Although some may question the notion of a reference renaissance (did reference ever really die?), few would deny that “reference has been transformed from an area that focused on resources and artifacts to one that explores a human process of questioning, contextualizing, and learning.” So notes the introduction to Reference Renaissance: Current and Future Trends, edited by Marie L. Radford and R. David Lankes and based on a conference that took place in 2005. The volume collects more than 20 chapters, updated from the original conference presentations, that cover innovative service models, search engines and virtual tools, marketing, training, and more. Where is this all leading? According to Lankes in his conference keynote address, “We, as librarians, must create the tools and communities for open scholarship and open information so that knowledge can be abundant in our communities, and we must do this whatever the consequences are for libraries and librarians.”
Indexed. 312p. PBK. $75 from Neal-Schuman (978-1555706807)
