Teaching the reference interview through practice-based assignments

PurposeIn the autumn of 2006, two groups of students from the Faculty of Journalism, Library and Information Science at Oslo University College participated in a cooperative project with the Norwegian online reference service, Biblioteksvar.no (Ask The Library (ATL)). The students were in their third term of studies and received instruction in retrieval systems and tools. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the students in actual reference work. It seeks to examine a sample of questions and answers. In a wider perspective, the study highlights the value of this kind of educational strategy.Design/methodology/approachThe evaluation criteria in this study are based on a qualitative analysis of actual questions and answers from the ATL, student summaries of their own work on the project and interviews with professional librarians working with the ATL service. A substantial amount of data has been collected during the project period.FindingsAnalysis shows that the students generally performed very well. This corroborates the findings from a similar project last year. The students' answers had the same level of quality as the responses supplied by professional, experienced librarians working on the ATL service. Possible reasons for this result are discussed. The study confirms the importance of the reference interview for increasing the quality of the responses.Practical implicationsThe results of the study indicate that the ATL service should not only provide links to information sources in response to user questions, but should also include a short explanation of how the links are found. Further, patron satisfaction surveys are useful. The collection of contextual data about the question and the patron may improve the quality of the response from the service. It is recommended that the SMS‐based service be included in the student project next year so that the students will have the opportunity to participate in all three of the currently available ATL services from Biblioteksvar.no.Originality/valueThe paper may inspire other faculties and schools of information studies to cooperate more closely with the library profession and to prepare students for their future careers as reference librarians through participation in actual reference work from a relatively early stage in the program of study. The project described in this paper illustrates the change from traditional lecture‐based teaching to problem‐based learning in projects as outlined in The Quality Reform in Norwegian Higher Education.

We open this second issue of the year in what has become a traditional way, with an extensive article on libraries in the host country for this year’s World Library and Information Congress (WLIC), to be held in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 10–15 August. In her paper, ‘Swedish libraries: An overview’, Barbro Thomas – now retired, but with a distinguished professional career which included serving as a member of numerous professional boards and committees in Sweden and in IFLA – gives us a very readable overview of the Swedish library landscape. Her paper describes the background to public library development, the development of university and university college libraries and library legislation, and provides an overview of the national policy on literature and the remuneration system for Swedish writers, translators and illustrators. The paper concludes with a description of the new national structure with the National Library as the supervising authority for both academic and public libraries and suggests that cooperation between public and research libraries will deepen in future. The second paper in this issue is a revised translation of a paper presented at the 2009 WLIC in Milan, by Margarita Perez Pulido, a professor in the Faculty of Library and Information Science and a Director of the Documentation Service at the University of Extremadura in Spain, where she teaches planning and evaluation of information systems and professional ethics. Her paper, ‘Programs promoting reading in Spanish prisons’, focuses on a series of studies and findings that document the effectiveness of reading and writing as a tool for the rehabilitation of disadvantaged population groups, including prisoners. The paper provides an analysis of the current situation in Spain which identifies examples of best practices, analyzes methodologies, and examines the extent of innovation demonstrated by these programs within the unique prison environment, as well as in the context of the Spanish cultural and legal framework. Innovative services of a different kind are the subject of the next paper, ‘Innovative services for libraries through the Virtual Reading Rooms of the Digital Dissertation Library, Russian State Library’, by Nina Avdeeva, Head of the Department of Support of Access to Digital Resources of the Russian State Library, Head Manager of the Digital Dissertation Library (DDL) project of the Russian State Library and Chief Developer of the DDL website. The paper describes how the Russian State Library started the DDL in 2003 to ensure that its valuable collection of dissertations was safely kept and widely accessible. Virtual Reading Rooms, where readers can access the resources of the DDL, have been set up in various libraries in Russia and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Within the framework of the DDL, the Open Digital Dissertation Library (ODDL) allows authors to place their dissertations or abstracts on open access at the DDL website. The Russian State Library continues to work on the development of the DDL in order to form a common information zone for researchers. Another aspect of ‘virtuality’ is the subject of a revised version of another Milan WLIC paper, ‘Virtual reunification as the future of ‘codices dispersi’: Practices and standards developed by e-codices – Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland’, by Anne Marie Austenfeld, a research associate with the Library which is a joint project of the University of Fribourg Medieval Institute and the Abbey Library of St. Gall. Her paper describes how the advent of the online digital library has made possible the virtual reunification of valuable medieval and early modern manuscripts – known as ‘codices dispersi’ – which are physically dispersed in various library collections. The e-codices website of the Virtual Manuscript Library aims to make complete digital images of dispersed materials accessible to scholars as an identifiable collection or unit, provide a context for serious study, and offer participating owner libraries the I F L A

Findings are given of the citation analysis performed on library and information science serials during the period 1975-1984 in Spain. Specifically the most cited authors of these publications are identified. Furthermore, a comparison is offered between these names and those of the most cited authors during the period 1985-1998, which had been studied by researchers at the Faculty of Library and Information Science of the University of Granada. The objective is to provide a list of the most cited authors in Library and Information Science from 1975 (when the first chair in Documentation in Spain was established) to the present day.

This paper describes a computer-supported learning system to teach students the principles and concepts of Fuzzy Information Retrieval Systems based on weighted queries. This tool is used to support the teacher's activity in the degree course Information Retrieval Systems Based on Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of Library and Information Sciences at the University of Granada. Learning of languages of weighted queries in Fuzzy Information Retrieval Systems is complex because it is very difficult to understand the different semantics that could be associated to the weights of queries together with their respective strategies of query evaluation. We have developed and implemented this computer-supported education system because it allows to support the teacher's activity in the classroom to teach the use of weighted queries in FIRSs and it helps students to develop self-learning processes on the use of such queries. We have evaluated the performance of its use in the learning process according to the students' perceptions and their results obtained in the course's exams. We have observed that using this software tool the students learn better the management of the weighted query languages and then their performance in the exams is improved.

The paper presents the overview of work of the annual scientific-methodical conference «Continuing LIS education» which held at the Faculty of Library and Information Science to Saint-Petersburg State University of Culture (March 16-17, 2017). In the conference participated representatives of the leading universities of Moscow, Kemerovo, Samara and Chelyabinsk and other educational organizations, as well as heads and specialists of libraries of all types and kinds from different regions of Russia and experts in the field of library and information education abroad. In the conference reports, participants discussed the topical issues of higher library education and additional professional education. For example, the problems associated with the normative provision of various levels of vocational education, the development of professional and educational standards and the formation of new professional competencies were outlined. Special attention was paid to the problems of professional training of librarians who do not have a vocational education, as well as the development of network interaction of all participants of educational process.

This study aims to explore and identify competency development needs among library and information science educators. A qualitative research methodology was employed, with data collected through semi-structured interviews with lecturers from a Vietnamese library and information science faculty. Educators’ needs related to competencies and forms of development were analysed. The study identifies four main areas of competency requiring development: professional expertise, teaching skills, research capabilities, and support competencies such as soft skills and foreign language proficiency. Applying advanced technologies, attending formal and informal training activities, and self-learning, with the institution's support playing a vital role, were recognized as crucial for faculty development. Based on these findings, the study proposes flexible and continuing training programmes, personalized for each faculty group, while emphasizing the importance of technology integration in teaching within developing countries.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss whether the outcomes of a reference transaction can be improved by focusing on the ethical dimension of the conversation between user and librarian. The aim is to provide a better understanding of the ethical implications of the reference interview.Design/methodology/approachThe starting point is the ethical questions raised by the results of Gunhild Salvesen's PhD thesis, where she analyses authentic reference interviews by the method Conversation Analysis (CA). She found several traits in the conversations between librarian and user with a negative influence on the quality of the transactions. To visualise the ethical implications of the same conversation, Løgstrup's ethics of proximity are used.FindingsAnalysing the conversations from an ethical perspective revealed that increased ethical consciousness among the librarians clearly would have improved the quality of the actual transactions. It is concluded that the total quality of reference transactions will increase by focusing on the ethical dimension.Research limitations/implicationsUsing data from a researcher to validate the same data in another context might not be considered appropriate. However, using the transcripts from Salvesen's dissertation would serve the purpose of revealing the ethical implications of the interviews and their influence on the quality.Practical implicationsThis work might contribute to increasing the ethical consciousness among reference librarians, and encourage them to improve their communication skills, to raise the quality of the interaction.Originality/valueThis way of using ethical theories in the analysis of authentic conversations between user and librarian is new. Likewise, using CA on reference interviews in a library setting is also new.

SUMMARY The popularity of chat reference services is evident, as seen from participation by libraries of all types and sizes. Librarians have long been taught and honed skills to assist the patron in face-to-face reference interviews, but this new medium has forced librarians to rethink those skills. The article discusses the practicalities of conducting a reference interview through chat, as opposed to face-to-face or in-person reference. Actual chat transcripts and surveys from the chat reference librarians at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Libraries are used to illustrate the relationship and tension between instruction and reference in the chat interview. Also included are training suggestions, ways to compensate for the lack of visual cues, and advice from veteran chat reference librarians.

This study seeks to develop a curriculum operating model for Korean Library and Information Science, based on investigations into LIS curricula at home and abroad. Standard courses that can be applied to this model were also proposed. This study comprehensively analyzed the contents of domestic and foreign curricula and surveyed current librarians in all types of library fields. As a result, this study proposed required courses, core courses, and elective courses. Six required LIS courses are: Introduction to Library and Information Science, Information Organization, Information Services, Library and Information Center Management, Information Retrieval, and Field Work. Six core LIS courses are: Classification & Cataloging Practice, Subject Information Resources, Collection Development, Digital Library, Introduction to Bibliography, and Introduction to Archive Management. Twenty selective LIS courses include: the General Library and Information Science area (Cultural History of Information, Information Society and Library, Library and Copyright, Research Methods in Library and Information Science), the Information Organization area (Metadata Fundamentals, KORMARC Practice), the Information Services area (Information Literacy Instruction, Reading Guidance, Information User Study), the Library and Information Center Management area (Library Management, including management for different kinds of libraries, Library Information Cooperator, Library Marketing, Non-book Material and Multimedia Management (Contents Management), the Information Science area (Database Management, including Web DB Management, Indexing and Abstracting, Introduction to Information Science, Understanding Information Science, Automated System of Library, Library Information Network), and the Archival Science area (Preservation Management).

The reference librarian and the services provided hold more than ever the attention of users at the “Dun?rea de Jos” University Library of Galati (DJULG). The Internet, technology and struggle for survival left a significant mark on both librarians' skills and reference services in the new context of the information society. In order to align with new trends in librarianship and to respond effectively to the increasingly complex demands of users, the reference librarians had to move beyond the traditional and reinvent themselves. As a result, new skills have been acquired and new services emerged in the information landscape of the university library. The paper examines the evolution of the reference services at DJULG over the last ten years, emphasizing the changes of the librarian profile in this area. The variety of information sources, the emergence of new information technologies, the movement on open access have been the main elements that contributed to the professional development of the reference librarian and the implementation of new models of services for users. The case of the university library in this study reveals different profiles of the reference librarian: researcher, educator in information literacy, bibliometrician, wikilibrarian, digital resources manager, reference manager etc. Not far from the truth, we can say that the reference librarian became a chameleon, from the perspective of information evolution and ensuring sustainable library services.

The SRELS Journal of Information Management was started in 1964 with the title Library Science with a Slant to Documentation under the sponsorship of the Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science (SRELS). It is now a peer reviewed periodical. With the advent of e-publishing, keeping with the trend, an online version is also available. At the beginning the papers mainly focused on the research conducted at DRTC in particular, Library Classification and Library Cataloguing, Documentation and gradually extended its coverage to new areas of interest e.g. Computer Applications, Library Management and Information Systems. During the 1970's, when CSIR/NISSAT was launched, special issues devoted to Information Systems - planning and organization, were brought out. Now the periodical is fully multidisciplinary, covering all facets of Library and Information Science (LIS). This paper attempts to map the subjects of the papers of this periodical which has spanned the last fifty years. The analysis would serve as a check list for the areas of current and traditional subject interests in the field of LIS. The paper will also highlight the important contributions this periodical has made for the progress and development of LIS during the last fifty years.

Levas Vladimirovas, born on February 27, 1912, is an outstanding authority in the field of modern Soviet library science, as well as the history of books and libraries. The essential part of Levas Vladimirovas' life and his entire scientific and teaching career is closely linked with Vilnius University. After World War II, he lectured on Marxism-Leninism (1948), the history of the book, and library science (1951). He was the first head of the Department of Library Science (1952-1964) and later the Department of Library and Information Science (1970-1973). Since 1973, Levas Vladimirovas has been the head of the Department of Information Science. Additionally, between the years 1948-1964, he served as the director of the university library. Between 1964-1970, Levas Vladimirovas was elected director of the UNO Dag Hammarskjöld Library. His contribution to the development of the library is immense. Levas Vladimirovas was also a member of various international library organizations and institutions. Alongside his many-sided teaching, library, and social activities, Levas Vladimirovas has made significant contributions to science. More than 300 publications in Lithuanian, Russian, English, and other languages are attributed to his pen. The focus of Levas Vladimirovas' research lies in the history of Lithuanian books, libraries, and culture during the feudal and capitalist periods. He was the first to investigate both known and new phenomena in the Lithuanian cultural heritage through the lens of Marxist methodology. Among his most outstanding works are Essays on the History of the Book and Libraries in Lithuania (XV cent. to 1917) ("Lietuvos bibliotekų ir knygos istorijos bruožai (XV a.-1917 m.)", 1965); publications dedicated to the pioneers of book printing in Vilnius—F. Skorina and I. Fedorov; and works on the history of Vilnius University and its library. L. Vladimirovas' comprehensive work The History of the Book ("Knygos istorija", 1979) provides a broad panorama of world book history, starting with primitive scripts up to the 17th century. In 1962, for his teaching, scientific, and social activities, Levas Vladimirovas was awarded the title of Honored Art Worker of the Lithuanian SSR. The professor was also among those who were awarded the Lithuanian State Prize for The History of Vilnius University ("Vilniaus universiteto istorija") in three volumes.

Anatoly Nikolaevich Vaneev is an outstanding figure in the library science, who made significant contribution to the study of various aspects of the discipline. He is a theorist, methodologist, and founder of the history of library science. His works cover a wide range of topics, including the nature of the library science and its place in the system of sciences, methodological issues, library’s social functions, library management, readers typologys, reading guidance, and the methodological support of library and information science. A. N. Vaneev contributed to the theory of reading guidance, which he viewed as the system comprising the most complete and high-quality satisfaction of readers' requests, as well as shaping new interests and needs. He proved that reading guidance was the libraries’ inherent function. During different historical periods, the reading guidance has manifested itself in various ways, however its essence has always been to assist readers in choosing books and searching for optimum ways to acquire knowledge. Initially, it implied “guidance in reading”, and later it redefined itself as a targeted impact upon readers along every vector of library work. As an essential principle, reading guidance has developed into one of the most effective tools within the librarian-reader interaction. The interrelation of reading guidance with the practice of slow reading, which is increasingly introduced into library activities, is shown. The theory of reading guidance developed by A. N. Vaneev is still popular which is evidenced by emerging concepts and studies.

Science librarians not educated in the sciences can be effective in reference, collection development, bibliographic instruction, and database searching if they understand issues in science and technology that affect the general public and are trained properly on the job. Since library school education in science/technology librarianship can not completely prepare one for a career, chief science librarians must train new employees in all phases of their jobs. In the interviewing process the library manager must ascertain that the candidate is interested in science, willing to learn necessary skills, and not afraid to handle difficult reference questions. Science anxiety among science librarians can be avoided.

The popularity of Bravo channel's Project Runway has translated into increased interest in fashion and design among the general public and prompted a rise in students applying to apparel design and textile science programs. Parson's The New School for Design (where Project Runway is filmed) has seen a 22 percent increase in enrollment applications. (1) The trade publication Women's Wear Daily notes that Otis College, Savannah College of Art, Fashion Institute of Technology, and Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising have also felt the effects of an increase in public awareness. The continued success of Project Runway and other shows that stress the role of fashion in our lives, has given rise to new demands on the fashion and textile collections in both public and academic libraries. To address the need to evaluate these collections, Monique Delatte and Lore A. Guilmartin have compiled a collection guide designed for large public libraries with populations interested in fashion in general and for academic libraries that serve programs in textile-related studies including fashion design, costume history, textile science, fashion merchandising, the social psychology of dress, and clothing and textile economics. Delatte and Guilmartin are well qualified to suggest materials for such a core collection. Delatte is a reference librarian in the County of Los Angeles Public Library system. She holds a B.S. in Apparel and Textile Design from Louisiana State University, and an M.S.I.S. in Library and Information Science from The University of Texas at Austin. Guilmartin is a reference and instruction librarian at the University of Houston-Downtown. She has a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Texas A&M University and an M.S. in Textiles and Clothing from Iowa State University. She earned an M.S.I.S. in Library and Information Science at the University of Texas at Austin. This guide grew out of survey work the authors conducted in 2007. Delatte and Guilmartin contacted administrators, educators, and subject librarians at forty-four public and private colleges and universities, asking questions about core resources in the field. They used the results of the survey, an exhaustive literature review, and their own expertise to create this list of key titles and resources.--Editor BOOKS AND REFERENCE TITLES Though some of the monographs listed below are out of print, each is a valuable component to a well-balanced textiles and clothing collection. Libraries currently owning these titles should retain them, as they provide depth and breadth to the collection and are classic resources. Abling, Bina. Model Drawing. New York: Fairchild Books & Visuals, 2003 (ISBN: 978-1563672750). An excellent addition to the academic library working collection for design students, chapters include Close-up Studies, Fashion Anatomy for Children, Men's Posing Dynamics, and Styling, iLayout, and Composition for Women. The CD-ROM included in this text is especially useful for fashion illustration students as it allows users to shift the poses of models and then rotate the models. American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. AATCC Technical Manual. New York: Published for the Association by Howes Publishing, 1963--(ISSN: 0734-8894). Published annually, the AATCC Technical Manual lists and describes the standardized textile testing methods that are integral to assessing textile characteristics and quality. This manual is an indispensable tool for all textile scientists. Boucher, Francois, and Yvonne Deslandres. 20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1987 (ISBN: 978-0-8109-1693-7). Based primarily on artwork, Boucher's costume history depicts the fashions of the European elite from prehistory to the mid-twentieth century. The text summarizes the evolution of costume within the western world and offers useful background to students of costume history. …