CALL FOR CHAPTER
PROPOSALS
Proposal Submission
Deadline: March 6, 2015
Teaching Reference Today: New Directions and Approaches
A book edited by
Lisa A. Ellis, Newman
Library, Baruch College and Nicolette Warisse Sosulski, Portage District
Library, Michigan
To be published by Rowman & Littlefield
Introduction
Reference is
an evolving outreach service in today’s libraries. Some of its changes are technological, as
users are afforded the means to gain remote access to librarians as well as a
plethora of online content, free and proprietary. However, there have been shifts in reference attributed
to economic pressures, as well as new self-directed and discoverable content
for users. In many ways, this evolution could be best understood as a revolution
in that there has been a call in the profession to demand libraries devise
innovative initiatives and programs which may require the consideration of new skills
and methods of approach. In developing
these new skills and methods of approach, library students and librarians as
change agents, may be required to delve into disciplines outside the field of
library and information science in order to be highly effective.
Undoubtedly,
the (r)evolution of reference services has prompted library schools to seek
greater alignment with practitioners and libraries on the forefront of these
changes, where there may be shifts in the theories and practices (especially,
core functions and values) of reference
services. As library schools and
practitioners work together to educate library students and librarians on how reference services are being “reimagined” or
“repositioned” in this new era, they are rethinking their curriculum,
assignments and training sessions to incorporate real-world challenges responsive
to user communities and their needs.
How may we
better educate a new and current generation of reference service professionals,
given the challenges they will likely encounter? What new tools and resources should library
students learn to fully contribute to the new directions of reference services?
What kinds of assignments could be devised to better promote active
learning? What new approaches or
theories could be applied to assist library professionals in meeting the
information-seeking needs of users?
Target Audience
Library
school faculty, library students, professional development instructors, trainers,
and current reference librarians, all will find this text useful in addressing
the theories, applications, and practices of (r)evolving reference services in
a variety of libraries and new information settings.
Submission of Chapter Proposal
Contributors
are welcome to submit chapter proposals (in the form of an abstract, 300-500 words)
which have not been previously published, to both editors at the email
addresses noted below. Please be sure to
include a suggested title, brief bio of 75 words or less, and complete contact
information (name, job title, mailing address, email address, telephone and fax
number).
Some
recommended topics related to teaching and learning about the changing nature
of reference include, but are not limited to, the following:
·
Planning and management of changes in library
school curriculum and/or professional development opportunities
·
Collaborations between library school faculty
and library professionals to ensure what is taught is closely aligned with what
is current practice
·
Impetus for change in library school
accreditation standards or expectations
·
New ways to define or name reference services
and professionals which makes sense to users, and considers new directions and
approaches
·
New approaches to teaching various aspects of
reference (ethics, fostering information literacy, knowledge of reference
sources or reader’s advisory, working with specific user-groups, promoting
community, etc.)
·
What are the core functions and values of reference
and how are these changing
·
Understanding current or emerging changes in
information seeking behavior and library use by user groups to determine best
practices in reference interaction
·
Theories and practices outside the discipline of
library and information science (i.e. management or technology support) to
apply and why
·
Developing skills and abilities demanded of
today’s reference professionals given their need to be change agents or assume
non-traditional reference responsibilities
·
Incorporating new and emerging tools, technologies
and information sources in assignments
·
Establishing practicums or designing assignments
for real-world experience within reference courses
·
Creating learning opportunities using the case
studies of reference service initiative successes and failures
·
Developing instruction to reflect how
traditional reference services may be increasingly offered by paraprofessionals
·
Identifying challenges and unique approaches to using
different modes of reference from the perspective of users and/or librarians
Submission Procedure
Contributors
are invited to email on or before March
6, 2015, a chapter proposal in the form of an abstract, 300 -500 words. Authors of accepted proposals will be
notified by March 23, 2015 about the
status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines, including submission
details. Completed chapters in the range
of 20 to 30 pages double-spaced in length, are expected to be submitted by June 30, 2015. All submitted chapters will be reviewed and
returned by August 30, 2015. Final chapters will need to be submitted by October 30, 2015. Publication is expected in late 2015 – early 2016.
Timeline:
Chapter
Proposal Submission: March 6, 2015
Notification
of Proposal Acceptance: March 23, 2015
Deadline for
Completed Manuscripts: June 30, 2015
Reviewed
Manuscript Returned: August 30, 2015
Final
Chapter Submission: October 30, 2015
All Chapter Proposals and Further Questions
about Submissions can be sent via email to both:
Lisa A.
Ellis
and
Nicolette Warisse
Sosulski
