274: Reference and Information Services: An Introduction by Melissa A. Wong and Laura Saunders

Steve chats with Melissa A. Wong and Laura Saunders, authors of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction, about their paths to librarianship, how they approached writing and editing a textbook, the evolving role of reference librarians in the face of changing technologies and societal issues, and the practical applications of the book in LIS education, including their own classrooms.

Read the transcript!

Written as a textbook for LIS students taking reference courses, this fully updated and revised seventh edition of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction also serves as a helpful handbook for practitioners to refamiliarize themselves with particular types and formats of sources and to refresh their knowledge on specific service topics.

Melissa A. Wong has been an online instructor for the University of Illinois since 2001, teaching courses in reference, instruction, management, and academic librarianship. Previously, she worked as an academic librarian for 14 years, including 6 years at the University of Southern California and 8 years as library director at Marymount College Palos Verdes. She earned her master’s degree in library science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Laura Saunders is associate professor at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science, teaching in the areas of reference, instruction, and academic libraries. Prior to earning her PhD, she worked as an academic reference librarian and in circulation at a public library. She earned her master’s of library and information science and her PhD at Simmons University.

SHOW NOTES:

Reference and Information Services: An Introduction
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173: Melissa Wong

Steve chats with Melissa Wong, adjunct instructor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Graduate School of Library and Information Science and author of Instructional Design for LIS Professionals: a Guide for Teaching Librarians and Information Science Professionals, about her path to librarianship and teaching, focusing on accessibility when designing courses, supporting students, and what engages Melissa in her work.

Read the transcript.

Melissa Wong is an instructor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she teaches courses in instruction, e-learning, and higher education. During her career, she has served as a librarian at the University of Southern California and as the library director at Marymount California University (then Marymount College). Melissa has extensive experience developing and teaching online. She has taught for San Jose State University, designed asynchronous professional development courses for ACRL, and developed an e-learning program for the pediatrics department at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Melissa is passionate about creating online learning that is relevant and engaging through the use of authentic content and inclusive, accessible design. She is the author of Instructional Design for LIS Professionals: A Guide for Teaching Librarians and Information Science Professionals (Libraries Unlimited, 2019) and co-editor of the upcoming 6th edition of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction (Libraries Unlimited, 2020). Melissa holds degrees from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois (BA, English) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (MS, library science).

SHOW NOTES:

Instructional Design for LIS Professionals: A Guide for Teaching Librarians and Information Science Professionals (Libraries Unlimited)
Melissa on Twitter: @lisafterclass