Two Levels of Reference Service in a Municipal Reference Library

Abstract

Chicago's Municipal Reference Library (MRL) is a busy governmental library which serves a two-fold public: it serves city employees (approximately 36,000 of them) as a special library and the public as a reference library. This creates problems for the reference librarian: remembering who receives which services, often "switching gears" while working under severe time constraints and with demanding patrons. Other problems arising from this dichotomy are discussed, special MRL resources and publications are described, and examples of some actual questions are included.