Aside from providing books, DVDs etc. one of the major roles of library staff is providing reference services, that is giving assistance to members of the public seeking information. This involves providing them with the information they require, or showing them where they can find that information (and providing a range of reference material where they can find answers to their questions). The scope of reference question can be huge, ranging from the simple but sometimes pressing, where’s the closest public toilet, to the atomic weight of Potassium, or settling arguments between friends on how many actors have played James Bond. More seriously, answering reference questions is a very important part of the librarian’s role in aiding people to make informed decisions.
Reference services are possibly the aspect of library work that have been most effected by the boom of the Internet. A great deal of information requests can now be met by using an Internet search engine such as Google. This is what most of us, librarians included, will do for quick answers to an information need. This has resulted in a significant decline in the use of our reference collection and we have had a major weed of this collection over recent weeks, paring it back to those items that are still being used with some regularity.
Despite the growth of information available on the Internet, librarians still have a major role to play in meeting people’s information needs. In part this is through providing access to computers, and help for those who are unfamiliar with the Internet and computers. Librarians also have the professional knowledge to help you find relevant and authoritative information within the screeds that can come back from an Internet search, and help you to develop effective search strategies. One of the ways we can improve the success of your Internet searches is by providing access to well-constructed and reputable information sources and databases. One of these that we are very pleased to now be offering at Masterton Library is World Book.
The World Book Encyclopedias have been around for nearly 90 years and have a well established reputation for accurate, objective and reliable information. In response to the growing use of the Internet and the features that it can provide, World Book has developed a suite of online resources and Masterton Library will be hosting World Book’s Public Libraries package. This includes the World Book Online for Kids, the World Book Online Info Finder, the World Book Online Reference Centre, and the Early World of Learning.
These web sites utilise the interactive capabilities of the Internet, combined with the highest standard of reference resources, and are designed to meet the information needs of a variety of ages, from pre-schoolers to adults. Masterton District Library will be hosting World Book online through our website from the 1st of July. This will allow all holders of a Masterton District Library to have access to this wonderful resource, either here at the library or in their own homes. As part of the package we have also purchased a print copy of the 22 volume 2010 edition of the World Book encyclopedia. This means that at the Masterton Library you can have the best of both worlds – or should that be the best of both World Books!
If you know the right book, know how the information is organised or it has a good index or contents page, it is still possible for a book to provide a quicker answer than the Internet. Because we are constantly dealing with information, and it is our job to be informed, Librarians also have a lot of information at hand in their own brains. While these can be a bit slow on Monday mornings, or a bit distracted on Friday afternoons, they are still quicker than a computer. When you put the skills and knowledge of librarians together with the right books and online information sources such as World Book, you should be able to find the answer to almost any question here at the Masterton Library.
Jon Adams
Community Outreach Librarian
Masterton District Library
Despite the growth of information available on the Internet, librarians still have a major role to play in meeting people’s information needs. In part this is through providing access to computers, and help for those who are unfamiliar with the Internet and computers. Librarians also have the professional knowledge to help you find relevant and authoritative information within the screeds that can come back from an Internet search, and help you to develop effective search strategies. One of the ways we can improve the success of your Internet searches is by providing access to well-constructed and reputable information sources and databases. One of these that we are very pleased to now be offering at Masterton Library is World Book.
The World Book Encyclopedias have been around for nearly 90 years and have a well established reputation for accurate, objective and reliable information. In response to the growing use of the Internet and the features that it can provide, World Book has developed a suite of online resources and Masterton Library will be hosting World Book’s Public Libraries package. This includes the World Book Online for Kids, the World Book Online Info Finder, the World Book Online Reference Centre, and the Early World of Learning.
These web sites utilise the interactive capabilities of the Internet, combined with the highest standard of reference resources, and are designed to meet the information needs of a variety of ages, from pre-schoolers to adults. Masterton District Library will be hosting World Book online through our website from the 1st of July. This will allow all holders of a Masterton District Library to have access to this wonderful resource, either here at the library or in their own homes. As part of the package we have also purchased a print copy of the 22 volume 2010 edition of the World Book encyclopedia. This means that at the Masterton Library you can have the best of both worlds – or should that be the best of both World Books!
If you know the right book, know how the information is organised or it has a good index or contents page, it is still possible for a book to provide a quicker answer than the Internet. Because we are constantly dealing with information, and it is our job to be informed, Librarians also have a lot of information at hand in their own brains. While these can be a bit slow on Monday mornings, or a bit distracted on Friday afternoons, they are still quicker than a computer. When you put the skills and knowledge of librarians together with the right books and online information sources such as World Book, you should be able to find the answer to almost any question here at the Masterton Library.
Jon Adams
Community Outreach Librarian
Masterton District Library
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