Page 28 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Unit 2: Reference Services

2.1 Concept of Reference Service Notes

According to Ranganathan, right contact means, “contact between the right reader and the right
book at the right time and in the right personal way.” He was of the view that the establishment
of such a contact is “the only available and effective method” of discharging the function of
converting the users into habitual users. He has named this method as reference service and
adds that “Reference service is the establishing of contact between reader and book by personal
service.” Here emphasis is laid on personal service to each.

In simple terms, reference means “process of establishing contact between a reader and his
documents in a personal way.” His documents refer to those which will serve his requirements
precisely. It is a personal service, which involves various activities, aimed at making information
available to the users as easily as possible. In order to provide information, a reference librarian
may make use of resources of the library as well as, those resources available outside his library.
He may give information itself or the documents containing information, depending upon the
requirements.
Libraries have always been engaged in providing services to their users. Maximum utilization
of resources is the principle underlying the heart of the very concept of the librarianship which
is the collective sharing and use of the records for the benefit of society as a whole and of the
individuals making up the society in particular. In the first law of Library Science too Dr.
Ranganathan has emphasized that ‘Books are for use.’ In reference work, thus, the qualified
library professionals supplement the various facilities of the library by providing personal
assistance to individual users in search of information. The role of the reference librarian is to
give assistance to the library users by exploiting the library collection to the maximum.

Reference work is the actual assistance given to the users in need for information. It enables
librarians and users to understand where the recorded information exists and helps in searching
the needed information. This activity has been designed in the libraries for the convenience of
the users. The library materials require exploitation if it is to be of benefit to the people coming
to the library. Generally most libraries have a separate reference section or collection. The
librarian usually provides reference services on the basis of this collection of reference books
which are placed in a prominent and separate section of the library. Majority of the users are
familiar with reference books as many of them have dictionaries, encyclopaedias, yearbooks,
etc. at home as part of their private collection.

2.1.1 Reference Service and Information Service

Reference and information services have always been the main component of library services.
They provide personalized assistance to library users in accessing suitable information resources
to meet their needs. Traditionally speaking information service and reference service are two
different kinds of services. Sometimes a service may be called information service but it may be
nothing but reference service as understood traditionally. Vice-versa may also be true.

Did u know? What are the major differences between the two services?
Reference Service Information Service
• Refers to traditional approach • Refers to non-traditional approach.

• Emphasis on providing documents • Emphasis on providing information.
Contd…

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