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The Use of Microforms in Academic Reference Collections and Services

The literature of academic librarianship details library applications of microforms to departments such as acquisitions, circulation, and cataloging. Reference departments also may benefit from microforms, as these resources strengthen research collections and, as in the case of government documents, support quality indexing/abstracting services. Reference librarians must be well-versed in computerized bibliographic search systems and in microforms, their technology and possible applications to the department. Perusal of the literature of reference librarianship reveals that microforms are seldom discussed. When they are, the emphasis is generally on bibliographic control. William A. Katz, for example, emphasizes reference sources pertaining to microforms rather than the selected use of microforms in reference collections or outreach programs. This paper will attempt to draw together the few reported studies relating microforms directly to reference librarianship and to explain the selective incorporation of microforms into reference collections and instructional outreach programs. Historically, reference sources have been viewed in the context of the book. The A.L.A. Glossary of Library Terms defines a reference book as one "designed by its arrangement and treatment to be consulted for definite items of information rather than to be read consecutively." Furthermore it is "a book whose use is restricted to the library building." A more current definition would have to stress informational resources other than the book and the fact that a reference source is anything which is used to answer the question. Traditionally, information sources include books, periodicals, newspapers, documents, and ephemeral materials. The number of forms is increasing and