Digital Commons Network^™

Reference Classification--Is It Time To Make Some Changes?, Tina M. Neville, Deborah Boran Henry

USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications

In 2005, the authors tested the consistency and ease-of-use of a skill/strategy-based reference question classification system published by Warner in 2001. Results of that test indicated that the Warner system was a significant improvement over the resource-based traditional system. In this study, reference librarians from other institutions were invited to compare the technologysensitive Warner system to the traditional Katz classification system. The results of this larger test mirror the findings of the original study. Overall, classification was more consistent using the Warner system.