Transcript Hello Terry! - Association for Rural & Small Libraries

REFURBISHING
REFERENCE
Presentation By: Terry Elsey
What is reference?
Definition according to Merriam-Webster online:
ref·er·ence
noun : the
act of looking at or in something for information
adjective : used
to find information about something
: used to tell people where information can be found
Full Definition of REFERENCE
:
used or usable for reference; especially : constituting a
standard for measuring or constructing
What drives your Reference collection?
People asking questions about information
Types of Questions that affect a Reference Collection
Directional:
Ex: Where are the dictionaries located?
Have clear and
visible signage
Ready Reference
Short, to-the-point questions that can usually be quickly
found by consulting 1-2 standard reference tools
Typically who, what, where, and when kinds of
questions
Factual answers:
Ex: When was the Emancipation Proclamation signed?
Ready Reference Resources
Traditional:
Dictionaries
Atlases
Encyclopedias
Directories
Almanacs
Indexes
Yearbooks
Digests
Concordances
Guidebooks
Bibliographies
Chronologies
What resource do most people use today to
answer ready reference questions?

Print Reference resources are
used less often due to the
Internet’s easy access to
ready reference answers

Library Reference print
collections are subsequently
shrinking

Electronic reference
resources are often taking
precedence over print
reference resources
Instructional Reference:
When patron needs to know how to do something to get desired
information
Ex: How can I search DVD titles in your library catalog?
Specific Search Reference:
When patron needs a range of information and usually multiple sources, in
order to more fully understand and investigate a topic
Requires more complex information-seeking methods
Ex: I need to write a paper on the Bermuda Triangle.
Can you help me find some books or articles on this subject?
Concentration on print reference collection
For the times when patrons want to choose a print
reference versus an online reference resource, how can
you streamline your print reference collection to
maximize patron use?
VS
Review library mission statement, community
demographics and collection policy
Review your library mission statement to assure which kinds of
reference resources make sense
Ex: You probably do not want to stock esoteric scholarly resources for
a small rural community but you may need to include Farmer’s
Almanacs
Be familiar with your service area demographics and special
needs
Ex: If you are primarily serving an area with an older, senior
population, you may want to have several large print reference
sources available for easier readability
Align plan for reference collection with your
broader collection development policy
State purpose/Plan for reference collection:
Reference plan is to expedite practical consultation, for
instance (not for scholarly research)
Decide breadth and depth coverage of major
subject/Dewey areas
Include 1-2 dictionaries and encyclopedias on major subjects
Include a couple more general references in each area
Include 1-2 more specialized reference books in areas of higher
interest for community: i.e. antique price guides, state and local
statutes, and local area atlases.
Reference plan continued
Non-circulating or allow limited or full circulation period?
Will you choose duplicated materials in print that are available
virtually?—which ones?
Balance print and electronic resources (don’t have to be
equally balanced but should adhere to logical plan—ex. of
having more test prep materials electronically as this format is
appropriate to the requesting patron who is in a learning
environment (or will be) at minimum).
Respond to requests for information by patrons with choices
suitable to those inquiries
Reference plan continued
Note how you will handle donations
Note how you will handle deselection-frequency, method
and disposition of items
Criteria for selecting new resources
to add to collection
Scope
Ease of use
Quality
Unique coverage
Format
Cost
Arrangement
Authority
Currency
Accuracy
Appropriateness for audience
Professional Reviews

Select by reading reviews in professional literature such as
Library Journal, Booklist, and others.
Other Selection Considerations
Need to leverage resources to “ensure neither money nor shelf
space goes to waste” (Cassell and Hiremath, 337)
Make a budget for reference materials and follow
Consider standing order plans for definite wants (updated
travel guides, list of 2-year and 4-year colleges, antiques price
guides, etc.)
Fit the format to the user
Think about which users are likely to use which
resources and for what purpose. Then you can tailor the
purchase and delivery of these resources accordingly.
Ex. High school students are typically tech-savvy and used
to online resources, therefore, they may prefer using online
databases and ebooks
Down to the nitty gritty
Once you have a plan for your reference collection—
that is, how you would like it to be ultimately composed
and updated, it is time to survey your current
collection.
Ideally you will survey and assess your reference
collection on an ongoing basis. You can schedule these
reviews or incorporate this task into your daily/weekly
duties.
Weed the reference collection
Be ruthless!
Follow the CREW recommendations for weeding
MUSTIE
Misleading (factually inaccurate)
Ugly
Superseded
Trivial
Irrelevant—getting use
Elsewhere obtained—free on the Internet, ILL
Deselecting is the opposite activity from selecting, but both serve the
same purpose—to have just the right resources residing in the
collection
Mustie Books
Streamlining print reference
Identify subjects that date quickly and weed these
heavily
Medicine
Law
Computers/technology
Science
Weed materials that are also available electronically unless
you anticipate higher demand or they are a core resource
such as a current dictionary.
Move older, but relevant, titles to circulating collection or
possibly local history collection
CREW reference recommendations













Encyclopedias
Keep at least 1 in print (update @ 5 yrs)
Subject encyclopedias (update when new editions available or @ 10 yrs)
Almanacs
Keep updated yearly (move previous year to circulating, then discard)
Regional almanacs- keep for historic research as per community needs.
Don’t need to keep other outdated almanacs like Chase’s Calendar of Events except possibly your state
almanac and specialized like The Old Farmer’s Almanac (Put date published on spine label to show age).
Dictionaries
Keep at least 1 unabridged dictionary and general desk dictionary (update @ yr)
Specialized dictionaries (ex. abbreviations, slang, and acronym) update regularly. Older editions may be
retained and added to the circulating collection, discard if unused.
Keep biographical dictionaries until superseded by a newer edition (keep those focused on specific time
period as desired. For example, Shapers of the Great Debate at the Constitutional Convention of 1787: a
Biographical Dictionary)
Foreign language dictionaries, keep until new edition available unless unused. (Update @ 5 years). Move
older editions to the circulating collection. Change as community needs.
CREW reference recommendations cont.












Directories
Keep until newer edition (many now online).
Telephone and directory information is now online. Move city directories and local telephone books to
local history room.
Atlases
Keep comprehensive geographical atlas in print (update min @ 5. Replace road atlases @ 2-3 years.
Keep retrospective or historical atlases, such as The Routledge Historical Atlas of Religion in America,
indefinitely as information seldom changes but may be newly interpreted periodically.
Keep map books, local street guides and atlases dealing with local areas and regions until older, then
move to local history.
Handbooks
Handbooks include a wide variety of resources on specific subjects or techniques. Ease of use important.
Keep most recent editions. Time and innovation sensitive subject areas need to stay updated, discard
older as information may be dangerous.
Can keep social science tools up to 10 years. Science outdated in 5 years or less with exception of natural
history, botany.
Legal forms and information
Should be up to date, though many forms and sample documents in electronic format. Discard older
editions. Keep tax prep guides 3 years.
Before Weeding
After Weeding
Resulting reference collection
Total in Reference Collection


Sept 2012
Sept 2013
2681
1577 (weeded out 41%)

Items deleted from reference between Sept 2012 and Sept 2013—811

Items moved to circulating from reference between Sept 2012 and Sept 2013—293


1104 removed from reference so far
Still have 900s to weed
Items in Reference collection by Dewey Number
000-099 58
100-199 16
200-299 41
300-399 212
400-499 52
500-599 61
600-699 56
700-799 148
800-899 158
900-999 775
Promote Reference resources
Purchase/prepare signage that is
Visible
Easy to understand
Attractive
Arrange ancillary subject materials in attractive manner
near subject shelves
Prepare pathfinders for common information needs
Publicize electronic reference resources on library website
and assure staff is trained to suggest these as potential
resources
RESOURCES FOR REFERENCE
COLLECTION MANAGEMENT
Cassell, Kay Ann and Hiremath, Uma. Reference and
Information Services in the 21st Century: An
Introduction. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2009. Print.
Web resources
General lists of librarian-selected web resources
Internet Public Library www.ipl.org
New York Public Library’s Best of the Web www.nypl.org/links/
University of Washington’s Information Gateway
www.lib.washington.edu/subject/
Vermont Dept. of Libraries web references
http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/refweb
New Mexico State Library Basic Reference Resources
http://www.nmstatelibrary.org/docs/BasicRefSources.pdf
Maine Public Libraries Bare Bones Reference List
http://www.maine.gov/msl/libs/collect/barebones2011.pdf
Web Resources about Library Reference
American Library Association-Reference and User Services
Association guidelines
http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines
CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries prepared by the
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/crew/index.html
Library Journal--Reference BackTalk: A Time to Weed
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2008/05/ljarchives/referenc
e-backtalk-a-time-to-weed/