Amy's going to library school! Perspectives on Modern Librarianship: Answering Reference Questions

My last assignment for my Reference class was to answer ten reference questions without using Google. This was a bit overwhelming, but it was a good way for me to get to know the Simmons databases that are available to me....and there are A LOT! There are many resources out there to answer all kinds of reference questions. Some resources are better than others for specific types of questions. The textbook for my reference class, Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century, has compiled a huge number of resources with a breakdown of what each one is good for. Many of these resources are only available through subscriptions, but there are quite a few free options as well. Here is a quick overview of the types of reference questions and some of the free sites that are available to anyone looking for answers or doing research.

Types of Reference Questions:

Ready Reference- these types of questions have a single answer, i.e. who was the 22nd President of the U.S.?
Bibliographic Verification-finding a citation of a particular source.
Research-open-ended, no single factual answer.
Information and Referral Services- this includes ILL services, and referring patrons to other resources, such as the historical society, or even health professionals for health related questions.
Selective Dissemination of Information-this is when librarians continually compile research on a particular subject, i.e. results of case studies for doctors that are doing research on particular drugs. These usually occur in academic libraries.

Free Sites to Help Answer Reference Questions:

Encyclopedia Resources
http://www.britannica.com/
www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/
www.encarta.msn.com/artcenter_/browse.html
www.encyclopedia.com/
http://www.wikipedia.com/
Tip: Be cautious using Wikipedia. It's a great place to start , especially to check out the sources used to refer users to more trustworthy information, but keep in mind it can be edited by anyone.

Ready Reference

Dictionaries

http://dictionary.reference.com/

www.acronymfinder.com/

www.bartleyby.com/61/

www.merriam-webster.com/

www.netlingo.com/