An increasingly complex and demanding research landscape has seen university libraries rapidly evolve their services. While research data management, bibliometrics, and research impact services have predominantly featured in the literature to date, the full scope of support libraries are currently providing to their institutions is unknown. This…

A survey of New Zealand academic subject/reference librarians was conducted in mid-2011 to identify the most highly valued knowledge, skills and competencies of reference librarians working in libraries in the tertiary sector. The project was part of an international collaborative project involving 13 countries. The results from New Zealand show…

In Japan, only a few public libraries provide e-mail reference services. To help public libraries start e-mail reference services, the authors investigated reference questions received by libraries via e-mail and traditional face-to-face services. The authors found that research questions are more frequently observed among e-mail questions and…

Regular evaluation of archival reference services is essential to ensure that users have appropriate access to the information they need. Archives New Zealand has been measuring customer satisfaction for many years using self-completion questionnaires but recently trialed two new methods of evaluation, using external research companies. One…

The inclusion or not of chat services within Virtual Reference (VR) is an important topic for university libraries. Increasingly, email supported by a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) database is suggested in the scholarly literature as the preferred, cost-effective means for providing university VR services. This paper examines these issues and…

This article reports on a project which was undertaken in 2006 to investigate the current modes and methods for delivering reference services in Australian academic libraries. The project included a literature review to assist in providing a definition of reference services as well as a snapshot of statistics showing staff and patron numbers from…

What types of information sources do masters and doctoral (M and D) students at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) use most, how do the patterns of use differ across subject disciplines and faculties, and to what extent does the Library and Information Services (LIS) keep or provide access to the journals that are mostly used by M and D…

A study of S. R. Ranganathan's theory of reference service is undertaken by using an historical methodology. It was evident from the literature review that Ranganathan had established that reference service was the most important work and served as the hub of all library practices. There were six factors that were repeatedly considered by…

Discusses the amount of instruction that is part of reference service, based on experiences with the University of New Brunswick's LIVE (Library Information in a Virtual Environment) digital reference service. Concludes that digital reference instruction is not a substitute for more formal library instruction programs that include information…

As players in the delivery of services and online information, libraries are in the best position to use staff expertise and the technology they have developed to foster community awareness of social, professional and commercial interactions on the internet. Historically, libraries have been progressive institutions, undertaking constant…

This paper describes the experimental implementation of BIROS (Bibliographical Information Retrieval Online Service) in the Lancashire Public Library. The project is designed to provide information on the potential use of an online service for the general public, with particular regard to professional and technical users; the implications for…

Discusses the British Library's role, identity, and expectations, and comments on successes, charges, and copyright problems of the Lending Division, the current image of the Reference Division, controversial areas within the Bibliographic Services Division, and criticism of library research associated with the Research and Development Department.…

Examines the effectiveness of a framework developed to measure service quality in academic libraries. The research, which was conducted in the seven university libraries of New Zealand during 1996 concluded that the survey questionnaire administered is an effective instrument for testing service quality. (AEF)

This paper looks at the complex web of interrelationships that is emerging as the library and information professions come to terms with the growing phenomenon of knowledge management. This is manifest at one level in the wider organisational and business context, and at another in the professional and employment spheres. Two of the authors are…

Traces the development of the British Library since its founding in 1973 and discusses problems and achievements in the library as a whole and in the Reference Division, the Lending Division, the Bibliographic Services Division, and the Research and Development Department. Listed are 73 references. (RBF)