Reference service is an inevitable part of modern libraries. It was there when we visited our first public library. As for many an institution, familiarity may have led the library profession to take it for granted, assume its benefits and unquestioningly accept its costs. For some practitioners of the reference art, interest in the dismal science of economics and reference service intersect only at the point of arguments for increases to the reference budget. But, of course, this isn't the whole story.
Each of us is all to well aware that resources have failed to keep pace. Communities find it more and more difficult to support public libraries adequately in the face of competing, often critical needs. The boom years enjoyed by academic and research libraries are of the past-a temporary anomaly not expected to recur. With needs expanding and becoming more expensive while increases in resources stall, libraries of all types and in all regional face a gravely challenging future.
To the extent, the Cummings is correct in his argument that our several constituencies no longer find libraries intrinsically valuable and that expense must be justified by benefits, reference librarians will be well-served by familiarity with the tools of the economist.
This book will be of immense help to all those contemplating to acquire expert knowledge of Reference Services in Libraries with special reference to Library and Information Science and management.
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