2017 Charleston Library Conference

What does "reference collection" mean in academic libraries when college students do not remember a time before Wikipedia? Are print reference sources still useful, and if so, what types? Should they be allowed to circulate for a brief loan period? Should online sources be acquired as purchases or subscriptions, as individual titles or aggregated databases? Should some sources be provided both in print and online? And how do we connect users with reference sources they would find helpful if they can find them?

These are the questions this panel – featuring a reference librarian, an acquisitions librarian, and a publisher of reference works – will address in this session. The librarians are involved in an ongoing evaluation of the use of print and online reference sources in their collection, and the publisher is constantly evaluating the need and market for reference sources in academic libraries.
The panel presentation will be followed by an open and broad discussion among panelists and luncheon attendees to share ideas, opinions, and experiences concerning how best to provide relevant, useful, and findable reference sources to an academic community.