relevant, authoritative and verifiable. To meet that need, libraries must

adapt our traditional strengths of acquiring, describing, and serving

information to an environment that is not bound by time or physical

place, the virtual library without walls. So how do we take the reference

We can start with what libraries are good at. Libraries are good at

organizing information using controlled vocabularies and other

standards tools to make materials accessible. Libraries evaluate materials

carefully before selecting them and according to documented policy

statements and guidelines. Libraries have both digital and analog

collections which are regularly mined by highly skilled and trained

subject, language and navigation experts. Finally, the communications

options for libraries have been increasing in number and variety. Peopl

resulting list of abstracts and go to the library where I would then spend

needs constant refreshing with new information, and needs the hands-on

In my experience as an end-user,when I was in high school it was a long

provides librarians with a means to experiment with using the medium

Some topics in this essay:
, Wide Web, Highwire ERIC, reference interview, reference librarian,