(17 June 2014) This new White Paper from SAGE, shows that the introduction of new technologies, the pervasive nature of free internet sources, and tightened budgets have caused librarians to conceive of and purchase reference differently. Reference service, whether it is provided at a service desk or via research consultations, remains necessary because patrons are overwhelmed by the abundance of information, leaving librarians to serve as research guides who may point patrons to reference resources without ever referring to them as “reference.”
Authored by Elizabeth Leonard, The State of Reference Collections is freely available here.
Elizabeth Leonard also describes her career in reference here: My journey to define reference.
