E-Reference Context and Discoverability in Libraries: Issues and Concepts

Without question, reference collections have changed. We are in the midst of a paradigm shift where publishers are focusing on a future with electronic content and full-text interfaces; classic reference sources are being transformed into online interactive products; and the use of print continues to decline. Despite this relentless shift, some libraries cannot afford a complete transformation to e-reference and depend on print and free Web-based sources for added support. Students, however, are turning to search engines and Wikipedia as starting points for their research, leaving vetted content out-of-sight, and consequently, out-of-mind. E-Reference Context and Discoverability in Libraries: Issues and Concepts consists of over 20 informative chapters by librarians, publishers, and other industry professionals that propose new ideas for reinventing reference collections and interfaces to fit the needs of today’s researchers. The chapters examine the issues of reference context and discoverability in school, public, and academic libraries, as well as within the reference publishing community. Librarians, publishers, and those studying library and information science are the book’s primary audience, but others in the information industry, particularly those with an interest in reference, will find significant value here as well