To evaluate libraries' public services and public services personnel, the
library profession as a whole must agree about the purpose and role
of public services. The most problematic service is reference service,
especially in academic libraries. The bibliographic instruction
movement is examined as a factor that puts reference service in academic
libraries out of step with other types of libraries. The flaws in the
premises of the BI movement are examined, especially in light of changes
being wrought by automation and opportunities presented by the
emerging concept of information literacy. These are impelling reference
service in all types of libraries towards information delivery rather than
instruction in document identification and retrieval. Once consensus
forms around this idea, a method or cluster of methods for evaluating
services can be devised. Desiderata for the method(s) are stated.
Publisher
Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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