| REFERENCE SERVICE IS BASED UPON A SET of core functions that have remained valid since the earliest days of the public library movement. Inherent in those functions is a set of core values, including accuracy, thoroughness, timeliness, authority, instruction, access, individualization, and knowledge. Models of reference service that emphasize different aspects of those values take very different forms. In determining the best model for a specific library, the values of the community that the library serves must be taken into account. No one model is best for all libraries. |