Reference service remains a core function of modern libraries. However, how and where we provide assistance has evolved with changing technologies and the shifting habits and preferences of our users. One way libraries can provide the on-demand, in-person assistance while managing and developing new services and resources that will benefit current and future users is to reconsider how their reference points and services are staffed and adopt a staff-based reference model. The authors, staff members at Eastern Michigan University, chose to address this by implementing an inclusive reference model in which staff and student assistants are trained to answer certain levels of reference questions while working at the reference desk and at other service points. The result was that librarians became more available to work with students who needed in-depth assistance and users were able to get simple questions answered throughout the library. Similar training for all staff and student assistants who work in the library results in better service, more accurate answers, and improved interdepartmental communication. In Implementing an Inclusive Staffing Model for Today's Reference Services, they describe step-by-step how to transition from the traditional librarian-staffed reference desk to an inclusive reference model where non-MLS personnel are equipped and empowered to answer reference questions wherever these questions might be asked. Users ask questions of staff at all service points, not just at the Reference Desk. It is vitally important that those who work at circulation, periodicals, maps, archives and other public service points be trained in how to answer certain reference questions. When this is accomplished, users who have simple questions will not have to make useless treks to the Reference Desk. Topics covered include: Recognizing that nearly all staff answer reference questions, but few are trained to do so documenting the necessity for a change in reference model gaining buy-in from all interested parties—librarians, non-MLS staff, and administrators determining the optimal staffing level creating training materials and schedules monitoring the quality of reference service supervising staff evaluating the new model using multiple methods Additionally, each chapter contains practical resources such as checklists, forms, and sample materials, and other usable features to support readers as they implement the inclusive reference model. The book describes in detail the process of transforming traditional reference into a model that transcends departmental and job title boundaries, is focused on the user, and allows librarians to better utilize their time and talents, and include non-professional staff in their reference services.

Reference and Information Services, if it may still be referred to by this term, is an evolving outreach service in libraries. This is not only due to Google and the Internet, but also other technological advances afford users online access to a plethora of content, free and proprietary. This evolution has also caused a shift in the theories and practices (especially, core functions and values) of reference and information services as library schools seek greater alignment with practitioners and libraries on the forefront of these changes. As academics and practitioners work together to educate library students on the kinds of changes happening in reference and information services, they are rethinking their curriculum and assignments to incorporate real-world challenges adaptive to user needs. Likewise, libraries may work through their regional library consortia to plan professional development workshops or training sessions to teach new skills and methods of approach required for such changing services. Here’s a tool for library school instructors, library students, professional development instructors, and current librarians poised to change, which specifically addresses the pedagogy of reference and information services in flux. It will help answer questions such as: How may we better educate a new and current generation of reference and information service professionals, given the challenges they will likely encounter? What kinds of assignments could be devised to better promote active learning in a transformative field like reference and information services? What new approaches or theories could be applied to assist library professionals in meeting the informational needs of users?

Covering every essential topic ranging from circulation and literacy instruction to reference and security, this benchmark text provides an up-to-date, broadly based view of library public service and its functions. Supplying essential, foundational reading for students of library public services as well as an up-to-date overview for practitioners who wish to refresh their knowledge or acquaint themselves with a new area of responsibility, this book's broad and solid coverage will benefit anyone concerned with developing or maintaining the public face of the library. A revision and expansion of Libraries Unlimited's Introduction to Library Public Services: Seventh Edition, this edition has new chapters covering such topics as e-resources, collections, print and other media, and facilities and funding. Additionally, every chapter has been substantially updated and reorganized to better reflect the role of technology in library services today. The book begins with background information on public services in libraries and an analysis of the library's public service philosophy. Then, the authors delve into staffing and assessment of services, moving logically to major functional areas of public services—reference, instruction, document delivery, circulation and reserves, collections, programming, safety and security issues, and facilities and funding. Real-life anecdotes from public, academic, and school libraries illustrate principles and concepts throughout the book. For each topic, the authors detail its role and philosophy, and offer key points to remember, references, and lists for further reading.

Providing Reference Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians was written with the working librarian in mind; it focuses on specific methods and information to help foster effective, exceptional results. Topics covered include: Reference services: basic information and background Reference resources and tutorials Organizing and providing services Staffing and performance management Forming helpful partnerships (internal and external) The future of reference Readers will come away with a solid foundation in reference services. They will have the knowledge to update or restructure an existing reference program, or to create a program from the ground up. Individual chapters and subsections provide constructive tips and advice for specific reference issues. Taken as a whole, this book provides a valuable, inclusive source of information for all major aspects of reference service. Providing Reference Services is an appropriate resource for nearly all librarians in public-service positions, especially those with reference responsibilities, whether they are working reference librarians at any level of experience, reference supervisors, or administrators with oversight of reference services. The content is relevant to academic, public, school, and special libraries—any library or organization, in fact, that offers reference or research assistance.

The ninth edition of this popular overview of the various programs and services offered by libraries offers best practice and useful tips for implementing them effectively. Building on the strong foundation of the previous editions, award-winning author G. Edward Evans returns with a new co-author, Stacey Greenwell, for this update that combines their signature style of textbook readability, informality, and sometimes humor, as well as their knack for balancing foundational topics and new trends. A new feature in this edition is the incorporation of the concept of "library social work" through "Social Work Connections" sidebars in each chapter. Anecdotes throughout the text and "Career Connections" sidebars offer practical advice and specific current examples. Greenwell and Evans have combined several chapters from the previous edition and expanded discussions of new trends while retaining and updating the fundamentals. The ninth edition is a welcome update for library and information science courses and a valuable handbook for public services librarians.

Web scale discovery tools index a vast number of resources in a wide variety formats and allow users to search for content in a physical collection, print and electronic journal collections, and other resources from a single search box. Search results are displayed in a manner similar to internet searches, in a relevance-ranked list with links to online content. Implementing Web-Scale Discovery Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians is a one-stop source for librarians seeking toevaluate, purchase, and implement a web-scale discovery service. The book breaks down each phase of the project into decision points and action plans which will help move the project forward in an orderly and focused manner. After reading this guide, librarians will be able to: identify the system with the best content match for their library; conduct informative product trials; negotiate for the best pricing options; andoptimize customization of the selected systems to meet local needs. Implementing Web-Scale Discovery Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians guides librarians on configuring search boxes, integrating local content sources, and making full-text easily accessible. This text presents the information in check lists, decision trees, and quotes from early adopters, and includes information on how to customize these systems to meet each library’s specific needs.

Here, one of America’s foremost experts in public library services to children cover the basics of library services for children. Jeanette Larson highlights best practices and "toolkits" that provide tools and resources to quickly implement programs and services. She includes model programs, checklists and forms, and ready-to-use examples of programs, with an emphasis on programs that are inexpensive to implement and simple to replicate. From start to finish, learn how to plan, implement, and manage public library programs and services for children, ages birth to twelve years old. Children's services are a critical part of today's library services and staff need basic background information, practical advice, and specific examples of how to perform the fundamental duties required of them. Special features of the book include: Basic information on how to implement the fundamental services and programs of library services to children Background and rationale for the provision of these services and programs Enhancements for children's programs and services that support literacy and learning Templates for successful programs Examples of inexpensive and ready-to-use programs ranging from simple to on-going and more elaborate programs Children’s Services Today: A Practical Guide for Librarians offers basic background, practical experience, and best practices necessary for the successful provision of children's services in today's public library. Whether you are a part-time children's librarian in a small, rural library, a generalist assigned to provide children's programming in a medium-sized library, or a paraprofessional working in the children's department in a large urban library, this practical guide will help you implement dynamic programs and services that meet the needs of today's children and families