Researching Archival Reference as an Information Function: Observations on Needs and Opportunities.

Abstract

As with all information professions, the archival commu nity has as a centrad tenet of its mission the use of the materials that it administers. Over the past decade, archi val reference has become a topic of more discussion and some research by the archival profession. What has hin dered this discussion is, however, a dearth of systematic and careful research about the reference process and the use of archival records. While librarians and other infor mation specialists have lamented the quantity and quality of research about the reference function, their research has been more vital and helpful than that which has occurred in the archival profession. This essay, reviews research and writing on the archival reference in the past decade, compares it to four regular topics of research in library and information science, and concludes with a brief assessment of research needs in this area.

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