Lecture 1

course code;
INFM-6206
Reference and information sources and services
Reference and
information sources and
services
REFERENCE SOURCES
Reference sources
Reference sources (otherwise known as reference resources, or
background sources) are designed to help you find specific types
of information quickly. ... find key facts and background information
that will help you assess other resources. learn definitions of important
words or concepts

What is a reference department?

As a conclusion, reference department is one of the core departments
in the library. It is the place where the user comes and asks for
help in obtaining the information that they need as well as
gaining skills in searching the accurate and reliable information.
Reference departments provide information, research, and
instructional services to all library users, including in person and online
reference help, bibliographic instruction classes, tutorials, research
guides, (in academic libraries) subject specialist support, and much
more

Information sources include :

Printed and non printed material
Machine-readable databases
Library own catalogues
Other libraries and institutions through communication or referral and;
Person both inside and outside the library
Sources of information
Sources can be appear both in printed and electronic forms
They are specially compiled to provide answers to any type of queries
that might be raised by user of a library.
Three types of resources
1) primary sources
2) secondary sources
3) tertiary sources
•Primary: original objects or documents with first-hand
information or raw material.
•Authentic
•Eye-witnessed information

•Secondary: sources that analyze, interpret, or draw conclusion

from a primary source. Condensed
•Change
•Not eye-witnessed

•Tertiary: sources that index, organize, or compile other sources.

•Collect from both sources
•Information about information as almanacs, handbook,
dictionaries
•Textbooks
Characteristics of reference materials
Designed to be consulted or referred to for some definite piece of
information rather than being read through; they are not meant to be read
from cover to cover like study to study books. Users only look up specific items
of information in them.
Housed in a separate sections of the library
Usually, libraries do not buy multiple copies of reference books as they would
other types of books.
They are revised on regular basis to keep them current.
They are more expensive than other types of books in the library
Cont.……..
Reference books are usually provided with detailed indexes and cross
references
Concentrates on facts, often of a miscellaneous nature
Updated regularly
It follows some methods of arrangement e.g. Alphabetical, Chronological or
other methods
They are normally not issued on loan and kept for use in the library only.
Information in a reference book is so organized that anyone can easily get
their desired information.