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Reference and Information Services

Library & Information Science

Useful for: Rajasthan PTI / Librarian

Overview

Reference and information services help users find information through direct assistance, sources and alerting services.

Key points

Ready reference answers quick factual questions; long-range reference needs extended search.
The reference interview clarifies the user’s real need.
Current Awareness Service (CAS) informs users about new information generally.
Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) sends information matched to individual profiles.
Reference sources include dictionaries, encyclopaedias, yearbooks, directories and bibliographies.
User education teaches people to find information themselves.

Explanation

Virtual reference uses chat and e-mail.
Information literacy is a core library goal.
Ranganathan stressed reference service as personal service.
Evaluate sources for authority and currency.
Feedback improves services.

Step by step

Identify the concept, rule or fact asked.
Recall the definition, formula, example or year.
Apply it and eliminate mismatched options.

Examples

A list of new arrivals sent to all teachers → CAS.
Articles sent to a researcher matching their profile → SDI.
"What is the capital of Brazil?" → ready reference.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Mixing CAS and SDI.
Trap: Skipping the reference interview.
Trap: Ignoring user education.

Quick revision

Ready vs long-range.
CAS vs SDI.
Reference interview.

Practice MCQs

Ready reference answers —
1. long research projects
2. nothing
3. only legal queries
4. quick factual questions
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Answer: (d) quick factual questions. Quick facts.
The reference interview mainly —
1. catalogues books
2. clarifies the user’s real need
3. checks membership
4. collects fines
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Answer: (b) clarifies the user’s real need. Need clarification.
CAS stands for —
1. Current Awareness Service
2. Central Archive System
3. Catalogue Access Service
4. Copy Allocation Service
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Answer: (a) Current Awareness Service. CAS.
SDI sends information matched to —
1. individual user profiles
2. all users equally
3. nobody
4. only librarians
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Answer: (a) individual user profiles. Selective dissemination.
CAS informs users about new information —
1. never
2. only by post
3. generally
4. only to one person
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Answer: (c) generally. General awareness.
Which is a reference source?
1. encyclopaedia
2. novel
3. comic
4. diary
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Answer: (a) encyclopaedia. Also dictionaries, yearbooks.
A directory mainly lists —
1. maps only
2. names and addresses of people or organisations
3. stories
4. poems
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Answer: (b) names and addresses of people or organisations. Directory.
A yearbook provides —
1. fiction
2. recipes
3. annual information
4. ancient history only
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Answer: (c) annual information. Annual data.
User education teaches people to —
1. find information themselves
2. avoid libraries
3. pay fines
4. write books
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Answer: (a) find information themselves. Information literacy.
Long-range reference needs —
1. extended search
2. one quick look
3. no sources
4. only a dictionary
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Answer: (a) extended search. Extended.