For many librarians, the meaning of the word reference is changing so rapidly in this Information Age that the subject has become unsettling. With so much questionable information out there, and so many avenues to it, who will point the public to the information truly worth having? How are the approaches to and principles of reference work changing from past to present and future? How do librarians take hold of the reins? Joseph Janes, founder of the Internet Public Library, offers this practical guide. The text is a mix of Janes's provocative arguments and hands-on advice to answer questions...

Much has happened since the last edition of this benchmark text was published. Today's LIS professionals are experiencing both excitement and trepidation as sweeping societal, technological, political, and economic changes affect our users and institutions and transform our discipline. We are increasingly part of a sophisticated infrastructure: the boundaries of knowledge creation, acquisition, organization, dissemination, use, and evaluation are rapidly blurring, creating new challenges. Similarly, we are also part of a changing environment: an aging population, a ubiquitous and evolving...