The proliferation of free online resources has caused user habits and expectations to change drastically in the last decade, and there is no doubt that they will continue to evolve along with technology trends and advancements. Publishers, specifically reference publishers, have needed to meet these demands and have striven to exceed them – delivering new and innovative ways to access authoritative facts quickly, easily, and accurately. Some now deliver the next step in the research experience – providing effortless pathways beyond the facts and figures of free resources or standard reference, making the user’s journey into encyclopedias, scholarly works, and journal articles effortless and seamless. These publisher initiatives have the potential to revolutionize the role of reference in the library, and the way reference is used by researchers at every level.
Why are traditionally-published reference resources still necessary? What are publishers doing to make them accessible, usable, and discoverable in the library and on the free Web? How are these changes impacting reference’s presence in the library? How are user habits affecting how reference is published, developed, and utilized? Register now to hear our esteemed panel, including Oxford University Press’ Robert Faber, Editorial Director for Reference (UK), Dave Tyckoson, reference librarian and Associate Dean at California State University, Fresno, and Dinah Birch, Professor of English Literature and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Liverpool and Editor of the newest edition of the classic Oxford Companion to English Literature, 7th Edition, on a panel moderated by Library Journal and School Library Journal Reference Editor Etta Thornton, as they tackle the topic of the ever-changing role of, and need for, authoritative reference in today’s libraries in the “Wiki age.” Register now!
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