Reference Services
Exercise One
Katherine Mauro
maurok2@owls.southernct.edu
September 19, 2012
ILS 504-S70
Dr. Sche
Cyrenius H. Booth Library
25 Main Street
Newtown, CT 06470
www.chboothlibrary.org
Ready Reference Categories & Titles:
Almanac
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2012
Biography
Current Biography: Cumulated Index 1940-1990
Connecticut
Connecticut State Register and Manual 2011 Secretary of State
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2012
Demographics
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009: 128th Edition
English
Welcome to In English on Your Own and In English
Genealogy
Connecticut State Register and Manual 1947
Geography
National Geographic Society Index 1888-1988
Librarianship
Reference Reborn: Breathing New Life into Public Services Librarianship
Newtown
Newtown Historical Images Archive: Volume 6
Nonfiction
Public Library Core Collection Nonfiction: Thirteenth Edition
Quotations
Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations: Seventeenth Edition
Telephone & Address
2010 Newtown Phone Book: 10th Annual
Reference Categories & Titles:
Animals
Wells. (2002). 100 birds and how they got their names. Thomas Allen & Son Limited. REF 598 WEL.
Antiques
Boutiette. (2006). Leather bound books: identification & values. Collector Books. ANTIQUES REF
002.075 BOU.
Art
Blasdale. (1990). Artists of New Bedford: a biographical dictionary. The Old Dartmouth Historical
Society. ART REF 700.92 BLA.
Business
Hoover’s handbook of American business 2010: profiles of 750 major U.S. companies. (2009). Hoover’s,
Inc. BUS REF 338.7 HOO.
Connecticut History
McCain. (2008). It happened in Connecticut: from witchcraft trials to the invention of modern football,
twenty-five events that shaped the nutmeg state. Morris Book Publishing, LLC. CT HIST REF 974.6
MCC.
Dictionary
“Created in cooperation with the editors of Merriam-Webster”. (1991). Webster’s dictionary of word
origins. REF 422 WEB.
Encyclopedia
McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of science & technology: volume 1. (2002). The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc. REF 503.1 MCG.
Genealogy
Peck. (1972 ) Peck genealogy. Sarasota Florida. GENEALOGY REF 929.2 PEC.
Historical Atlas Case
Haywood. (1998). Historical atlas of the 20th century 1900-1999. Andromeda Oxford Ltd. REF Historical
Atlas Case.
History
Hillstrom, K., Hillstrom, L. (2001). Vietnam War: primary sources. The Gale Group. REF 959.704 HIL.
Immigration & Migration
Outman. (2004). U.S. immigration and migration: primary sources. The Gale Group, Inc. REF 304.8 U.S.
Law
West’s encyclopedia of American law: volume 12. (1998). West Group. Ref 348.73 WES.
Literature & Writers
Adams. (1924). Chief pre-Shakespearean dramas. The Riverside Press. REF 822.08 ADA.
Medicine
American Medical Association. (2004). Family Medical Guide: 4th edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. REF
613 AME.
Music
Svejda. (1996). The record shelf guide to classical CDs and audiocassettes. Prima Publishing. MUSIC
REF 780.226 SVE.
Mythology
Leeming. (2005). The Oxford companion to world mythology. Oxford University Press, Inc. REF 291.3
LEE.
Philosophy
Concise routledge encyclopedia of philosophy. (2000). Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group. REF 100
CON.
Politics
Comfort. (1993). Brewer’s politics: a phrase and fable dictionary. Cassell Publishers Limited. REF
320.03 BRE.
Religion
New Religions: a guide. (2004). Lion Publishing. REF 200 NEW.
Science Fiction
Bleiler. (1999). Science fiction writers: second edition. Charles Scribner’s Sons. REF 813 SCI.
Science
Biology. (2002). Biology: volume 2. Macmillan Reference USA. REF 570 BIO.
List of Electronic Reference Collections:
The list below identifies the electronic reference collections. In order to access these collections users
must hold a valid library card from the C. H. Booth Library. Users can access these collections from the
C. H. Booth library as well as from home.
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AtoZdatabases
A to Z Maps Online
A to Z the USA
A to Z World Travel
iCONN.org
Consumer Reports Online
Global Road Warrior
Grolier Online
Learning Express Library
Factcite - Lincoln Library Online
Teen Health and Wellness:Real Life, Real Answers
Transparent Language
Valueline Investment Survey
Interview with a Professional Reference Librarian
Cyrenius H. Booth Library
Head of Reference
Beryl Harrison
1. How many user groups have been identified in this library?
There are 8 user groups including: adults, students, job hunters, genealogists, business people, local
history buffs, seniors and researchers.
 Which user groups are using the library’s reference services mostly? For what kind of information
needs?
Seniors and genealogists are the two user groups that use the library’s reference services the most.
While seniors have various informational needs genealogists have very specific needs. The C. H.
Booth Library is known statewide for their genealogy. Once a week a genealogist comes into the C.
H. Booth Library to help answer patrons’ questions and further assist them.
2. What types of reference services are provided in this library?
Ready references as well as an array of workshops are offered at the C. H. Booth Library. Seniors are
the most in need of services such as computer classes and one on one help. While database
demonstrations and computer classes are regular services offered, bibliographic instruction and
information literacy courses are not formally taught due to limited budgets. The C. H. Booth Library
offers its patrons free Wi-Fi, free scanning, printing privileges, coping machine privileges, and soon
hopes to be offering wireless printing privileges as well.
3. How do the library users ask their reference questions and receive reference services?
About 80% of the reference questions are asked in person, while 10% are made by the telephone and
5% are made through e-mails. Most of their e-mail reference questions however are not from patrons
but rather from other libraries asking for assistance locating queries over the weekend (when
professional staff is not working).
 How their reference questions are being answered?
Reference questions are always answered as soon as possible. Lengthy weekend requests are returned
once professional staff members have had a chance to read and reply to them. Therefore if a lengthy
request is made on a Friday evening after the professional staff members have left for the weekend,
the patrons request will not be answered until the following Monday.
4. Does the library participate in any cooperative library reference services?
No 24/7 cooperative library reference services exist right now. In the past the C. H. Booth Library
participated in ‘Ask a Librarian’, where all local questions could be asked and would be answered
through e-mail and chat. This service was not a successful service as most of the questions asked
about the C. H. Booth Library could only be answered by C. H. Booth Library professional
employees. So all late night and weekend reference questions had to wait until the professional
employees were at work and by then the patrons had usually just called during library hours to get the
answer to their query.
5. Are there any reference collection development policies in the library, e.g. for the replacement of old
reference sources with electronic and/or new versions?
Purchase of new reference sources in the C. H. Booth Library have fallen considerably due to limited
budgeting. Additionally the current reference collection policy needs to be revised in order to
accommodate the new technologies that the C. H. Booth Library has incorporated.