of the telephone as an information gathering tool, selecting reference material for the interdisciplinary field of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER), and helping non-law students with legal research. The fascinating anecdotes and encouraging discussions will be invaluable to reference library professionals for years to come. This important book covers a wide variety of topics of interest to reference librarians. Topics related to information systems are examined such as the limitations of end-user online services, and an evaluation of the Library of Congress Information system. Authoritative contributors make recommendations on how to design services to coordinate with the new technology and how to change librarians’roles so they can assist people in using these systems.

This book takes a close look at the recent changing emphasis from collections to access, and from document description to document delivery. As the automation of library processes has moved from technical services to reference services, the roles of the professionals working in those capacities have changed dramatically. Library administrators who are looking to redeploy resources will gain helpful insights from the experiences of librarians who have already redirected their organizations. This helpful volume will be of tremendous assistance in redefining the traditional roles of reference and technical librarians. Access Services offers new insights into the movement from bibliographic access to information access that is reshaping reference services today. Informative discussions on topics such as cross-training experiments, revised organizational structures, the new role of the bibliographic utilities, library school education for the redefined professional, and changes in cataloging codes reveal what impact this trend has for librarians, services, and patrons.