Product Description

For many librarians, the meaning of the word -reference- is changing so rapidly that it is unsettling. Joe Janes, founder of the Internet Public Library, provides this perfect mix of provocative arguments and useful, hands-on advice. He addresses important questions including: what is the optimal mix of desk/phone/email/chat? What kind of resource for what kind of user? What software for what purpose ? What values to hold on to and what habits to break? Loaded with salient considerations, pointers, and encouragement, this book will have at the library world talking on a subject we urgently need to address.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #594331 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 213 pages

Review
A comprehensive yet concise account of where, when, how and why reference librarians should embrace the digital reference revolution. --College and Research Libraries

An inspired and sincere attempt to re-envision modern professional practice and chart the potential future. --Reference and Information Quarterly

About the Author
Joseph Janes is an Associate Professor and Chair of Library and Information Science at the University of WashingtonÂ’s Information School and is founding director of the Internet Public Library. A frequent speaker in the U.S. and abroad, he is the coauthor of seven books on librarianship and technology, including the Internet Public Library Handbook (Neal-Schuman 1999).

Customer Reviews

A Smart, Honest, and Concise Look at New Reference
This book was required for my Reference course, and thank goodness it was! Written in an informal, easy-to-read, no-nonsense tone, Joseph Janes (of Internet Public Library fame) looks at how the digital world has begun to change the nature of reference services. Although it's been out for a few years and is a little bit outdated, almost all of the concepts and technologies discussed are relevant and still in play. Janes will walk you through the ways in which reference work is being reconceived, repackaged, and assessed -- asking just as many questions as he answers about where we're headed and how to go get there. The book balances concise theory with practical discussions, making it conceptual but immediately applicable at the same time. And the best part? It's an enjoyable, fast read. Probably a must for anyone who intends to become a librarian.

Not bad, not bad.
Smart and written in a casual tone. Definitely not overly didactic and easily gets his points across.

Explore the digital aspects of reference librarianship...
Joseph Janes' new book is a useful and comprehensive guide to the digital elements in the 'new reference librarianship'. Traditional reference librarians seeking a single title on this new librarianship should consider making this their first choice in reading, as it is quite comprehensive in its coverage.

However, the title (which is really Introduction to Reference Work in the Digital Age) is a tad deceiving, in that I expected a bit more discussion of traditional reference services and their integration with digital elements. Even though we are clearly moving more deeply into digital resources in nearly all aspects of reference work, we still are more in a transitional period, and I expect that it will still be some years before we have a truly digital reference librarianship. This is likely to remain the case until e-book resources and technology are able to overcome paper entirely, which I view as still being quite some years off, although we can start to see the outline of that era developing.

That caveat aside, Janes' book is a quick read, doesn't overload with details or technical data, and is thus an excellent overview for reference librarians and library administrators.