Reinventing Reference

Uniquely positioned to connect library users to the information they seek, and thus to the wider world, library staff who serve on the front lines of reference have both the power and responsibility to position the library as an institution that remains relevant and responsive. This collection takes a critical look at the overarching trends that affect current library policy and practice regarding the process of delivering information services, and how factors such as public policy, economics, and popular culture will continue to affect those trends in the future. Library leaders and visionaries from across the spectrum of institutions address such topics as The history of reference librarianship and how it relates to the current landscape Privacy, censorship, and reference ethics The effects of the “born digital” library user on the purpose and function of reference Strategic challenges for reference in the coming decade A reference forecast for 2025Placing these issues in historical and cultural context, this book offers practical solutions for new paradigms of reference service for all users.