Reference Library Service in the Digital Environment

The reference library plays a valuable role in a print environment for at least two purposes: direct ready reference, the seeking or verification of basic facts; and finding contextual aspects of a person, place, event, period, or other topic. For the first task, one needs an appropriate single source; for the second, a well-selected range of different reference resources, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, bibliographies, and biographical dictionaries. Reference library service has not yet made an effective transition into the digital library environment. Research has focused on empowering reference librarians. A complementary emphasis on empowering library users, renewed attention to bibliographic access, and a more holistic view are needed.