Reference Sources and Services: Four Current Issues

Abstract

As information professionals, reference librarians are well aware of the importance of keeping up not only with the volume of professional reading that crosses their desks, but also with recent trends and developments, such as new titles that are issued annually and new databases available from major vendors. The overwhelming tendency is to focus on items of immediate concern and postpone dealing with other matters. The short‐range effect is that the job gets done; the long‐range effect is that we sometimes “cannot see the forest for the trees.” We get so focused on meeting the everyday demands of the job that the “big picture” is missed, or significant issues of concern to the profession are given little thought.

Citation

Fisher, W., Ingebretsen, D., Portilla, T. and Waters, M. (1987), "Reference Sources and Services: Four Current Issues", Reference Services Review, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 33-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb060335