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Open Web Capture for Libraries: Reinventing Subject Encyclopedias for the Open Web

Open Web Capture for Libraries: Reinventing Subject Encyclopedias for the Open Web

John G. Dove, Ingrid Becker
Copyright: © 2012 |Pages: 14
ISBN13: 9781613503089|ISBN10: 1613503083|EISBN13: 9781613503096
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61350-308-9.ch015
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MLA

Dove, John G., and Ingrid Becker. "Open Web Capture for Libraries: Reinventing Subject Encyclopedias for the Open Web." E-Reference Context and Discoverability in Libraries: Issues and Concepts, edited by Sue Polanka, IGI Global, 2012, pp. 164-177. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61350-308-9.ch015

APA

Dove, J. G. & Becker, I. (2012). Open Web Capture for Libraries: Reinventing Subject Encyclopedias for the Open Web. In S. Polanka (Ed.), E-Reference Context and Discoverability in Libraries: Issues and Concepts (pp. 164-177). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61350-308-9.ch015

Chicago

Dove, John G., and Ingrid Becker. "Open Web Capture for Libraries: Reinventing Subject Encyclopedias for the Open Web." In E-Reference Context and Discoverability in Libraries: Issues and Concepts, edited by Sue Polanka, 164-177. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2012. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61350-308-9.ch015

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Abstract

One of the principle purposes of reference, especially subject encyclopedias, is to facilitate a new learner’s approach to a field of study by providing context and vocabulary for the effective use of the rest of the library. Some have even referred to the subject encyclopedia as the “Rolls Royce of the Library” (East, 2010). With the economic pressures on libraries and the dramatic changes in usage patterns brought on by the shift from print to electronic content, subject encyclopedias must be re-invented if they are to embody their intended function. While print reference has been overshadowed by information on the Web, studies on student research habits show that the need for context, which reference provides, is higher than ever before. This chapter will argue for the contemporary relevance of the subject encyclopedia in response to student research needs in the information age and explore current and possible visions for the transformation of the subject encyclopedia to suit digital media and the open Web in particular.

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