In the introduction to this book, author Carolyn Mulac states that “the purpose of the Fundamentals of Reference is to present an outline of the big picture” (xi), and she undeniably accomplishes this goal. Fundamentals of Reference presents itself as an overview of its topic, touching briefly on the many aspects reference services in a very broad and general way. With two parts, “Reference Sources” and “Reference Services,” this resource discusses a rather odd mix of general reference ideas and practices.

In the first part of the book, online and print reference resources are discussed in somewhat vague terms. The author first discusses reputable reference reviewing websites, including Reference Books Bulletin, a division of ALA’s Booklist, and suggests that librarians should continually read such sites to stay informed. Next, the author provides brief overviews of standard online and print reference resources, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, and so forth. Wikipedia also makes an appearance in this section.

After a brief introduction, the second part of Fundamentals of Reference outlines reference services. Again, in broad strokes, the author discusses elements of the reference interview, as well as specifics about providing reference in a variety of formats: in person, on the telephone, online, and via chat services. Basic tips for each format are included, such as the suggestion to smile when answering the phone or the recommendation to review chat transcripts to monitor quality of service. A short chapter is devoted to reference services for children and young adults. This chapter seems somewhat out of place, as it is the only chapter focused on a specific population. However, several chapters concentrate on particular topics, such as medical reference, legal reference, and business reference. Part two also covers reference policies, standards and, evaluation.

All in all, this book should be considered as a resource for beginning LIS students only. The author recommends it for those first venturing out to the reference desk as well (xi), but at almost any library, the in-person, on-the-job training provided by co-workers to new reference assistants would far exceed anything included in this book. In part one, the “mix and match” of both paper and online resources is surprising, especially because it includes what this reviewer would consider unreliable sources. Written in simple language, this resource contains a bibliography, a listing of resources listed in part one, and an index.