Essentials Webinar
Guide to ReferenceEssentials Webinar
Welcome
Today we’ll introduce you to Guide to Reference, a foundational tool for librarians, teachers, researchers, students, and other library users. We’ll show you how it can help you in your work.
Our goal today
We’ll show you how to leverage Guide to Reference to support your work in the following areas:
» Reference» Collection development» Teaching and training
Who we are
Melissa WoodSales and Marketing Director, ALA Digital Reference
James HennellyManaging Editor, ALA Digital ReferenceSpecial Guest
Denise Beaubien BennettGeneral Editor of Guide to Reference
Preliminaries
If you have questions, please submit them through the questions function during the presentation.
We’ll collect your questions and answer them during the webinar and during the Q&A at the end.
For any technical difficulties, please send a questions to Dan Kaplan.
Library Journal’s 2012 Best Database
Library Journal named Guide to Reference as the Best Database in the Professional Resource Category in 2012.
This award was based on votes from librarians, readers of LJ, and reviewers.
Guide to Reference is
“(1) a reference manual . . . ; (2) a selection aid for the librarian; (3) a textbook for the student who . . . is pursuing a systematic study of reference books.”
Constance Winchell
Preface to the 8th edition, 1967
The premier evaluative bibliography
» Reflects the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of the reference community over many years
» Continues to serve as a center for learning about and practicing reference librarianship
» Some call it “the Bible” of reference sources
How does the Guide do it?
» It’s selective and broad in coverage» It gives you nearly 17,000 of the
best and most authoritative reference sources in 56 disciplines arranged under 6 major subject divisions, with in-depth annotations
» It’s kept up-to-date by an Editorial Board and 70+ contributing editors—your colleagues and peers in the reference community
Traditional strengths
» Titles are chosen by reference librarians and subject experts
» In-depth evaluative annotations» Broad subject coverage: General
Reference Works; Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences; History and Area Studies; Science, Technology, and Medicine
New strengths
» Sources include cutting-edge online resources and websites, free and licensed
» Powerful and versatile search and browse
» Interactive features that let you save and share your work
» New interdisciplinary fields: Cognitive Science; Communication/Media Studies; Environmental, Cultural, and Gender Studies
The advantages of being online
» Quickly browse and search in many subject areas
» Customize and save your searches» Create lists of resources and share» Add notes/comments to titles and
share» Hyperlink among titles inside and
outside the Guide» Connect to local holdings via
WorldCat
Reference» Direct library users to best and most
authoritative sources for answers
» Train and orient new reference staff and students/paraprofessional staff
» Create subject bibliographies, finding aids, and instructional materials
Reference: Current Challenges» Reference questions are fewer but
“harder”
» More questions require subject or content knowledge
» Too much dependence on Google and other search engines
Reference: How the Guide can help
» Find best sources quickly by drilling down into taxonomy and by refining searches
» Use Editor’s Guides for orientation» Use annotations for guidance» Create lists of resources for
bibliographies and finding aids» Save your best searches for regular
use
Collection development» Evaluate your collection:
» What’s missing» What needs to be updated» What should be retired
» Build collections for new programs and for special libraries (law, medicine, corporate)
Collection Development Current Challenges
» Making do with less: Budget cuts
» Print vs. online sources
» Buying for library staff vs. library users
» Small collection development staff; limited staff time
Collection Development How the Guide can help
» Use Editor’s Guides to understand shape and direction of reference literature
» Use annotations to compare resources
» Create lists of titles for possible purchase and share with colleagues
» Add notes/comments to titles that should be updated or retired
» Customize and save searches to run at regular intervals
Teaching and Training» Introduce next generation of
reference librarians to reference sources and reference practices
» Differentiate among types of reference sources and their value and use
» Communicate nature of information-seeking and reference process
Teaching and Training Current Challenges
» Value of bibliographies and traditional reference works in an online world
» Difference between print and online sources
» Too much dependence on Google and other search engines
Teaching and Training How the Guide can help
» Orient students to the taxonomy» Ask students to read Editor’s Guides» Ask students to evaluate different
resources based on their annotations
» Ask students to find best resources for answering questions
» Ask students to create subject guides
» Create lists of resources for class projects
Three major points of entry
» Home page – take a trial; subscribe; participate and connect
» Browse page – see the subject organization of the Guide at a glance
» Advanced Search page – construct and manage your searches
Take advantage of Editor’s Guides
» They discuss overall shape of reference literature in different subject areas
» They discuss characteristics of the literature outside the scope of annotations
» They discuss changes to publishing and research patterns caused by the online revolution
» They’re written by the Editorial Board and contributing editors
If you like your search, save it and run it later
Wrapping up
» Taking a trial» Subscribing» Special offer for LIS programs
» We’ll archive this webinar» [email protected] » [email protected]
Q & A
We’re ready to answer your questions
Guide to Reference Essentials Webinars
» Recurring series of webinars every other month
» Please tell your colleagues about the webinars
» Join us again» We welcome any feedback» Contact us at: [email protected]