Reference Service, In The Network Environment

The reference service is one of the core and mainstream operations of a library. It is also an important symbol of the quality of a library- The functions of reference service-are: developing library resources, promoting public information literacy, offering high-level services for users, and so on. The library society had paid much attention to and had a great interest in the concept of reference service since 1876, when an American, S.S.Green put it forward. And there are more and more practices and theoretical researches on reference service.The reference service has been continuously extending its content, renovating its method and enhancing its social effect for over 100 years. The reference service was brought forth and established in the library in the end of the 19th century, when it was performed manually. In the 40s of the 20th century, the computer technology appeared and was used in reference service. In the 60s of the 20th century, reference service was developed at the direction of automation and network. In the 70s of the 20th century, online retrieval appeared and was applied to reference service. In the 80s of the 20th century, CD-ROM retrieval technology was used in reference service. In the 90s of the 20th century, fundamental changes have taken place in reference service from form to content due to the development of information technology, especially the popularization of network. Digital reference service becomes a main trend. But there are few intensive and comprehensive articles on how to carry through reference service in a networking environment in China.Based on investigating relevant research findings, the paper summarizes the history of traditional reference service and discusses present situation of digital reference service in China and other countries. This paper also puts forward some countermeasures for China by analytic and comparative study.This paper analyses and discusses reference service comprehensively and systematically in six parts.The first part is an introduction, mainly about the definition and characteristics of reference service.The second part is about the background of reference service in China and other countries, and analyses shortages of traditional reference service.The third part presents that the network environment brings chances and challenges for reference service. On the one hand, traditional library resources and services have been augmented by network resources. It represents a threat for reference service. On the other hand, it opens up many possibilities for reference service, because users need to improve their basic information skills with the knowledge navigator of reference librarians in order to use network information resources more efficiently. The author thinks that the transformation into digital reference service (DRS) is an inevitable response to the self-improvement of traditional reference service, the development and popularization of Internet, and the changes of user demands.The forth part is on the content of digital reference service. This paper introduces various forms of digital reference service, including FAQ, E-mail and real-time reference service. With the changing of outside environment, as the core of the library services, reference service takes on some new developing trends which are digitalization, intelligent, personalization and cooperation, etc.The next part discusses the differences between digital reference service and traditional reference service in reference resources, reference service measures, reference service modes, reference service objects, reference librarians, and so on.The author thinks that reference service in China has a long way to go while compared with those abroad. This paper gives a comprehensive comparative study of library reference service between China and foreign libraries under the networking environment. Through cases of some libraries, the paper thinks that digital reference service in China is at a simple phase and disparate development, and should improve...