This manual ensures that the personnel who work at the Information/Reference Desk of the James White Library, Andrews University carry out similar procedures regardless of their shift. It serves as an orientation tool and a reference guide, and gives procedures for dealing with patrons, answering reference questions, making the right referrals,…

Discusses academic library users who are not affiliated with the institution and considers the problems associated with them. Ethical issues are raised; possible solutions are suggested, including guidelines, bibliographic instruction, and user fees; and policies implemented at the University of California at Berkeley regarding unaffiliated users…

This manual presents the policies and procedures of the Reference Department of Chicago State University's Douglas Library. General information about the reference department's staffing, functions, and services is given in the first section. In the next nine sections information is provided about the following areas: scope and circulation period…

Discusses the need for a value-based reference policy and suggests one based on John Rawls' system in "A Theory of Justice" that provides equitable service to all members of an academic community while permitting the librarian to uphold the ideal of freedom of access to information. (11 references) (LRW)

The purpose of this policy is to outline those principles that guide the development of the Reference Collection at the Calvin T. Ryan Library, University of Nebraska at Kearney. It clarifies, records, and makes public the basic principles that the members of the Reference Department believe should be applied in adding items to or withdrawing…

Discusses how the reference staff at Texas A&M University defined basic tools, skills and procedures that new librarians and support staff should know. A list of Subject Baseline Competencies (which is appended) was developed for the reference department, including desk procedures and policies, electronic competencies, and the three major…

Summarizes the debate concerning use of desks versus counters in reference areas of academic libraries. Librarians argued whether patrons were more likely to approach a standing or a sitting librarian. In general, patrons preferred approaching a standing librarian; however, only small studies were conducted. In practice, libraries are designed in…

Describes the Information Function of the LS/2000 integrated library system at Carnegie-Mellon University. Existing and planned functions, screen displays, and selection options (announcements, guides to book locations, library hours, access to library guides and bibliographies, library policies and services) are illustrated. Footnotes are…

Model for evaluation of library reference services examines four elements of reference process: librarians' performance on requests for factual information; knowledge of library policies, procedures, or services; provision of bibliographical instruction; and performance of interviewing techniques. Reference service questionnaire, criteria for…

Discusses the impact of Internet access on library reference services based on 1994 interviews with almost two dozen university librarians. Highlights include library policy, overcrowded workstations and methods of controlling use, recreational use of terminals that interferes with more formal library use, restriction as a form of censorship, and…

Reports on a study of the impact of CD-ROM on online searching at an academic library. Data are presented on online connect time, numbers of online users, and types of users of various services. The effects of library policy and fees are discussed. (MES)

This manual was designed to give student employees of the Mitchell Memorial Library at Mississippi State University an understanding of what to expect from faculty and staff, and what is expected of all student employees of the Library. In general, the manual is aimed at helping student employees: develop a philosophy of service and promote a…

This guide is the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Libraries' quick reference tool for providing information about its collections, facilities, and services. The articles are arranged in an alphabetic, dictionary format with numerous cross-references, and highlight information on the following: administrative offices; company annual reports;…

The goals of this SPEC Kit were to report on the extent to which ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries provide electronic reference services and to offer a snapshot of the types of users reached, questions received, policies established, data-gathering techniques utilized, and innovations implemented. The first section of the kit…

First sale and fair use are two copyright principles of use in academic libraries that need to be reexamined in an information age offering possibilities of universal access and perfect distribution in the electronic document. Library services that are perhaps most affected by these concerns are in provision of electronic reserves and collections.…