Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Changes in Reference Assistance and Collection Development in the Digital Age

Chase, Matthew
Fall 2016

Citation:

Caton, S. (2016). Perspectives: Changes in reference assistance and collection development in the digital age. Legal References Services Quarterly, 35, 77-100.

Summary:

This article confronts the challenges of maintaining print and digital collections in law libraries. Drawing from his professional experiences as a law librarian, the author critically compares them to the extant literature and survey results to assess collection development in law libraries of various types. In particular, he found that while law students are increasingly using electronic resources, not all of them have the same skill or knowledge to access them. The impact of collection development and reference services are thus intertwined, requiring more collaboration.

Evaluation:

What I especially liked about this article is its acknowledgment regarding the often complex and mutual interaction between reference services and collection development. Although the author limited his study to law libraries specifically, this finding can be applied to other types of libraries as well and should be considered in both future research and practice. While print collections certainly retain their importance, the development of digital collections is leading to a transformative shift in how librarians are limited and enabled to assist the communities with their information needs.

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