Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about the broad intersection of data and society. Perhaps the greatest irony of the digital era is that while Silicon ...

It was with great interest that I read Scott Carlson’s “Are Reference Desks Dying Out?” (The Chronicle, April 20). While the beginning of the article gave a true picture of the work being done by ...

As of yesterday morning, students can ask a reference librarian questions about research at any time of the day (or night) through a new online service offered by the Boston Library Consortium (BLC).

At the University of California at Merced’s library, there is no reference desk and there never has been. The way reference services are delivered there would intrigue some and disturb others. At the ...

Michigan State Librarian Randy Riley has died, the Library of Michigan announced Monday afternoon. Riley had served as State ...

Many times I have been at the front desk of our library and have had someone ask a detailed question for information that I know is available at the reference desk. When I explain where the reference ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. - University at Buffalo librarians are offering real-time, online reference assistance to students, some as far away as China, using AOL Instant Messenger software (AIM) in the popular ...

You don’t often turn on a light and think, “That power company is sure on the ball!” You generally only think of them when the lights go out without warning. I think the same is true of search. You ...