Information and Referral: Public Libraries

This book is the culmination of three years of study of information and referral activity in U.S. public libraries. Information and referal (I&R) is defined broadly as facilitating the link between a people and the resource or resources outside the library that can meet their needs. The book helps to define what I&R is, how some libraries have approached it, and what major problems have been associated with its adoption. It serves as a guide on the role of public libraries in I&R, managing I&R in a library environment, appropriate skills and training, the performance of libraries where I&R has been tried, the impact of library-based I&R on the client group, and how library-based I&R compares with non-library I&R.