17-03-2014, 07:26 PM
Abstract—Reference examples and library
pathfinders are conventionally used as separate
sources of information in a reference service. This
paper attempts to combine reference examples and
library pathfinders. To achieve this objective,
reference tools were used in processing. The data
cooperation model could provide effective support for
information searching.
Keywords-reference service; reference example;
library pathfinder; reference tool; collaborative
reference database; Research Navi
1. Introduction
Library reference services mediate between users and
the data that they require. Traditionally, reference
services have depended on the librarian’s experience and
skill. The acquisition and development of these skills for
reference services have been an issue for the library
community for a long time. When reference services are
implemented, various related data are generated,
including reference examples, library pathfinders,
collections of links, and teaching materials for
information literacy. Accumulation and sharing of
reference-related data have progressed in the library
community.
In particular, there has been digitization and sharing
between libraries of reference examples and library
pathfinders. Reference examples are records of past
reference questions and answers. In the library
community in Japan, the past decade has seen a steady
accumulation of reference examples. At present,
reference information and educational training are the
main uses of reference examples. Library pathfinders are
guides to the literature and resources in a particular
subject area and they can be used as tools for preparing a
user’s reference question. The importance of library
pathfinders has increasingly been recognized in recent
years [1].
Reference examples and library pathfinders are both
useful when the users themselves or librarians who have
little reference service experience try to perform
information searches. These are public web services and
useful search tools. Staff members at each library create
reference examples and library pathfinders. However,
both tools are developed separately because of the
differences in their formation and data structure. The
user checks the detailed information in the search results
and judges whether it is useful.
Both Reference example and Library pathfinder have
information about reference tool. It aims at clarifying
possibility of the cooperation using this feature in this
study.
To the best of our knowledge, there has been no
English-language study to compare the relevance of
reference examples and library pathfinders, although
there are several Japanese studies. Ito and Ozawa have
discussed the relation between the two forms [2]. They
concluded that library pathfinders should be updated
frequently and the content of reference examples should
be fixed at the time of creation. Sakajiri has investigated
the differences between Research Navi and the
Collaborative Reference Database [3], and considered
that the two databases can complement one another.
pathfinders are conventionally used as separate
sources of information in a reference service. This
paper attempts to combine reference examples and
library pathfinders. To achieve this objective,
reference tools were used in processing. The data
cooperation model could provide effective support for
information searching.
Keywords-reference service; reference example;
library pathfinder; reference tool; collaborative
reference database; Research Navi
1. Introduction
Library reference services mediate between users and
the data that they require. Traditionally, reference
services have depended on the librarian’s experience and
skill. The acquisition and development of these skills for
reference services have been an issue for the library
community for a long time. When reference services are
implemented, various related data are generated,
including reference examples, library pathfinders,
collections of links, and teaching materials for
information literacy. Accumulation and sharing of
reference-related data have progressed in the library
community.
In particular, there has been digitization and sharing
between libraries of reference examples and library
pathfinders. Reference examples are records of past
reference questions and answers. In the library
community in Japan, the past decade has seen a steady
accumulation of reference examples. At present,
reference information and educational training are the
main uses of reference examples. Library pathfinders are
guides to the literature and resources in a particular
subject area and they can be used as tools for preparing a
user’s reference question. The importance of library
pathfinders has increasingly been recognized in recent
years [1].
Reference examples and library pathfinders are both
useful when the users themselves or librarians who have
little reference service experience try to perform
information searches. These are public web services and
useful search tools. Staff members at each library create
reference examples and library pathfinders. However,
both tools are developed separately because of the
differences in their formation and data structure. The
user checks the detailed information in the search results
and judges whether it is useful.
Both Reference example and Library pathfinder have
information about reference tool. It aims at clarifying
possibility of the cooperation using this feature in this
study.
To the best of our knowledge, there has been no
English-language study to compare the relevance of
reference examples and library pathfinders, although
there are several Japanese studies. Ito and Ozawa have
discussed the relation between the two forms [2]. They
concluded that library pathfinders should be updated
frequently and the content of reference examples should
be fixed at the time of creation. Sakajiri has investigated
the differences between Research Navi and the
Collaborative Reference Database [3], and considered
that the two databases can complement one another.