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| Format: | Recurso educativo Open Access |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
1970
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED042473 |
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Table of Contents:
- The Undergraduate Library's Public Service Record: Reference Services. Wilkinson, Billy R. College Libraries Librarians Library Education Library Services Library Surveys Reference Materials Reference Services Use Studies The separate undergraduate library was originated to provide students with the same quality of library services as are available in a good liberal arts college library. This paper deals with how reference librarians have used this opportunity to provide reference services for the undergraduate student. The major emphasis is on case studies of reference services in two of the leading undergraduate libraries in the country (University of Michigan and Cornell University). In 1969 the reference collection at Michigan was comprised of 3,549 volumes and 25,077 vertical file items, Cornell had 3,294 volumes and a smaller number of verticle file materials. Both undergraduate libraries offer reference assistance during 76 hours each week. The number and types of questions asked at the reference desk of each library are presented in tables. Of 961 reference questions asked at Michigan, only in 19 instances did the librarian spend more than five minutes with the student. At Cornell, the librarian helped the student for over five minutes in 8 of 230 reference questions. The basic conclusions drawn from these studies is that the advantages of the undergraduate libraries have not been realized. Reference services are of low caliber. Too often the assistance given students is superficial and too brief. Some basic reasons for this situation are given. (NH)