This webpage was constructed to help students and professionals alike become more aware of how they deal with and understand reference services as a whole. It is the goal of information professionals to help their patrons through the information seeking process. Reference services begin with the initial interview questions, finding the proper database to use, searching the database properly, and finally making sure the patron is satisfied with the information that has been found. As someone who has worked a very limited time at a reference desk in a public library, these resources helped me to develop the skills to evaluate and plan reference materials and services for the library’s many patrons with information seeking needs. Through the resources provided on this page, I also gained more understanding regarding the importance of a complete reference interview and thorough information searches.
The information portal focusing on the American Revolution is the most comprehensive piece that would be most beneficial to library patrons. The portal I constructed provides multiple ways of finding information on one topic in a singular place, making the information search easier for those patrons not familiar with the process. Some of these resources are written materials found through the library’s catalog, e-resources found online, periodicals, websites, and database searches. I provided the user with subject headings to begin their searches as well as how to narrow down database searching. Through the use of this information portal, patrons should be able to find resources to cover their needs when finding specific information about the American Revolution.
In addition to the information portal, I provided evaluations for four different reference sources. Each of the evaluations were written like reviews and included details depending on the type of reference source being evaluated. Reference sources must include all or most of the criteria listed, also depending on resource type, in order to be considered a reputable source for use by professionals and patrons alike. The resource materials I reviewed were The Almanac of American Politics, Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants: Identification and Cultivation of Over 3,000 Tropical Plants, A Historical and Etymological Dictionary of Sign Language: the Origin and Evolution of More than 500 Signs, and The Routledge International Handbook of Children, Adolescents and Media. The main criteria used for reference source evaluations are: format, scope, relation to similar works, authority, accuracy, sequence of arrangement, special features, and cost. By evaluating reference sources, professionals and other doing research are more likely to find the best resources.
To have a complete and comprehensive reference service, an information professional must have knowledge of databases and how to search them. I provided an analysis of both ProQuest and EBSCOhost to compare and contrast their uses. The comparison discussed both databases in terms of scope, authority, accuracy, arrangement, and each of the databases special features. To go more in-depth I provided an analysis of EBSCOhost GreenFILE and ProQuest: Sustainability Science Abstracts to show there are multiple places to obtain information on a similar subject area.
Finally, I provided both reference service evaluation and plan to help information professionals have a better understanding of patrons and themselves in terms of providing the best reference services possible. These tools helped me to better understand how to assess information needs and the best way to develop and incorporate a plan based on those needs. Both my evaluation and plan dealt with incorporating an online reference librarian to help patrons find their information quicker and anonymously.
Hopefully, these tools and resources will be able to help students, educators and professionals understand the importance of reference services. These materials may be used as a foundation to build upon when coming up with reference service planning, evaluating, and finding reference materials for information seeking. Through the use of reference services, libraries promote life-long learning to their communities. I hope these information tools and materials will be beneficial for libraries and other institutions, even though the main purpose of this webpage is to promote reference service in libraries, whether they be public, academic, or special libraries.
Librarian Life 