Practical Reference Work - Hardcover

The first edition of this manual appeared in 1979 as one of a series of "Outlines". For this edition more space is available, but the work retains the same character. The 268 examples of reference queries used are in every instance genuine questions recorded by the author during his years as a front-line practitioner and a univeristy teacher of reference work. This revision reflects the best of current practice and the findings of recent research as reported in the literature in the 12 or so years since the first edition. Notable developmenst include the effects of new technology on reference work: OPACs, CD-ROM, expert systems and the analysis of 20 years' experience with online databases. In addition, the increased attention now paid to the art of the reference interview, the recent work on question analysis and taxonomy and on information-seeking behaviour, and finally the attempts to evaluate the success of reference work are all discussed.