Improving internet reference services to distance learners has been co‐published simultaneously as internet Reference Services Quarterly, 9(1/2), 2004. Together with internet reference support for distance learners (simultaneously co‐published as internet Reference Services Quarterly, 9(3/4), 2004) this publication is a must read for all distance librarians as well as librarians offering virtual reference services. In fact, anybody involved with digital library services can benefit from the publication.
In the introduction (p. 1), the editors explain: “In their efforts to improve reference services to distance learners, librarians are becoming increasingly involved with entities outside the immediate library. This volume highlights such efforts, and our recognition that we cannot exist in a vacuum as we attempt to improve our services to those working at a distance”.
Against this background Improving Internet reference services to distance learners covers a wide spectrum of relevant topics such as the need to work with faculty, information literacy, online tutorials, marketing of remote library services, and the centralization of information about library services. There are also two contributions focusing on services to specialist groups, namely, support to firefighters and doctor and pharmacy students. In general, contributions emphasise pedagogy and the need for libraries and information services to take on a teaching role.
The editors, William Miller and Rita Pellen, are both experts in the field and did an excellent job with this publication. Improving Internet reference services for distant learners is well‐bounded and well‐written, with a detailed 11 page index. I must, however, admit that I found some of the index entries rather complicated (e.g. “teleconferencing, as library instruction delivery method”, and “William Allen Little Library, marketing of distance learning library service by”. Since the publication as a whole deals with distance and remote library services I am not sure that it is always necessary to add these as entries or subentries.
Improving Internet reference services for distance learners is highly recommended to practitioners in the field of distance library and information services, as well as reference librarians involved with digital libraries and virtual reference services.
