Trends in Reference

| Originally published by Library Journal, written by Jason Steagall |

“Many patrons want a database to be searchable like Google—they want to be able to enter a basic term and have excellent and immediate results.”
– Rob Tench, head of resource fulfillment at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA

Publishers and librarians are acutely aware that patrons want libraries to provide a simplified search interface online. Trends in reference reflect library users’ changing needs and expectations. Gale has made content on its platforms easier to find.

“The opportunity is reaching prospective patrons who currently use Web search engines as a sole source of academic research. Through our Google Scholar partnership, we make millions of articles discoverable through Google search results and guide users to their libraries to retrieve credible research documents or to search further.”
– Paul Gazzolo, senior vice president and general manager at Gale

Gale continues to add to its Archives of Sexuality & Gender series and earlier this year published a print and eBook encyclopedia of LGBTQ history. Librarians appreciate seeing these titles. “A marginalized community is exactly that, ‘marginalized,’ and this may affect how willing people interested in the topic are to ask for materials on it. This is why it’s important to have a well-stocked collection,” says Robert Mixner, reference librarian at Bartholomew County Public Library, Columbus, IN.

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