Search (117 results, page 6 of 6)

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Footnote

Rez. in: Journal of the American Society for Information Science. 47(1996) no.8, S.655 (D.R. Smith)

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Abstract

The advent of globally networked information is an historic change. Educational, commercial and industrial institutions depend on its effective exploitation for their success, but often cultural and human factors are the biggest obstacles. This book looks at the roots of these problems and how they may be overcome, through understanding recent developments in technical services, the difference between service and technical orientation, organizational culture, the role of subject expertise and the cultural heritage of the information profession

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LCSH

Library information networks / United States

Subject

Library information networks / United States

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Footnote

Rez. in: Managing information 3(1996) no.9, S.46 (Z. Woodley)

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Abstract

This new edition reflects the best of current practice and the findings of recent research. It includes the effects on reference work of OPACs, CD-ROM, expert systems and online databases, also covers recent work on question analysis and information-seeking behaviour

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Abstract

Is intended as a guide for those people who have been charged with establishing a library or information service in their organisation. It is a practical guide to the steps that need to be taken, the people that will need to be dealt with and the procedures that will have to be adopted in order to bring the venture to a successful conclusion. Contains many practical tips and hints from the author.

Content

Key Features - Deals with the whole process - from start to finish and is based an sound principles that have worked in practice - Is easy to follow as a step-by-step guide - Is of value to both professional librarians and non-professional staff working in the field The Author Kirby Porter is currently employed as Principal Librarian for the Northern Ireland Civil Service and Head of Library Services for the Northern Assembly. He has developed libraries in various government departments, colleges and other organisation such as the Human Rights Commission. Readership The book is aimed at all librarians and informational professionals, and non-librarians responsible for library collections. Contents Introduction Why create a library service, purpose First steps - finding out about customers, involving customers Information audit, finding out about what you have got, finding out about what the customer needs Organising information, classification Standard, cataloguing standards, copyright Planning and implementation, library layout, library systems Marketing the service Review, performance indicators Conlusion/things to look out for

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Abstract

An essential desk-book aiming to help the information professional to become self-sufficient in answering enquiries. Step by step, it guides the reader through all the stages of research, from finding out what the enquirer really wants, to providing a polished, value-added answer, including: Techniques for getting started - Tips for efficient search strategies - How much information to select - How to meet deadlines every time - How to choose between printed and electronic sources - What to do when the anser is nowhere to be found

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Footnote

Rez. in: JASIST 53(2002) no.4, S.321-322 (I. Fourie): "A substantial literature exists on artificial intelligence (AI) and expert systems in general, as well as in Library and Information Science (LIS). Many reports are over-confident and grossly exaggerate the power and potential of artificial intelligence (AI). This is especially true of the first phase of At, and to some extent also of the third phase that is stimulated by developments surrounding the Internet. The middle phase was mostly marked by disillusionment about the potential of Al and expert systems. The confusion around the promises made by AI and the lack of operational success, leaves managers of library and information services with the dilemma of distinguishing between worthwhile research reporting on operational projects and projects that exists only on paper or in the researchers' heads. It is very difficult to sieve between the two when working through the subject literature, and to distinguish between working technology/applications and wishful thinking. This might be one reason why working systems are sometimes ignored. According to Lancaster and Warner, library managers must also look much wider than the LIS literature to note new trends; this can, however, become a daunting task. Against this background the authors report on a study conducted with the support of the Special Libraries Association's Steven I. Goldspiel Memorial Research Grant. The objective of the study was to gain sufficient familiarity with the developments in Al and related technologies to make recommendations to the information service community on what can be applied, and what to expect in the near future. The intention therefore was to focus on systems that are actually operational, and systems that hold potential for the future. Since digital libraries seems an inevitable part of our future, applications concerning them features strongly in the final recommendations. The scope of AI in Library and Information Science depends on the interpretation of the concepts artificial intelligence and expert systems. "If a system has to `behave intelligently' (e.g. make inferences or learn from its mistakes) to qualify as having AI, few such systems exist in any application. On the other hand, if one accepts that a system exhibits AI if its does things that humans need intelligence to do, many more systems would qualify" (p. 107). One example is the field of subject indexing. The same would apply if a more relaxed definition of expert systems is applied as a system that "can help the non-expert perform some task at a level closer to that of an expert, whether or not all the essential components are in place" (p. 107). Most of the AI literature relevant to libraries falls in the field of expert systems. Lancaster and Warner identify (p. 6) expert systems as " a branch of artificial intelligence, even though very few expert systems exhibit true intelligence.""

Imprint

Medford, NJ : Information Today

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Content

Volume 1 is divided into three parts. Part One (Chapters 1 and 2) constitutes an introduction to the reference process and automated reference services. Part Two, "Information: Control and Access," consists of Chapters 3 through 6 and covers an introduction to bibliographies, indexing, and abstracting services. Chapters 7 through 12 are in Part Three, "Sources of Information," which include encyclopedias, various ready reference sources, biographical sources, dictionaries, geographical sources, and government documents. It is as pointless for students to memorize details about specific reference sources, as it is necessary for them to grasp the essential areas of agreement and difference among the various forms. To this end, every effort is made to compare rather than to detail. Only basic or foundation reference works are discussed in this volume. But readers may not find all basic titles included or annotated because: (1) There is no consensus an what constitutes "basic". (2) The objective of this text is to discuss various forms, and the titles used for that purpose are those that best illustrate those forms. (3) The annotations for a specific title are duplicated over and over again in Guide to Reference Books and Guide to Reference Materials, which list the numerous subject bibliographies. In both volumes, suggested readings are found in the footnotes and at the end of each chapter. When a publication is cited in a footnote, the reference is rarely duplicated in the "Suggested Reading." For the most part, these readings are limited to publications issued since 1987. In addition to providing readers with current thinking, these more recent citations have the added bonus of making it easier for the student to locate the readings. A number of the suggested reading items will be found in Reference and Information Sources, A Reader, 4th ed., published by Scarecrow Press, in 1991. It is beyond argument, of course, that all readings need not necessarily be current and that many older articles and books are as valuable today as they were when first published. Thanks to many teachers' having retained earlier editions of this text and the aforementioned Scarecrow title, it is possible to have a bibliography of previous readings. As has been done in all previous editions, the sixth edition notes prices for most of the major basic titles. This practice seems particularly useful today, since librarians must more and more be aware of budgetary constraints when selecting reference titles. CD-ROMS are listed where available. Prices are based an information either from the publisher of the original reference source or from the publisher of the CD-ROM disc. If a particular work is available online, the gross hourly rate as charged by DIALOG is given for its use. Both this rate and the book prices are current as of late 1990 and are useful in determining relative costs. Bibliographic data are based an publisher's catalogs, Books in print, and examination of the titles. The information is applicable as of late 1990 and, like prices, is subject to change.
The ten chapters in Volume 11 are divided into 3 parts: Part One, "Information and the Community," contains two chapters to familiarize readers with various groups in the community, their information and reference needs, and how professionals attempt to serve those needs. Part Two, "Interview and Search," devotes Chapters 3 through 6 to the vital task of explaining how to isolate and understand the questions readers put to librarians as well as basic methods of finding the correct answer(s). The emphasis is an practical application of tried and true methods of interviewing and searching. Attention is given to both manual and computer searches. Chapter 6 is a guide to basic information about databases, including CD-ROMS. Part Three, "Library Instruction, Networks, Policies, and Evaluation," is comprised of the last four chapters and covers the activities of reference librarians when not responding to direct questions. This part includes hints an teaching people how to find information as well as the networks that help both librarian and user to discover what is needed. Chapter 10 discusses methods of deciding how well the individual has fulfilled the task of being a reference librarian. Only space and the fact that this text is for beginners limits what information it contains. First, many new developments and potentially important technological changes in the field of information are impossible to cover without turning to technical language and jargon quite beyond the average reader of an introductory textbook. However, basic developments are covered and explained, and there is a guide (via the footnotes and suggested readings) for those who wish to explore the future. Second, this volume is for students and working reference librarians and is intended first, foremost, and always as a pragmatic, practical approach. This is not to discount the importance of research and information science. Leaders and followers in those fields are responsible for much of what is revolutionary in references services today. There are other courses, other places where information science can be considered in depth; all that can be done here is to hint at the joy of the intellectual fields that open up to the information scientist and researcher. Students and teachers alike should be aware that much of the material covered in this book is updated, argued, and dutifully considered in several basic journals. RQ, the official voice of reference librarians of the American Library Association, excels in its coverage of the topics considered in this text. Library Journal, while more general, now offers excellent and timely articles an the new technology and its influence an librarians. The Reference Librarian, edited by the author of this text, offers specific discussions of single topics in each issue, and these have ranged from online reference services, to personnel, to problems of evaluation. And, not to be missed, is the nicely edited, always useful, and sometimes downright inspirational, References Services Review.

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Footnote

Rez. in: Journal of documentation. 52(1996) no.1, S.122-123 (B. Duckett); Information processing and management 32(1996) no.2, S.255-256 (F.W. Lancaster); JASIS 46(1995) no.10, S.792-793 (P. Wilson); College and research libraries 56(1995) no.6, S.562-563 (E. Blakely)

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Abstract

Introduces the Internet as an addition to the librarian's repertoire of working skills. Author does an exceptional job of explaining JPEG and Mosaic. Also examines the integration of Internet resources into traditional library services. The book serves as an effective road map for ne drivers on the information superhighway, teaching not only the rules of the road but also showing how to deal with roadblocks and detours

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Abstract

Presents 18 reports describing ways in which specific libraries applied the Internet to local community information services in the USA. Applications range from the immense electronic matrix of Stanford University to 1 telephone libraries in rural New York State. Reports are illustrated and include hardware, software, and connectivity data as well as managerial, financial, social, legal and staff issues

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Issue

7. Aufl. Vol.1: Basic information sources; Vol.2: Reference services and refrence processes

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Abstract

This comprehensive volume recounts the ways reference librarians have adapted traditional services to deal with the changes in both information technologies and library patrons. New Technologies and Reference Services shows how to provide needed services using videoconferencing, interactive classrooms, drop-in seminars, and required courses. It also discusses the other implications of new technologies, including developing trends in publishing, copyright issues, collection strategies, and decentralizing library reference services.

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Footnote

Rez. in: JASIST 55(2004) no.14, S.1304 (L.A. Ennis): "Written by Judith A. Siess, president of Information Bridges International, Inc. and recognized expert in one-person librarianship, The Visible Librarian: Asserting Your Value with Marketing and Advocacy is a concise and easy to read work an the art of self-promotion. As Siess explains in her introduction "libraries are no longer a given" (p. xi). Librarians must leam to market themselves and their services to the people who make decisions and practice proactive advocacy to survive. In The Visible Librarian Siess applies proven and practical marketing, customer service, and public relations strategies to libraries and librarians. The Visible Librarian is divided in to live chapters. The first chapter, "The Primacy of Customer Service and Other Basics," takes a close look at what it means to provide good customer service. Drawing from a variety of resources Siess provides the reader with a basic overview of customer service theory and then demonstrates how to put the theory into practice in libraries of all kinds. Siess also stresses the importance of thinking of library users as customers. Further, one of the most compelling points Siess makes in this chapter is that libraries now must compete with other information providers for customers. Libraries are no longer the only place for people to find information and, as Siess argues, good customer service is what will keep people coming back to the library. This is an excellent introductory chapter for this work. Chapter 2, "Doing the Groundwork: Marketing," is a lively discussion an the role energetic and positive marketing can play in promoting libraries and their services. Siess begins by stressing that marketing is vital to all libraries and that librarians must be the ones to do the marketing. The bulk of this chapter focuses an the "Six Ps" of marketing; "the right product at the right price in the right place, promoted in the right way to the right people at the right point in time" (p. 20). Along with the discussion of the six Ps Siess uses Ranganathan's model to provide the reader with some examples of creative marketing. This chapter also includes a sample customer satisfaction survey and a small section addressing marketing in specialized libraries such as corporate, academic, and hospitals. One of the best discussions is in chapter three, "Publicity: The Tangibles." Siess broadly defines publicity as "anything written or said, seen or heard about your business that communicates the who, what, why, when, and where ... (52). Siess begins by providing an outline explaining the different sections of a public relations plan. The chapter then covers publicity basics and provides the reader with a number of tips for conducting publicity such as, keeping things simple and proof reading copy multiple times. Siess closes with examples of forms of publicity such as brochures, newsletters, business cards, and more. One example given by the author is how she uses her e-mail signature file to publicize her book. Overall, this chapter especially is a practical and useful guide for all types of libraries and librarians.

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Footnote

Rez in: JASIST 55(2004) no.4, S.365-366 (D.A. Agosto): "In this entry in the Library and Information Science Series, Saxton and Richardson present a meticulously explained quantitative study of reference service effectiveness, drawn from public library data collected for this project. The study is based largely an Saxton's dissertation work, for which Richardson served as chair. Based an original data, the researchers examine three desired outcomes of the reference process: utility, user satisfaction, and accuracy. The authors collected a large body of data (N = 3520) comprised of in-person and telephone reference transactions, as recorded by responding librarians. Although the research was conducted in public library settings, the results should be transferable to most academic and school libraries, and to many special libraries as well. The relatively brief text (roughly half of the book consists of appendixes and bibliographies) is organized into seven chapters, with an extensive bibliography for each chapter. Chapter 1 lays out the research goals that underlie the study. These include an attempt to discover the factors that contribute to high levels of research performance, an attempt to identify the best indicators of successful reference performance, and an attempt to determine how well the data collected support the proposed model. The next two chapters, which combined constitute more than a quarter of the text, present and critique related research. Chapter 2 provides an in-depth literature review of past reference service evaluation research. Above all, this chapter brings to light the lack of theory driving this body of past work, a gap that Saxton and Richardson endeavor to fill. Chapter 3 evaluates the major methodologies that have previously been used to study reference service evaluation. In this chapter, Saxton and Richardson critique the existing body of reference-related research an methodological grounds. They cite as the most significant problems insufficient sample sizes, the widespread lack of the use of random sampling, and the minimal use of theory to underpin study design. Chapter 4, which lays out the methodology of Saxton and Richardson's study, is the strongest of the seven chapters. It emphasizes issues surrounding sampling, the proposed variables, data gathering methods, and data analysis. The authors do a good job of explaining the statistical theories and methods that they employ, turning the book into a sort of mini-review course in multivariate statistics.
The authors also do a good job of explaining the process of complex model building, making the text a useful resource for dissertation writers. The next two chapters focus an the results of the study. Chapter 5 presents the study findings and introduces four different models of the reference process, derived from the study results. Chapter 6 adds analysis to the discussion of the results. Unfortunately, the "Implications for Practice," "Implications for Research," and "Implications for Education" sections are disappointingly brief-only a few paragraphs each-limiting the utility of the volume to practitioners. Finally, Chapter 7 considers the applicability of systems analysis in modeling the reference process. It also includes a series of data flow diagrams that depict the reference process as an alternative to flowchart depiction. Throughout the book, the authors claim that their study is more complete than any to come before it since previous studies tended to focus an ready reference questions, rather than full-blown reference queries and directional queries, and since previous studies generally excluded telephone reference. They also challenge the long-standing "55% Rule," asserting that "Library users indicate high satisfaction even when they do not find what they want or are not given accurate information" (Saxton & Richardson, 2002, p. 95). Overall, Saxton and Richardson found the major variables that had a statistically significant effect an the outcome measures to be: (1) the extent to which the librarian followed the RUSA Behavioral Guidelines; (2) the difficulty of the query; (3) the user's education level, (4) the user's familiarity with the library; and (5) the level of reference service provided. None of the other variables that were considered, most notably the librarian's experience, the librarian's education level, and the size of the collection, had a statistically significant effect an the outcome measures.
In their introduction, the authors state that the book is intended for use by researchers, administrators, practitioners, and graduate students. Although too narrow in scope to serve as a primary text for a graduate level reference course, it could serve as a more theoretical complement to a standard text, such as Katz's Introduction to Reference Work Vols. 1 and 2 (2002), or Bopp and Smith's Reference and Infortnation Services: An Introduction (2001). These more traditional texts are heavily pragmatic in nature; Saxton and Richardson's work could help to bring theory and methodological assiduousness into the reference and information services classroom. The major contribution of this work is that it brings a badly needed statistical rigor to the study of reference services. It also serves as statistical support for the use of the RUSA Guidelines since it indicates that following the RUSA Guidelines is the strongest predictor of user satisfaction with a reference transaction. Indeed, the most important practical lesson to be learned from this study is that educators who teach reference and other information service courses should familiarize their students with the RUSA Guidelines and that practitioners should adhere to them as much as possible. Regrettably, the RUSA Guidelines are never summarized within the text, a problem for readers unfamiliar with them. In brief, the Guidelines were developed by an ad hoc RUSA committee charged with "identify[ing] and recommend[ing] observable behavioral attributes that could be correlated with positive patron perceptions of reference librarian performance" (RASD Guidelines, 1996, [RUSA was previously called RASD]). The resulting behavioral attributes include: approachability, interest, listening/inquiring, searching, and follow-up. Thus, the Guidelines couch the reference process largely in terms of human communication and librarian-user interaction. It would have been particularly useful if a discussion as to why the RUSA Guidelines lead to improved reference service were included in the book, but this topic is not addressed. Perhaps the authors' future work will head down this path. Nonetheless, Understanding Reference Transactions is a useful addition to the field of reference service research, and it is a worthwhile addition for most large academic library collections."