Reference and information services in the 21st century : an introduction / Kay Ann Cassell and Uma Hiremath.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Introducing reference and information service -- Determining the question : in-person, telephone, and virtual reference interviews -- Finding the answer : basic search techniques -- Answering questions about books, magazines, newspapers, libraries and publishing, and bibliographic networks : bibliographic resources -- Answering questions about anything and everything : encyclopedias -- Answering questions that require handy facts : ready reference sources -- Answering questions about words : dictionaries -- Answering questions about events and issues, past and present : indexes and full-text databases -- Answering questions about health, law, and business : special guidelines and sources -- Answering questions about geography, countries, and travel : atlases, gazetteers, maps, geographic information systems, and travel guides -- Answering questions about the lives of people : biographical information sources -- Answering questions about governments : government information sources -- When and how to use the Internet as a reference tool -- Reader's advisory work / Mary K. Chelton -- Reference work with children and young adults / Mary K. Chelton -- Information literacy in the reference department -- Selecting and evaluating reference materials -- Managing reference departments -- Assessing and improving reference services -- Reference 2.0 -- The future of information service.