Reference and Information Services - (Library and Information Science Text) 7th Edition by Melissa A Wong & Laura Saunders (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Written as a textbook for LIS students taking reference courses, this fully updated and revised seventh edition of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction also serves as a helpful handbook for practitioners to refamiliarize themselves with particular types and formats of sources and to refresh their knowledge on specific service topics.

The first section grounds the rest of the textbook with an overview of the foundations of reference and an introduction to the theories, values, and standards that guide reference service. The second section provides an overview of reference services and techniques for service provision, establishing a foundation of knowledge on reference service and extending ethical and social justice perspectives. The third part offers an overview of the information life cycle and dissemination of information, followed by an in-depth examination of information sources by type as well as by broad subject areas. Finally, the concluding section guides the reader through the process of developing and maintaining their own vision of reference practice.

This textbook is essential reading for all preservice and working librarians, particularly those concerned with ethical and social justice perspectives on reference work.

Review Quotes

"Melissa A. Wong and Laura Saunders have compiled an impactful new edition of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction. Inherited from the legacy of Richard Bopp and Linda Smith, the book's strength is its inclusivity of diverse voices-from front-line practitioners to renowned LIS scholars-as authors of chapters on the topics needed for teaching and learning reference and information services for the core reference class in library science programs. Wong and Saunders offer a thorough treatment of the historical legacy of reference services that library science students and practitioners will appreciate while contextualizing the needed professional competencies, search skills, and reference resources for delivering library and information services in today's global digital world. Reference and Information Services: An Introduction, which is a joy to read, will continue to be a requisite textbook in library schools worldwide." --Vanessa Irvin, Associate Professor, East Carolina University, USA

"This seventh edition of Reference and Information Services continues the strengths of this text as a critical survey of reference practice and includes strong, comprehensive lists of diverse information sources. It also takes the time to acknowledge the human behind the acts of service, as new sections pause to interrogate librarians' roles in bridging gaps in social and cultural frameworks when working towards information resolutions and consider the humane essence of the librarian in their work. Pauses are further echoed in the inclusion of questions for reflection and discussion. More than providing breaks for introspection on the text, these questions prompt the inception of professional reflective practice, which only serves to strengthen reference service." --Sarah Nakashima, Humanities Librarian, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, USA

"The powerhouse team of Wong and Saunders has assembled a roster of knowledgeable, skilled, and generous authors for this latest edition of Reference and Information Services. After an historical framing that enlightens readers on the roots of reference services, the authors dive into some of the pressing concerns-from both sides of the desk-facing reference service providers. Through the reference sources chapters, readers not only build their knowledge base of sources but also learn valuable skills and insights to guide their practice, while the concluding chapter offers a warm welcome to a stimulating area of librarianship. This book underscores what a necessary skill reference is for information professionals." --Africa S. Hands, Assistant Professor, University at Buffalo, USA

About the Author

Melissa A. Wong has been an online instructor for the University of Illinois, USA, since 2001, teaching courses in reference, instruction, management, and academic librarianship.

Laura Saunders is Associate Professor at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science, USA, teaching in the areas of reference, instruction, and academic libraries.