Book Description

The 55-page study profiles the development and management of reference services at seven American institutions of higher education : the University of Arizona, Bowling Green State University, California State University--Fresno, Florida Atlantic University, the University of Idaho, Kaplan University and Princeton University. The study looks at a broad range of issues including but not limited to : the development of special services for international students and distance learning students, the integration of reference services with info technology assistance, tutoring and other student services, the presentation and orientation of the reference and circulation desks, the appropriate use of student labor and other staffing and labor use issues, the development of "personal librarian programs" and other customization strategies, the proper uses of reference statistics, the integration of virtual and on-site reference services and the marketing of reference services. Other issues discussed in the report include : relationship building with student "customer" : use of surveying and focus groups to assess the quality of the student reference experience ; collaboration with library subject specialists ; staff training and dealing with a plethora of reference librarian retirements ; and much more.