Reference Lacunae: Results of an Informal Survey of What Librarians Want

Summarizes the results of informal surveys of librarians and publishers taken in the 1980’s. The indexing of current periodicals is the first priority of many librarians; concern was also expressed over the absence of an effective index to The New Grove. Librarians also felt a need for indexes to collections of music, of essays, and of single items on recordings. Respondents said they wanted more databases online, on CD-ROM or on microforms. The surveys reveal what are perceived to be reference lacunae, a variety of source problems, and concern over bibliographic standards.