Library and Information Science Commons^™

Information And Referral Services: A Brief History, Jodi Poe

The Southeastern Librarian

What is information and referral (I&R) service? The most widely accepted definition of I&R is “the active process of linking a person with a need or problem with a service which will meet the need or solve the problem.” For example, this type of service would provide detailed information, including contact information, mailing address, telephone number, etc., about where a person could go to receive childhood immunizations. There are three basic requirements of an I&R service: creation of a resource file, distribution of the information, and updating the file. I&R services were originally created to serve the disadvantaged members of …

From The President, Judith Gibbons

The Southeastern Librarian

Column by SELA President, Judith Gibbons.

The Southeastern Librarian V. 54, No. 1 (Spring 2006) Complete Issue

The Southeastern Librarian

Complete issue of The Southeastern Librarian, volume 54, no. 1 (Spring 2006).

From The Editor, Perry Bratcher

The Southeastern Librarian

Column by Perry Bratcher, editor of The Southeastern Librarian.

Charles E. Beard Scholarship

The Southeastern Librarian

Announcing the formation of the Charles E. Beard Scholarship for graduate studies in library science. An address for donations is provided.

Small Select Library Or Miserable Excuse: Antebellum College Libraries In The American Southeast, Patrick M. Valentine

The Southeastern Librarian

What role did antebellum college libraries play in the development of the South? National studies rarely mention southern institutions, while institutional histories neglect the role of the library. Yet the history of southern antebellum college libraries should be of special interest because this was often their initial formative period. There were few college libraries in the South prior to 1800 but many were founded in the following decades. It was in the last decades before the Civil War that the South first became really aware of the need for widespread education. At the same time, southern colleges were in many …

Promoting Federal Depository Libraries: Improving Public Access To U.S. Government Information, Newkirk Barnes

The Southeastern Librarian

Since its creation in 1860, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has supplied the nation’s Congress, federal agencies, and citizenry with the information they need to carry out their daily activities (Morehead 1999, 15). Through its Superintendent of Documents programs, the GPO produces and disseminates the largest volume of U.S. government publications in the world (U.S. Government Printing Office 2003).

The most widely publicized of the Superintendent of Documents programs is the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Authorized by Title 44 of the United States Code, the FDLP provides the American public with information resources from the legislative, executive and …

Bricks, Books, And Metaphor: The Place Of First Libraries In Alabama Communities, Annabel K. Stephens

The Southeastern Librarian

While reading various histories of public libraries in Alabama, the writer became fascinated with what they revealed about the place of these communities’ early libraries, in both the literal and the metaphorical sense. These histories include intriguing details about the buildings where libraries were first housed, few of which were originally built to be libraries, and about Alabama citizens’ dedication to creating and maintaining community libraries.

Using A Ghrab Grant To Reclaim A University Archives, Anne A. Salter

The Southeastern Librarian

College and university archives are rich and dynamic resources of campus history. Without a clear sense of mission and programming, they can be overlooked as research destinations. A well-defined program linked with funding sources is one means of connecting these collections to the campus community. Through the assistance of a GHRAB (Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board) grant, one college archives evolved into a viable research destination. The process is outlined in this paper.

Reference Use Statistics: Statistical Sampling Method Works (University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga), Sarla R. Murgai

The Southeastern Librarian

Most reference librarians would like reference statistics to reflect all aspects of reference work. They would also like the task of keeping statistics to be simple. However, there is nothing simple about reference service. While spending more and more time helping individual students at their workstations, away from the reference desk, reference librarians still have to remember to mark statistics when they return to the reference desk. They realize that detailed information as to the type of questions asked at the desk would be helpful in guiding librarians while providing user instruction. Such details would also provide information on the …