Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-194) and index.

The multilevel nature of reference service / John V. Richardson -- Systems analysis of the reference process / John V. Richardson -- Defining and modeling reference service / John V. Richardson -- Evaluating and measuring reference service / John V. Richardson -- Multilevel modeling and reference service evaluation / John V. Richardson -- Data analysis and findings / John V. Richardson -- Conclusions and implications / John V. Richardson.

The goal of this book is to improve reference service in libraries and information centers, by improving the accuracy of answering capabilities. The authors provide a detailed analysis of the question-answering process and methods of evaluating the completeness, usefulness, user satisfaction, and accuracy of the information provided. This is an important contribution to library studies, and it will be a useful textbook for teaching references courses in library schools. Powerful research models help explain what is happening in the reference transaction. It encompasses a comprehensive review of the research literature. It offers a unique systems analysis of the reference transaction and includes a detailed appendix of the concepts, operational definitions, and research variables used to measure outcomes as well as statistical results from all known prior studies.

Description based on print version record.