Reviews changes in health sciences libraries, including the evolving role of health sciences librarians, education and training of health sciences librarians, rethinking reference services, impact on quality health care, improving the value of information, virtual libraries, National Library of Medicine initiatives, and quality initiatives. (LRW)

Examines historical reasons for the reference desk and workers to establish how reference work has been circumscribed, describes how it has evolved, and attempts to define perimeters between tasks and duties of paraprofessionals and professionals. Highlights the Williamson Report (1923) on training for library services and considers how practices…

This study investigated the usefulness of end user systems to library and information science students. Seventeen volunteers were offered free searching on BRS/After Dark and DIALOG's Knowledge Index. The search itself, postsearch questionnaire, and completed research papers were analyzed for databases used, cost and time online, and precision.…

Graduate programs must examine the curriculum for reference and information access professionals. Greater access to information sources by users has highlighted the need for reference and information professionals to develop new skills including more technological knowledge, a better understanding of user information-seeking, new instructional…

This issue contains 12 articles that present library perspectives on information literacy. Topics discussed include critical thinking and bibliographic instruction (BI); learning style theory and reference desk interviews; teaching information retrieval to end users; library instruction for faculty; cognitive authority; question formulation…