To order URT

Amos Lakos, Journal of Academic Librarianship:

"...a very worthwhile survey of past research on this subject and is also an important addition to the literature examining reference services in general and to the study of the reference transactions process in particular....The material is not an easy read, and having some understanding of statistics and measurement methodology helps. On the whole, this volume is a positive contribution to our understanding of the reference transaction process, the challenges of observing and evaluating these processes, and the importance of continuing research in this area. It also demonstrates the very practical implications of assessing both the reference transaction process and its implications to the management of reference services, especially in this rapidly changing environment. Recommended reading for all reference service practitioners and researchers, both for the readily available insights as well as a valuable addition to those interested in further evaluation and research in this area."

Mary Whisner, Law Library Journal:

"...has much to offer us....Saxton and Richardson carefully summarize more than a century of scholarship about reference work....Just listing all of the variables shows the complexity and ambitious scope of the study. But that's its beauty. Reference is complex, after all....his adviser (who became his coauthor) surely must have demanded rigor, and the dissertation committee must have done so, too.

Doody's Electronic Journal:

"This is an excellent reference resource. The instruments featured in the appendix are particularly useful in measuring patron satisfaction. Variable data, also part of the appendix, is a great tool for predicting individual library reference request outcomes and can be used to improve or maintain the delivery of quality service."

T.D. Wilson, Information Research:

"The final chapter of the book sets out a set of data flow diagrams showing the practicing reference librarian can benefit from the research and there are extensive appendices covering the research data. This is a dense text, but one worth persisting with, if those ‘conventional theories’ are to be replaced by understanding of the reality…should appear on reading lists for students."

Jeffery Pomerantz, The Library Quarterly:

"...this study is presented as thoroughly and clearly as any this reviewer has seen in library science--or, for that matter, in many related fields. Saxton and Richardson's study emulates and builds on Whitlatch's study and does her proud. Understanding Reference Transactions is likewise exemplary and worthy of emulation."