Reference Services & Referral Services: Concept and Functions

1. Introduction

Reference and referral services form the core of library and information services. They help connect users with accurate, timely, and relevant information from the vast collection of print and electronic resources. These services aim to bridge the gap between information seekers and information sources, ensuring that users get guided access to knowledge most effectively.

2. Reference Services: Meaning and Definitions

Reference service is the professional assistance librarians and information specialists provide to help users locate, retrieve, and use information effectively. It is not limited to answering direct questions but also involves interpreting user needs, selecting the right sources, and teaching users how to become independent searchers.
The essence of reference service lies in its human element: the librarian acts as a mediator between the user and the information universe. Unlike passive access to books and journals, reference service involves active guidance and problem-solving, ensuring that users quickly get the exact information they require.

Classic Definitions from Authorities

S. R. Ranganathan (1942): “Reference service is the process of establishing contact between a reader and his document in a personal way”.
Margaret Hutchins (1944): “Reference service is that part of library work which is directly concerned with assisting readers in securing information and in using the library resources in the study of their personal problems”.
ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science (1983): “Reference service is that phase of library service in which direct assistance is given to users in the pursuit of information”.
William A. Katz (1992): “Reference service is the personal assistance provided to users in pursuit of information, which may involve answering questions, directing them to resources, or instructing them in their use”.
James I. Wyer (1930s): “Reference service is a contact of readers with books, through personal service of the librarian”.

Key Aspects from Definitions

• Personal assistance: User-librarian interaction is central.
• Guidance in the use of resources: Librarians help users exploit collections effectively.
• Information problem-solving: Goes beyond fact-finding to meet complex needs.
• Educational role: Helps develop the user’s own information literacy skills.

Expanded Understanding

• Reference service is both reactive and proactive:
• Reactive: Responding to user queries (e.g., providing facts, data, or documents).
• Proactive: Anticipating user needs by developing guides, bibliographies, subject pathfinders, and conducting user orientation.
• It covers traditional modes (face-to-face, telephone) and modern digital modes (email, chat reference, virtual reference desks).

3. Types of Reference Services

• Ready Reference Service: Ready reference service provides quick and direct answers to simple factual queries. These questions usually require minimal time for searching, and the answers are often found in sources like dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacks, yearbooks, and handbooks. The nature of this service is immediate and concise. For example, if a user asks, “Who is the author of Discovery of India?”, the librarian can instantly reply “Jawaharlal Nehru”.
• Long-Range Reference Service: Long-range or exhaustive reference service is meant for complex, detailed queries requiring in-depth research. The librarian may consult several bibliographies, indexes, abstracts, and specialised databases to prepare a thorough answer. The nature of this service is analytical and research-oriented. For example, if a student requests “Prepare a list of scholarly works on digital library initiatives in India”, the librarian will compile a subject bibliography covering books, research papers, theses, and reports.
• Current Awareness Service (CAS): The Current Awareness Service is designed to inform users about the latest developments, new publications, and research outputs in their area of interest. It is proactive and aims to alert users with minimal time delay. Sources used for CAS include current journals, newsletters, indexing services, and publisher notifications. For instance, if a researcher asks, “What are the latest articles on Artificial Intelligence in education?”, the librarian can send periodic updates extracted from Scopus and Web of Science databases.
• Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI): Selective Dissemination of Information is a personalised extension of CAS that delivers highly relevant information to specific users according to their subject profile or research needs. The service is continuous and user-specific, requiring librarians to maintain detailed records of user interests. For example, suppose a biotechnology researcher provides a research profile on gene editing techniques. In that case, the librarian can set up database alerts on PubMed and Scopus so that the researcher receives only those new articles that match the subject area.
• User Education and Information Literacy Service: Many libraries now extend reference services by educating users about the effective use of information sources. This service is instructional and includes user orientation, library tours, workshops, subject guides, and training sessions on online databases. For example, a librarian may organise a “How to use JSTOR and ScienceDirect effectively” demonstration session to help students develop independent search skills.
• Digital or Virtual Reference Service: With the growth of information technology, libraries have introduced digital or virtual reference services. These services are delivered through email, chat systems, video conferencing, and virtual reference desks. They provide remote assistance and often operate on a 24/7 basis in major libraries. For instance, if a law student sends an email query on “Copyright law resources in India,” the librarian can respond with links to HeinOnline, Shodhganga, and authoritative government websites.
• Referral Service: Referral service is provided when a library cannot satisfy the user’s query with its own collection. In such cases, the librarian directs the user to another library, research centre, or expert who can provide the needed information. This service depends on inter-library cooperation and resource-sharing networks. For example, suppose a user requests access to a rare PhD thesis unavailable in the library. In that case, the librarian may guide them to INFLIBNET’s Shodhganga or refer them to a university library where the document is available.

4. Importance of Reference Services in Libraries

Reference services are central to the effectiveness of libraries as information and knowledge centres. They ensure that the vast collection of documents, databases, and digital resources is stored and used meaningfully by readers. The importance of reference services can be explained as follows:

• Saves Users’ Time and Effort: Reference services reduce the time users spend searching for information. With their sources and search strategies knowledge, librarians provide accurate answers more quickly than users working alone. For example, a librarian can direct a student immediately to the correct database for journal articles instead of the student spending hours searching randomly.
• Ensures Optimum Use of Library Resources: Many valuable resources in libraries remain underutilised because users are unaware of them. Reference services highlight, interpret, and guide readers to such resources, ensuring that the full potential of the library’s collection is realised.
• Supports Academic and Research Work: By supplying relevant and up-to-date information, reference services strengthen learning, teaching, and research. This support is critical for students preparing assignments, researchers writing dissertations, and faculty developing university teaching materials.
• Improves Information Literacy: Through guidance in using catalogues, databases, and search tools, reference services help users acquire lifelong information skills. This makes users more confident and independent in future information seeking.
• Promotes Better Decision-Making: In government offices, corporate settings, and research institutes, reference services provide accurate data and verified information that aid decision-making, policy formulation, and innovation.
• Builds Strong User–Librarian Relationships: By interacting directly with users, librarians develop trust and credibility. Users begin to see the library as an approachable, helpful, and essential partner in their academic or professional journey.
• Adapts to Technological Change: Reference services have evolved into virtual and digital forms, making libraries accessible beyond physical walls. They ensure users benefit from new tools such as e-resources, digital repositories, and online databases.
• Adds Value to the Library as an Institution: A library without active reference services becomes only a passive storehouse. Reference services add value by transforming the library into an active service-oriented knowledge hub.
• Encourages Continuous Learning: By exposing users to diverse sources, reference services broaden intellectual horizons and encourage lifelong learning, which is one of the significant goals of education and libraries.

Reference services are essential because they save time, maximise the use of resources, support education and research, improve information literacy, assist in decision-making, build relationships, adapt to technology, and make libraries valuable centres of continuous learning.

5. Functions of Reference Services

Reference service is the operational heart of a library. Its functions describe librarians' roles and responsibilities to help users access and use information effectively. These functions can be outlined as follows:

• Answering User Queries: The reference service's most direct function is to answer users’ questions. Queries may be factual (ready reference), analytical (long-range reference), or research-based. For example, answering “Who wrote The Discovery of India?” is a factual query, while preparing a bibliography on “Open Access Journals in India” is a long-range task.
• Guiding Users to Information Sources: Reference service guides the library’s resources. Librarians direct users to suitable reference tools such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, indexes, databases, and electronic resources. This ensures that users can identify and use the right materials.
• Assisting in Catalogues and Databases: Another key function is to help users understand and use catalogues, classification schemes, bibliographic databases, and online public access catalogues (OPACs). This assistance improves user confidence in navigating library systems.
• Educating Users (Information Literacy): Reference services have an instructional function. Librarians train users to search effectively, evaluate resources, and cite references. This may be done through orientation programs, workshops, subject guides, or online tutorials.
• Providing Current Awareness Service (CAS): Reference service keeps users updated about newly published materials, recent arrivals in the library, and current developments in their field. This function ensures that users remain aware of the latest information.
• Offering Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI): Beyond general awareness, the reference service also provides personalised information alerts tailored to the research interests of specific users. This function is vital for researchers and faculty members.
• Promoting Optimum Use of Library Resources: Reference service ensures that expensive and rare, print and electronic resources are fully utilised by guiding users to them. Without reference assistance, many valuable resources may remain unnoticed.
• Acting as an Information Mediator: The librarian bridges the user and the information universe. This mediating function includes interpreting user needs, selecting suitable sources, and sometimes reformulating vague questions into searchable forms.
• Referral to Other Libraries or Experts: When the required information is not available locally, the reference service performs the function of referral, guiding users to other institutions, libraries, or experts who can provide the needed information.
• Supporting Research, Teaching, and Decision-Making: Reference service strengthens the academic role of the library by providing data and literature necessary for assignments, dissertations, research projects, classroom teaching, and policy decisions.

The functions of reference service include answering questions, guiding and educating users, promoting resource use, offering CAS and SDI, acting as an intermediary, referring users to external sources, and supporting academic and research activities. Together, these functions make the library a dynamic knowledge service centre rather than just a collection of books.

6. Referral Services: Meaning and Definitions

Referral service is an essential extension of the reference service. It directs a library user to another library, institution, or subject expert when the required information cannot be provided from the parent library’s collection. In simple terms, it ensures that no user query goes unanswered, even if the local library does not have the resources—referral services function on cooperation and networking among libraries and information centres.
A referral may be within the same library (from one section to another), between libraries (from a district library to a university library), or towards specialised agencies (government departments, research institutes, or professional bodies). It ensures that the user always has a pathway to the needed information.

Definitions ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science (1983): “Referral service is the activity of directing library users to other agencies or experts when the library itself cannot provide the information requested.”

S. R. Ranganathan (as implied in Five Laws): Ranganathan emphasised that libraries must ensure every reader has his or her book and every book has its reader. Referral service fulfils this principle by guiding the reader to the right place, even outside the local library.

UNESCO (1977, Handbook of Information Systems and Services): Referral service is the “service which guides the inquirer to the agency, organisation or expert most likely to be able to provide the required information.”

Feather & Sturges (International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science, 1997): Referral service is “a mechanism by which libraries or information centres refer users to sources outside their own resources, thereby extending the scope of their services.”

Margaret Hutchins (1944): Although she defined reference service, Hutchins also acknowledged referral as a higher form of service in which the librarian takes responsibility to guide users to outside authorities when local sources fail.

Key Aspects from Definitions

• Across these definitions, three key elements stand out:
• Guidance beyond the parent library: Users are connected to other institutions or experts.
• Cooperation and networking: Referral services depend on collaboration among libraries and organisations.
• Commitment to user satisfaction: Instead of denying a request, the librarian ensures continuity of service by providing a pathway to information.

7. Types of Referral Services

Referral service is not a single process but can occur at different levels depending on the scope of the user’s query and the resources available. Broadly, referral services are categorised into three main types:

• Intra-Library Referral: This type occurs within the same library when a user is directed from one section or department to another that can better satisfy the information need. The librarian may not have the exact resource at the reference desk, but knows it exists in another section. Example: A user in a public library asks for old newspapers. The reference librarian refers them to the archives or periodicals section within the same library.
• Inter-Library Referral: This type occurs when the resources are unavailable in the parent library, so the user is referred to another library or information centre that holds the required material. Inter-library referral depends on cooperation and networking agreements between institutions. Example: A district library user requests a specialised medical journal article. The librarian refers them to a medical college library or arranges a consultation through networks like DELNET or INFLIBNET.
• Expert or Institutional Referral: Sometimes, information cannot be obtained from documents but requires guidance from subject experts, government departments, or research organisations. In such cases, the librarian refers the user to the concerned institution or specialist. Example: A researcher needs the latest data on climate change policies in India. The librarian relates them to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, a research institute, or a subject expert.

8. Summary Table of Types of Referral Services

Intra-library referral works within the same library, inter-library referral connects users to other libraries, and expert/institutional referral guides users to external specialists or organisations. Together, these types ensure that no information request remains unfulfilled.

9. Importance of Referral Services in Libraries

Referral service is an essential extension of reference service that ensures continuity of assistance even when the parent library does not hold the required resources. Its importance can be highlighted as follows:

• Overcomes Limitations of Local Collections: No library, regardless of size, can acquire every book, journal, thesis, or database. Referral services address this limitation by guiding users to other libraries, repositories, or experts who possess the required material. This ensures that users are not deprived of information simply because of local resource constraints.
• Promotes Resource Sharing and Cooperation: Referral services encourage inter-library cooperation and the formation of networks, consortia, and partnerships. By sharing resources and expertise, libraries reduce duplication, save costs, and collectively strengthen the information infrastructure. Networks like DELNET, INFLIBNET, and WorldCat function effectively on this principle.
• Provides Access to Specialised Information and Expertise: Many queries demand information not available in printed or electronic documents, but with subject experts, research institutes, or government departments. Referral services connect users to such specialised sources, ensuring that their needs are met authentically and accurately.
• Strengthens Academic and Research Support: Students, teachers, and researchers often require rare or precise information for assignments, dissertations, or projects. Referral services enable them to reach specialised academic libraries, archives, or repositories such as Shodhganga or the National Archives of India, thereby enriching the quality of their research.
• Expands the Role of Libraries as Information Gateways: By offering referral services, libraries evolve from self-contained institutions to knowledge gateways. They connect users and the global information network, extending their service beyond physical and institutional boundaries.
• Builds Professional Networks and Institutional Ties: Referral services foster professional cooperation between libraries, universities, research centres, and information agencies. Such networks enhance institutional prestige and help develop a culture of collaboration and trust.
• Increases User Satisfaction and Trust: When a librarian refers a user to the correct source instead of denying help, the user develops confidence in the library’s commitment. This user-centred approach enhances satisfaction and strengthens the library's image as a reliable information centre.
• Supports Lifelong Learning: Referral services expose users to new collections, external repositories, and expert knowledge. This broadens their learning horizon, encourages interdisciplinary study, and supports lifelong education—one of the core objectives of libraries.

Referral services are essential because they overcome the limitations of local collections, encourage resource sharing, provide access to specialised knowledge, support academic research, expand the library’s role as an information gateway, build institutional cooperation, increase user satisfaction, and promote lifelong learning.

10. Functions of Referral Services

Referral service is an extension of reference service, ensuring that user queries are answered even when resources are unavailable within the parent library. Its main functions can be explained as follows:

• Directing Users to Appropriate Agencies or Libraries: The primary function of a referral service is to guide users to the most suitable library, archive, research centre, or institution that holds the required information. This ensures that information needs are met without delay. Example: Referring a user seeking rare manuscripts to the National Archives of India.
• Referring Users to Subject Experts: Referral services connect users with subject specialists, scientists, or government officials who possess the necessary expertise. This function is essential when information is not available in published documents. Example: Directing a researcher to a government ministry or an expert in environmental science for updated climate policy data.
• Promoting Inter-Library Cooperation: Referral services strengthen library cooperation by encouraging mutual assistance and resource sharing. This function helps build effective library networks and consortia. For example, district libraries refer users to university or national libraries through networks such as DELNET or INFLIBNET.
• Extending the Scope of Library Services: By providing referral support, libraries move beyond their physical limitations and act as gateways to global information. This function expands the role of the library as a comprehensive knowledge facilitator. Example: Refer a user to international databases like WorldCat to locate foreign publications.
• Ensuring User Satisfaction: Referral services prevent situations where users leave the library without assistance. By offering alternate pathways, they ensure that users always receive guidance, strengthening the library's confidence. Example: A user seeking a thesis not in the local library is referred to Shodhganga or the university where it was submitted.
• Supporting Academic and Research Development: Referral services assist researchers, faculty, and students in accessing specialised resources for advanced academic work. This function directly contributes to scholarly productivity. Example: Referring a doctoral student to a specialised medical library for access to rare journals.
• Encouraging Resource Sharing Networks: Referral services encourage libraries to develop directories, union catalogues, bibliographies, and online databases that make referrals easier and more effective. This fosters collaborative resource-sharing systems.

The functions of referral services include directing users to other libraries or experts, promoting cooperation, extending access to global information, ensuring user satisfaction, and supporting research and academic work. They transform the library into a knowledge gateway that goes beyond local boundaries.

11. Comparative Importance of Reference and Referral Services in Libraries