Library networks place a demand on the reference librarian to know the potential of all information resources within the network. (PF)

Suggests that, upon close inspection, an increase in the use of paraprofessionals at the reference desk is undesirable due to false assumptions about the ability of patrons to ask for what they want and of professional librarians to provide better service at higher levels of efficiency. (JD)

A lighthearted expose of non-typical patrons and their use and abuse of the reference librarian. (JAB)

Discussion of the guidelines which were prepared "to establish a conceptual framework of service" for all libraries by the Standards Committee of the Reference and Adult Services Division (RASD) of the American Library Association. (JAB)

This evaluation of the DIALOG Medical Connection, a new user-friendly system that provides access to several online health sciences databases, describes searching, changing databases, documentation, online help, access, costs, and training, and compares the features of this system with those of other systems that are currently available. Three…

This description of the types of linguistic information obtainable from online databases generally used to acquire technical information includes examples of equivalent words, English usage, and statistical linguistic data. The implications of online databases as substitutes for dictionaries and as corpora for linguistic survey are considered.…

Reviews the history of bibliography and the effects of online bibliographic services on bibliographic practices. Several of these practices examined (1) delimitation by date span; (2) regional and national delimitation; (3) selectivity; (4) internal organization; (5) citation practices; and (6) annotation styles. (35 references) (MES)

This discussion of the issue of confidentiality or privacy in reference service describes similarities to other professions and explores the legal ramifications of confidentiality. Suggestions are offered to complement official professional guidelines in this area. Twenty references are listed. (MES)

Reports the results of a survey of a free university-run electronic bulletin board. Provides data on gender, age, computer experience, frequency of use, reasons for use, and type of use for 122 users who responded to either an online or mailed survey. (JDH)

This essay arguing for retention of sophisticated reference-desk service as separate from library instruction notes brief history of relationship and two fundamental reasons for separation: a "one-shot" lecture could not cover every tool useful for research needs of each individual student; and not all patrons are experiencing library instruction.…

The relation between library instruction and the reference function is explored, noting characteristics and aims of both functions, terminology (bibliographic instruction and library instruction), user attitudes toward library use, correlation of the two services, and purposes of both bibliographic instruction and the reference process. Sixteen…

Identifies nature of problems affecting library instruction in smaller public libraries and reports on writings which may be helpful to those libraries having no formal library instruction programs. Trends, a definition of the problem, literature reviewed, philosophy of library instruction, and programs over past 10 years are highlighted. (29…

A selection of recent scholarly and general works of interest to reference librarians in academic libraries. (Author/AP)

The University of Wisconsin-Stout library has developed a keyword out of context (KWOC) index to handle repetitive, routine or directional questions for students. (PF)