The core duties of the reference librarian inherently mandate that the work environment is not unlike a kaleidoscope: Students and faculty revolve within and around the library, and reference and public services workers do the same; every move temporarily redesigning the library, its collections, and even its very role on campus into something…

As individuals become more and more comfortable mediating all kinds of situations online and through various technologies, their virtual selves increasingly overlap their "real" lives. Posting a "happy birthday!" message on Facebook is as automatic as dropping a card in the mail. E-mailing relevant links to co-workers happens as naturally as…

This article examines what is desirable in online reference books in science and technology and outlines a framework for evaluating their interfaces. The framework considers factors unique to these subject areas like chemical structures and numerical data. Criteria in three categories, navigability, searchability, and results, were applied to five…

Describes an instructional model for teaching the optimization of search strategies based on a small group of related reference tools. (PF)

The Library of Congress Subject Headings, a tool used almost exclusively by catalogers, currently is assuming equal importance in reference service as an aid for students and a unique tool for reference librarians. Most reference inquiries require the use of appropriate subject headings--an especially vital function for computer searches. The…

Discusses the usefulness of the World Wide Web to answer reference questions as compared to print sources, based on a study of 104 reference questions. Topics include timeliness of the information, search engines, bookmarks, current versus noncurrent information needs, and time spent on searching. (LRW)

Discusses the use of the OCLC Authority File for answering reference questions. Contents of the authority file are described, including personal, corporate, conference, and geographic names, uniform titles, and subject headings; accessing the authority file is explained; searching strategies are discussed; and examples of authority records are…

Describes how genealogists visiting the Library of Congress can use Library of Congress Information System (LOCIS) to identify genealogies in library's collections. Search strategies within two LOCIS systems--Multiple-Use MARC System (MUMS) and Subject-Oriented-Retriever for Processing Information Online (SCORPIO)--and the PREMARC database for…

Describes a study that examined the information seeking behavior of undergraduate students in Nigeria. The factors examined include the main sources of references to the literature used by students, and the effects of class standing and intellectual disciplines on choices of reference sources. (8 references) (CLB)

Discussion of information on tests needed by social science researchers focuses on reference sources and a search strategy to assist reference librarians in locating pertinent material. Highlights include a review of related research, databases, print sources, test bibliographies and reviews, and sources of information on unpublished tests. (LRW)

Provides fundamental information about patents, describes effective and affordable reference resources, and discusses specific issues in providing patent information services to inventors and other patrons. Basic resources, including CD-ROM products, patent classification and searching resources, and other search tools are described in an…

Written in Spanish, this booklet describes the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) system, who uses ERIC and why, and how to use ERIC. Brief descriptions of the 16 clearinghouses and the services of the ERIC Processing and Reference Facility, ERIC Document Reproduction Service, Oryx Press, and the U. S. Government Printing Office are…

Describes a study of the different effects of online bibliographic searching and manual bibliographic searching on research quality and productivity among a group of graduate students assigned the task of compiling bibliographies. The study methodology is outlined, and 12 references and tables summarizing student responses to a questionnaire are…

Designed to acquaint persons conducting library research in Chicano Studies with the numerous reference materials found in the University Library at the University of California-Santa Barbara, the manual provides information on the Coleccion Tloque Nahuaque, relevant subject headings, and a useful search strategy. The Coleccion Tloque Nahuaque,…

A user study to determine the ratio of citation-bound queries to data-bound queries originated by university faculty and processed through reference department personnel or by independent use of reference materials in the university library revealed a majority (75%) of the queries are citation-bound. Important implications are suggested for the…