Reference Services
Course
Print and Electronic Reference Sources [4:23]
- Learn about different types of print and electronic reference sources.
- Learn how to carefully review and select new reference resources.
- Learn ways to promote and organize your reference resources.
Print reference sources are the books on the school library's reference shelves. Some types of print resources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, and almanacs. Many journals, such as School Library Connection, offer professional reviews of new reference titles. An advantage to offering a resource in print is you only purchase the title once and you can decide if or when you want to update. Several states also have curriculum standards that include navigating print resources. However, print resources can become quickly outdated, depending on the topic. They also offer limited access. Unless a library has multiple copies of a resource, one book cannot be shared with an entire class who is researching all at once.
Electronic reference sources are becoming more common in all school libraries. These sources can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection and include databases, atlases, almanacs, dictionaries, and more. Many students can login and read the same articles simultaneously. However, subscriptions renew yearly and fees can be high. Carefully consider these resources if internet access is a challenge for your community. There are so many electronic resources out there! Most publishers, including ABC-CLIO, the parent company of School Library Connection, will offer a free trial if you request it, so you can dive deep into a database before making a decision to subscribe. Also, research the available databases from your public and state libraries to see what is already available to your students.
So you carefully review and purchase new reference resources, but how will your community know about them? Consider these strategies for promoting your reference collections. First, be sure your electronic resources have a page on your library's website. As a caution, refrain from posting usernames and passwords on a public site. If possible, ensure access is IP authenticated within the building and that patrons are easily authenticated off-site via a proxy server or other method. When researchers encounter friction in accessing database resources, they are more likely to give up and turn back to Google. Also on your electronic reference page, promote your print resources by posting a photo of the print reference collection in your library. List the resources available there along with a description. Do the same thing for electronic resources: Create a document of these resources and post it in your print reference collection, so your patrons will know about additional places to research. Finally, create a display of new and overlooked reference materials. These ideas and more can help increase your students' use of vetted materials in your library.
There are several ways to arrange your library's reference resources, but it truly depends on which method you think will be best for your school community. A common system to sort the print collection is by Dewey decimal number, like most nonfiction sections are organized. For electronic reference sources, many libraries choose to organize them either alphabetically or by publisher. However, another successful strategy for both types of resources is by topic. This way, students can locate the reference resources for history class in one place, such as ABC-CLIO's American History and World at War databases, along with other sources related to history. While the print reference collection would need some simple signage, organizing reference collections by topic is becoming more popular and effective in increasing the use of these resources.
Both print and electronic resources should be organized in a way that is easy to use and understand. When making purchasing decisions, consider each resource's depth of content, currency and accuracy of information, user experience, and overall cost. While electronic resources have grown more popular due to their accessibility and features, consider your community, budget, and collection development policy when making decisions about all reference purchases. It is up to you as the school librarian to determine what resources will benefit your school community most.
Now that you have put in all the work to create a reference collection for your library, how do you know that your students and staff will use it? In this lesson, we learn several ways to promote a reference collection from something as simple as a display to QR codes placed in certain sections of the library. Start to think about how you will promote your reference collection and then complete the Reflect & Practice Activity below.
What good is an incredible reference collection if nobody knows that you have it. Think about how your students use the library know when they have a reference need—how can you incorporate your new items so they don't get overlooked? Review the SLC articles provided in the Resources above and then use page 10 of the Course Packet (included in the Resources above), brainstorm 2-3 ideas about how you can promote your reference collection. Make sure to come up with different formats for promoting to make your reference collection seem new and exciting!
MLA Citation
"Reference Services: Promoting Reference Resources." School Library Connection, October 2020, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2270057?learningModuleId=2270025&topicCenterId=2247902.
Entry ID: 2272539
As you strengthen your reference collection, it is important to think about what sources work best for your students and staff. Having a mix of print and electronic sources is beneficial to the library, but how do you decide what to purchase in print and what electronic sources to invest in? What are the benefits of having an online database vs. a print collection of encyclopedias? How often do you have to update print sources vs. electronic? Think about your collection and your library users and complete the Reflect & Practice activity below.
Think about your students and staff and how they use the current reference section—how often do they login to the database? How often do they take an encyclopedia to their desk? Do you have students looking to work on projects outside of the library? After reviewing the SLC articles provided in the Resources above, use page 11 of the Course Packet (included in the Resources above), create a pros and cons list for both print and electronic reference sources. After you have created this list, does it become clearer which sources must remain print or electronic in your library?
MLA Citation
"Reference Services: Print vs. Electronic Reference Sources." School Library Connection, October 2020, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2270057?learningModuleId=2270025&topicCenterId=2247902.
Entry ID: 2272587
Additional Resources
About the Author
MLA Citation
Grover, Rachel. "Reference Services. Print and Electronic Reference Sources [4:23]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, October 2020, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2270057?learningModuleId=2270025&topicCenterId=2247902.
https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2270057?learningModuleId=2270025&topicCenterId=2247902
Entry ID: 2270057