Many reference librarians have been highly critical about
unobtrusive evaluation studies. But can their opposition be
justified? Or is it just a way to detract attention from serious
shortcomings in reference service? How can government documents
reference service, and reference service in general, be improved?
Do librarians have enough general and subject-specific knowledge to
provide informed and intelligent answers to reference questions?
Would any business or non-profit organization be satisfied with the
traditional 55 percent efficacy rate in reference service revealed
by unobtrusive evaluation studies?
Long a controversial topic in the specialized world of reference
librarianship, unobtrusive evaluation is nevertheless a useful tool
in gauging the degree to which reference librarians are effectively
performing their jobs. Based on a nationwide study of government
documents reference service in Canada, this book examines the broad
philosophical implications of negative attitudes to unobtrusive
evaluation studies within libraries. It also discusses what really
happens when librarians make referrals to external sources. Drawing
on the insights of such library educators as Margaret Hutchins, S.
R. Ranganathan, and James Wyer, it also suggests overlooked ways
that may help reference librarians deliver better reference
service. Finally, it argues that such proposals as certification
and recertification of reference librarians need to be seriously
considered if librarians do not willingly take personal
responsibility for improving their own knowledge levels.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!