| Abstrakt: |
Traces the development of the theory of reference and information service from its origins to the present day. Although libraries began to offer reference and information services in the late nineteenth century, they were not based on any theoretical concepts. The first real step in theory formulation was in 1930 when Wyer in the United States examined the various attitudes librarians held on assistance to readers. Between 1930 and the present day, although many developments have taken place, the theory of the subject remains comparatively uninvestigated, especially in Britain, and distinctly inadequate. In the past few years, however, the subject has been increasingly written about, and research in other disciplines applied to it. With the object of encouraging systematic and comprehensive research into the theory of reference and information service, a base plan for such research is outlined. It covers the subject's terminology, its nature and purpose, its scope and branches, and its relationships with other subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] |
