ABSTRACT
Many exciting developments and changes in academic library reference service have taken place over the past several years. New and innovative ideas, together with the constant evolution of technology, continue to alter the ways in which academic librarians meet the information needs of students, faculty, and researchers. Delivering consistent, high quality reference service is more important than ever with the increased competition many college and research libraries face from the rise of their patrons’ exclusive reliance on Google and other Internet search engines. Consequently, the evaluation and assessment of service is one of the most important issues facing reference departments. This is especially true with respect to the increased pressure on administrations to meet fiscal goals, produce new research throughout all departments, and attract the most talented students and faculty to the academy. This work presents a number of methods, models, and case studies devoted to the evaluation and assessment of reference service in academic libraries.
