Reference and Collection Development on the Internet: A How-to-do-it Manual for Librarians

The challenges faced by reference and collection development staff have become increasingly complex in recent years, as more and more materials - in a variety of formats - have become available. Fortunately, the Internet can help. It provides librarians with the opportunity to share efficiently ideas and resources and to enhance traditional library services. This manual evaluates and gives librarians the tools to find the thousands of different Internet resources from around the world that offer guidance in collection development and reference services. It explains how and where to benefit from: online communities (including local BBS systems, Internet, and commercial online giants like Compuserve, Americal Online and Prodigy); e-mail professional interest groups (with information on which LISTSERVS are most relevant); USENET newsgroups (in dozens of reference subjects); literary groups (great for improving reader's advisory services and book searches); FAQs (a source for reference questions and subject-specific book recommendations); and electronic texts (of books, plays, booklists and many other kinds of documents. A comprehensive guide to the opportunities - and limits - the Net offers for guidance in reference and collection development, the book aims to be a time-saving and timely addition to the professional shelf.