OCLC | Ohio Reference Excellence (ORE) website states that "[t]he goal of reference work is to meet people's information needs. Reference work includes finding out what information people need and using library resources to provide that information."


Reference Desk Counter

The reference counter of the Conrado F. Asenjo Library is located to the right side of second floor lobby. The reference librarians on desk duty provide library users with direction to library materials, advice on library collections and services, and expertise on multiple kinds of information from multiple electronic or physical library materials.


Reference Services

Reference Services, are transactions or "information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others to meet particular information needs. Reference transactions do not include formal instruction or exchanges that provide assistance with locations, schedules, equipment, supplies, or policy statements."

"Reference Work includes reference transactions and other activities that involve the creation, management, and assessment of information or research resources, tools, and services."

Reference and User Services Association. (2008, January 14). Definitions of Reference. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.


Reference Interview

The reference interview is the "conversation between a member of the library reference staff and a library user for the purpose of clarifying the user’s needs and aiding the user in meeting those needs".

Bopp, R. E., & Smith, L. C. (1995). Reference and information services: An introduction. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited. p. 37.


Virtual Reference

Virtual reference is reference service initiated electronically, often in real-time, where patrons employ computers or other Internet technology to communicate with reference staff, without being physically present. Communication channels used frequently in virtual reference include chat, videoconferencing, Voice over IP, co-browsing, e-mail, and instant messaging.

Reference and User Services Association. Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.


Information Literacy Competencies

“Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to ‘recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.’ … Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning.”

American Library Association. (1989). Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report. Chicago: American Library Association.



Reference Collection

The Conrado F. Asenjo Library offers online and print reference materials to support teaching and research in the Health Sciences. Materials available on that collection are:

  • atlases
  • bibliographies
  • citation manuals
  • consumer resources
  • dictionaries | glossaries
  • directories
  • drug information
  • general encyclopedias
  • guides
  • handbooks
  • manuals
  • signs & symptoms
  • specialized encyclopedias
  • tests and measurements resources
  • workbooks