Page 78 - DLIS104_MANAGEMENT OF LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION CENTRES

Jovita Kaur, Lovely Professional University Unit 12: Organization of Reference and Information Section

Unit 12: Organization of Reference Notes

and Information Section

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
12.1 User Education
12.2 Summary
12.3 Keywords
12.4 Review Questions
12.5 Further Readings

Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
Understand organization of reference
Know about information section
Explain user education.

Introduction

The Reference and Information Services Section will address all aspects of reference work, in all
types of libraries, in all regions of the world. Current interests encompass the new electronic
environment and the resulting changes in reference work, the future role of reference work, and the
quality of reference services.
Future investigation, discussion, and programming will focus on:
User-centered reference services
Organization and staffing of reference services
Ethics and the provision of high quality service
The impact of the digital environment on reference services
Reference collections in a digital world
Continuing education of reference librarians
Marketing/Visibility of library reference services
Providing a forum for information on the nature of reference work in different parts of the
world

12.1 User Education
Dramatic changes in technology and society are having a considerable impact on libraries and their
instruction programs. These changes have created an urgency to teach users how to become more
effective, efficient, and independent in their information searching. In response to this, the goals of
library user education have expanded from teaching tools to teaching concepts and from library
instruction to information literacy and lifelong learning. The Gateway to Information, developed by
the Ohio State University (OSU) Library, is one response to the current issues and problems and
those foreseen in the future of libraries and information. The Gateway to Information was designed
to help undergraduate and graduate students identify, find, evaluate, and select the most useful
information for their needs without help screens or handouts.

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