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Look It Up!Do the search, verify the answer, and cite your sources.Finding the right informationEven if you are sure you know the answer to a question, look it up!The goal of reference is to find the right information for the patron. It is important to verify the information found and avoid the risk of giving out inaccurate answers. There is also a risk of giving inaccurate or incomplete information as the result of a hasty, one-stop Web search. Accurate information is the reference product, but reference sources do not always agree on facts. Two different sources or Web sites may have conflicting information, or we may miss the most authoritative source or site completely. The patrons should know what source you are using so they can judge the answer. Even when you are giving out something obvious like the spelling of a word, or the boiling point of water, or the capital of Ohio, be sure to preface your answer with something like, "I'm reading from the American Heritage Dictionary and it says that you spell dog, D O G." One Quick Web Search Is Not Enough!"Google it" is now a common phrase, but good reference work is never that easy! Not all search engines perform the same way or cover the same number of sites. Sometimes a subject guide (directory) site or a news site is a better place to "look it up." If you can't find anything, try a metasearch engine to search several engines at a time. Use the invisible web (e.g. government and education sites) for sources not indexed by some larger search engines. Search engines don't all search the same sites or have the same rules for retrieval. Know how a search engine lets you select "any words" or "all words," for example, and how to do phrase searching. Consult sites that keep up with news about search engine for changes in the way search engines work and how they compare. Sites resulting from your search may appear on the list because of the number of sites which link to them, the number of times a keyword was used on the site, or may have been engineered specifically to get hits from search engines. Evaluate sites carefully: Helpful guides or tutorials can improve your search skills. Some are listed below, others are listed in the right sidebar.
Cite SourcesWhen you've looked up the information, be sure the patron knows the source of the information you give. This is especially important when answering a telephone or online request, because the patron can't see what you have. A good practice is to name the source before giving out the information.
This allows the patron to make the determination about the accuracy and reliability of the information. Major Point: Always look it up, even when you think you know! On the Web, look it up with the most appropriate search engines, and cite sources for print or Web.
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New places to look it up on the Web.
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Overview
Interview
People
Resources
Ethics
Reference services in your library may involve roving, WiFi (wireless), Chat, IM or other technology. See a 