Using the Internet for Reference: Two Points of View

Abstract

Using the Internet for reference is a daily part of our jobs, a fascinating, complex, riveting part of our jobs. When we first began to use the Internet very regularly, it would have greatly assisted us to have practical tips. The objective of this article is to organize practical information on using the Internet for reference, for beginning to moderate users of the Internet, regardless of what type of library they work in. What we share with you is a combination of experience and research from the perspective of two librarians. Maxwell is the reference librarian at the Bloomington Indiana Cooperative Library Services Authority (INCOLSA) office and handles reference questions of a diverse nature from regional libraries. Morrison is a government publications librarian at Indiana University Bloomington, and handles reference questions particularly on the U.S. Federal Government and on statistics. When we refer to the Internet in this article, we are referring to the World Wide Web, although we recognize that the Internet is more broadly interpreted than just the Web.