On Library Network Information Reference

Network is a revolution, it brings thorough change to library information reference, Developing network information reference is an irresistible history trend in library. This paper is divided into seven parts which respectively discusses some basic theory problems and practice problems in detail. In first part, the article mainly describes the network circumstance that library faces with in developing information reference. Through introducing computer network, internet, information highway, digital globe, library computer network and networked library, a network that covers all over the world appears before us. In second part, we simply review the essential emerging and developing process of library network reference, conclude the future developing trend of library network reference, that is, digitalization, networked, intelligent, scattered, virtualization, remote, integration, informational, marketable, personalization, socialization and cooperation. In the third part, we objectively analyze the challenge that the library information reference confronts with (the challenge of new technology and concept, the challenge of users' demand, the challenge to reference workers and the challenge of change in traditional information reference), and the advantages that library have in developing network information reference (the advantage in information resource, technology, personnel and market). In fourth part, we analyze a few basic theory problems existing in library network information reference: The first problem is the concept of library network information reference and its related definitions (information reference under network circumstance, network information reference, electronics information reference, remote reference, computer reference, virtual reference, on-line reference, digital reference and computer expert consult system); The second problem is the relationship between library network information reference and network information retrieval; The third problem is the relationship between library network information reference and network information service; The fourth problem is the difference between network information reference and traditional information reference, network information reference differs traditional information reference in reference information resource, reference service measures, reference service mode, reference service object, reference service worker, reference service concept, and so on. In fifth part, the paper discusses the element of library network information reference (five fundamental elements, namely, network reference information resource, network reference worker, network reference user, network reference technology equipment and network reference market, or users' information demand); and the characters of library network information reference (scattered, remote, virtual, diverse, social and characteristic); and the content of network information reference (on-line information reference service, on-line user education, network retrieval service, document delivery, network information resource guiding service, selective dissemination of information and following service, on-line new information reference service, database baking service, database compilation, network search tools introducing and evaluating, network information exploiting, and network cooperation reference service); and the methods of network information reference (network information retrieval measures, network information analysis means, the ways of classifying and organizing network information, and the methods of network information sifting). In sixth part, according to the problems that consist in library network information reference, some relevant steps are given out. In seventh part, according to the above discussion, we design nine modes to realize library network information reference: co-existing mode of network information reference and traditional reference, cooperating network information reference mode between libraries, network information expert consult system mode,...