Chapter 13 Instructor Supplement:
Information Intermediation and Reference Services

Chapter 13 Learning Objectives

After completing this chapter, readers should have a better understanding of:

• the role of reference services before the Internet,

• reference services in the twenty-first century,

• the impact of new technologies on reference services,

• the changing methods of information intermediation, and

• the strategies for addressing the decentralized and distributed roles of reference librarians and other information intermediators in today’s “new normal” post-pandemic world

Chapter 13 Instructor PowerPoint

Downloadable PowerPoint presentation and PowerPoint notes for course instruction. These files are only accessible to instructors who have adopted Information Services Today: An Introduction (3rd ed) for their course. To request access, please click on the images below or email Sandy Hirsh.

Chapter 13 Discussion Questions

The following questions are included in the textbook.

1. What are the pros and cons of reference services delivered in person, by phone, and by various online virtual methods of communicating?

2. How do you envision the “new normal” reference services offered in your information organization in terms of service to diverse communities?

Additional questions proposed by the author but not included in the textbook.

1. What are the challenges in providing reference services in schools, public libraries, academic libraries, special libraries, and other types of information organizations?

2. What are the most effective staffing methods for using information professionals to provide reference services? How necessary is it to have a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree? Does the type of information organization make a difference in your recommendations?

3. What should the marketing and outreach roles be for reference librarians?

4. What is your philosophy of reference services?

5. What kinds of statistics are needed to accurately quantify reference transactions in general and types of virtual reference and instructional transactions in particular?

6. How has the pandemic impacted what should be counted as “in person” communications?

7. The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated the challenges behind the digital divide for all types of information organizations. What opportunities do information professionals have for providing information access to “all” members of their community, especially during a time of crisis?

8. What are some of the soft skills reference librarians and information intermediators need to efficiently provide reference services to their community?

Handouts

The following documents are formatted to share with students as handouts:

Related Chapters

The following chapters are referenced in Chapter 13 and may assist in expanding your classroom instruction and discussions.

• Chapter 2: Libraries, Communities, and Information: Two Centuries of Experience

• Chapter 3: Librarianship: A Continuously Evolving Profession

• Chapter 5: Information Needs

• Chapter 8: Literacy and Media Centers: School Libraries

• Chapter 9: Learning and Research Institutions: Academic Libraries

• Chapter 10: Community Anchors for Lifelong Learning: Public Libraries

• Chapter 12: Virtual Resources and Services

• Chapter 17: Accessing Information Anywhere and Anytime: Access Services

• Chapter 18: Teaching Users: Information and Technology Literacy Instruction

• Chapter 27: Managing Collections

• Chapter 30: Communication, Marketing and Outreach Services