Comparative Study Of The Network Reference Service And Traditional Reference Service In Library

In the 1990s, the rapid developments of computer, multimedia, digitalization of technology and Internet provided material basis and technology for the existence and development of digital reference service in libraries. The Internet reference service is another new pioneering work, which is applied quickly to libraries after the computer technology being used and digitalization and automation being fulfilled in them. It makes the libraries' reference service change from traditional form to Internet form. The theory and technology of the digital reference service has supplied wide development space and opportunities to the work of the traditional library for reform and development, however, the work of the traditional library also faces the challenge. Nowadays how can the traditional reference service face the challenge in order to be invincible in the fierce field of information service? How can the digital reference service be improved? These become the problem, which should be researched and solved right awayFirst, this article theoretically describes the birth of computer network as well as the formation and development of the libraries' reference service. It also analyses the concept and characters of the network reference service as well as its important statue in the libraries' service. It gets the result that it is imperative to develop the network reference service.Then, the writer comparatively makes a deep, careful, comprehensive and systematic analysis and study between them from seven aspects, such as the connotation, the information resources, the measures, the methods, the content, the object and the staff of the reference service. Later through a large number of facts, it is proved that it is the general trend to have this kind of service in libraries. Meanwhile, the writer makes a first step study on the relationship of the network reference service and the traditional one.What is more, using forms and data, the article makes a search and statistics of the development situations of the network reference service in the typical libraries in our country. It also analyses the formation, the characters, problems and the results of having the network reference service.Finally, while the article inquires into the measures in four aspects, which the traditional network reference service should take in the new situation in order to face the challenge, it also discusses emphatically the tactics, which are used to consummate the network reference service in our country's libraries from six aspects.In a word, it has a good future to apply the network reference service to libraries. The purpose of this paper is not only to provide reference; the most important is to make the libraries' directors to pay more attention to the study of the network reference service in order to speed up its development.