Human Side of Reference & Information Services in Academic

Summary: This book answers the questions: how do academic libraries provide value-added reference and information services in a digital age? It provides best practices from a global perspective. The book starts at the information needs and info-seeking behaviours of university students and faculty. Then it examines the use cycle: consumer, instruction, and producer. It examines the resource cycle: collection development, instructor, maintenance. What are the essential elements of reference: orientation, instruction, collaborative planning, products? Key Features: 1. Focuses on information needs and information-seeking behaviours of academic library stakeholders (faculty, students, community) 2. Focuses on technologies' impact on reference and information services (selection, access, interaction, instruction, administration), focusing on the human issues 3. Emphasizes collaborative aspects of reference/info services (with faculty for program/course instruction, with computer services for digital integration, with other libraries for resource sharing/portals/development) 4. Includes reference/information 'packaging' (products) 5. Provides best practices from a global perspective The Editor: Dr Lesley Farmer coordinates the Library Media Teacher Program at California State University Long Beach. Dr Farmer has written 19 books and over a hundred articles on librarianship, is published in JELIS, and edits Education Libraries. Her research interests include information literacy, collaboration and educational technology. Readership: Academic librarians, academic teaching faculty and administration, high school library media teachers. Contents: Introduction - the academic world; the library's role; impact of technology; human side of technology; collaborative issues; a system approach to value-added service; global perspectives Technology impact on information needs and behaviours of the academic community - students; faculty; administrators; staff; local community; other librarians Technology impact on reference use cycle - using reference sources (productivity); provide information from reference sources; teach reference use Technology impact on reference and information services staffing - personnel; service; physical vs. virtual access; collaborative efforts; staff development Technology impact on reference r access; databases; e-documents; digitization efforts; linking sources; collaborative efforts Technology impact on packaging reference and information services - role of the reference librarian in packaging information; packages; development; dissemination Technology impact on physical access to reference and information resources: the human issues Technology impact on intellectual access to reference and information services -searches/ready reference; library instruction; information literacy collaboration with faculty