Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Introduction to reference and information services -- Determining the question : in-person, telephone, and virtual reference interviews -- Finding the answer : basic search techniques -- Answering questions about books, magazines, newspapers, libraries and publishing, and bibliographic networks : bibliographic resources -- Answering questions about anything and everything : encyclopedias -- Answering questions that require handy facts : ready reference sources -- Answering questions about words : dictionaries, concordances, and manuals -- Answering questions about events and issues, past and present : databases (and indexes) -- Answering questions about health, law, and business : special guidelines and sources -- Answering questions about geography, countries, and travel : atlases, gazetteers, maps, geographic information systems, and travel guides -- Answering questions about the lives of people : biographical information sources -- Answering questions about government and related issues : government information sources -- When and how to use the internet as a reference tool -- Readers' advisory services / Cindy Orr -- Reference services for children and young adults / Sujin Huggins -- Information literacy in the reference department -- Ethics in reference / Diana Floegel -- Selecting and evaluating reference materials -- Reference as programming -- Managing reference departments -- Assessing and improving reference services -- Reference 2.0 -- The future of information service.