What’s a Reference Book? What’s a Reference Collection?
Posted by: Rebecca Vnuk
The ALA Glossary of Library Terms defines a reference work as as one “designed by its arrangement and treatment to be consulted for definite terms of information rather than to be read consecutively.” Or, as I once heard someone put it, “A to Z , yes; chapters, no.” Of course, there have always been books that have elements of each, making them were neither fish nor fowl. A few days ago Booklist‘s Laura Tillotson and I spent time examining some new books and trying to decide whether they should be treated as reference or as series non-fiction. But in most cases a reference books is pretty easy to identify. If it’s an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an almanac, a directory, a bibliography, an atlas, a chronology, an index, or a book of quotations, it belongs to Reference Books Bulletin.
Recently a publisher showed me examples of what they call ”circulating reference” titles. I knew what they meant; these are the kinds books Laura and I were discussing. But the fact is that in many libraries all but a handful of titles are becoming “circulating reference.” In an earlier post, David Tyckoson listed the titles that now make up the reference collection in his library at California State University, Fresno–there are 17 of them. This makes me wonder how much longer a separate section covering reference in Booklist will make sense.
February 11th, 2010 at 8:29 am
Interesting, Mary Ellen! I would assume, though, that David Tyckoson’s reference desk has subscriptions to the online versions of many standard reference books?
Here at the Bath, Maine, public library which I frequent people still use books (though the state does provide access to some online sources).