Electronic reference and reference librarians: a look through the 1990s

The decade of the 1990s has seen a great increase in the variety of electronic reference options in academic libraries. Surveys of ARL (Association of Research Libraries) academic members in 1991/92, 1994/95, and 1997/98 show that nearly all ARL libraries now provide online catalogs, CD‐ROM databases, and World Wide Web access. A majority also offer locally loaded and end‐user online databases. The biggest change this decade is the widespread embrace of the Web. Library use instruction is changing as well, as librarians report more time is being devoted to formal instruction, point‐of‐use instruction, and remote instruction. The focus of classes is now on search strategies and how to select databases.