Collaboration as the Norm in Reference Work
Institution: | University of Arizona |
---|---|
Department: | |
Year: | 2006 |
Keywords: | Reference Services |
Record ID: | 1779522 |
Full text PDF: | http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105572 |
The stereotype of the reference transaction is more or less unchanged since Samuel Swett GreenĂ¢ s day, as involving precisely one librarian and one user. There are many common situations in which the reference transaction is not a one-to-one interaction, and this article will explore those situations. Additionally, this article argues that as network technology is increasingly utilized in reference work, situations in which the reference transaction is not a one-to-one interaction are becoming more common. Indeed, this article argues that as network technology is increasingly utilized in reference work, reference work will become fundamentally a collaborative effort, to the benefit of both individual reference services and reference work in general.