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Book Reviewsedited by Joan Cheverie
Conducting the Reference Interview: A How-To-Do-It Manualfor Librarians
By Catherine Sheldrick Ross, Kirsti Nilsen, and Marie L. RadfordReviewed by Andrea Malone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Health Informatics for Medical LibrariansBy Ana D. Cleveland and Donald B. Cleveland
Reviewed by Marcus A. Banks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
The Library: An Illustrated HistoryBy Stuart A. P. Murray
Reviewed by Robert D. Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
The Accidental Library MarketerBy Kathy Dempsey
Reviewed by Craig Gibson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Licensing Digital Content: A Practical Guide for LibrariansBy Lesley Ellen Harris
Reviewed by Alexis Linoski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Teaching Generation M: A Handbook for Librarians and EducatorsEdited by Vibiana Bowman Cvetkovic and Robert J. Lackie
Reviewed by Loretta Wallace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Developing a Comprehensive Plan for Your LibraryBy Singer and Laura L. Francisco
Reviewed by Delmus E. Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Conducting the Reference Interview: A How-To-Do-It Manual forLibrarians, by Catherine Sheldrick Ross, Kirsti Nilsen and Marie L.Radford. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. 2009. 2nd edition.290p. D75.00. ISBN 978-1-55570-655-5.
Mastering the reference interview is an essential skill for librariansin public service. Without the skill, users may become frustrated andlibrarians could find themselves unable to solve the great mystery of
102 The Journal of Academic Librarianship Volume 36, Number 1, pages
what a patron's question truly is. In the first edition of Conducting theReference Interview (2002), Patricia Dewdney, Catherine Ross, andKirsti Nilsen use personal experience and communicative theory tointroduce readers to the fundamental elements of the referenceinterview. Since then, the dynamic world of reference service hasadded new dimensions and in this second edition, Marie Radfordbrings her knowledge of interpersonal communication, communica-tion theory, and virtual reference to expand upon fundamentalreference interview skills that librarians will need to interact with adiverse group of users.
The content of the second edition incorporates a variety ofsituations in which the reference interview is utilized and is basedon findings from the Library Visit Study conducted by Dewdney, Ross,and Nilsen and the Synching Synchronicity study conducted by MarieL. Radford and Lynn Silipigni Connaway. The authors discusstechniques to use when interacting with a variety of users fromchildren and young adults to adults learning English and users withdisabilities. Most noted in this edition is the updated chapter onvirtual reference, which has undoubtedly expanded during the pastseven years since the first edition was published. As supported by thetable in chapter 6, which compares elements of the referenceinterview for face-to-face and electronic transactions, the authorsare sure to emphasize that though some reference encounters maytake place in virtual environments including chat, instant messaging,and e-mail, the fundamental element of the reference interviewremains the same—to quickly and efficiently determine what it is thatlibrary users really want to know.
Conducting the Reference Interview begins with an explanation ofthe reference interview and its importance, continues with chaptersdefining and illustrating potential reference transactions, and closeswith guidelines for establishing policies and training. Along withexplanations and practical strategies, each dedicated chapter includessample scenarios to analyze, exercises, quick tips, and concludes withan annotated list of references for further, related reading. Conductingthe Reference Interview is an invaluable resource to librarians in alltypes of library environments. Though reference service has evolved,the reference interview will continue to remain a vital component toproviding excellent customer service and helping library users locatethe information they seek.—Andrea Malone, Assistant Librarian,University of Houston, M. D. Anderson Library, 114 UniversityLibraries, Houston, TX 77204, USA [email protected].
doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2009.12.005
Health Informatics for Medical Librarians, by Ana D. Cleveland andDonald B. Cleveland. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2009.288p. $95.00. ISBN 978-1-55570-627-2.
In Health Informatics for Medical Librarians, Ana D. Cleveland andDonald B. Cleveland offer a useful and accessible overview of asometimes squiggly topic. As someone who has worked at theNational Library of Medicine and attended a week-long survey courseabout biomedical informatics, I am in a better position than most tounderstand what “informatics” means. And yet I struggle. This bookmakes the concept easier to understand and explain.
Health informatics is the study of the use of informationtechnology in the delivery of health care, and the creation andmanagement of health-related information. This is a capacious fieldthat could utilize the expertise of librarians who are facile ininformation seeking and organization. Cleveland and Clevelandpassionately believe that health sciences librarians have a role to playin this space, assuming they are comfortable in domains that have
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