Reference Services for the Unserved

New recognition within society of previously unserved populations has created the need for librarians to also recognize these groups and to find ways to serve them equally. Reference Services for the Unserved provides information, guidance, and inspiration to library professionals in their work with previously unserved populations so that these persons may be absorbed into the larger, served population groups. It helps librarians adjust to making accommodations for these new user groups, recognizing that many people in these populations have very specific needs and bring with them some specific limitations in their abilities to take advantage of existing library services. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has transformed the lives of disabled and challenged people by mainstreaming disabled children in public schools, moving mentally and developmentally disabled people into community-based residences and workshops, providing services to disabled college students, and enhancing workplace accommodations. At the same time, the ADA has presented new challenges for the library community. Reference Services for the Unserved guides library professionals in meeting these new challenges by bringing together research and descriptions of several successful attempts to meet the information needs of previously unserved populations. In guiding library professionals and administrators in effectively serving currently unserved populations, authors in Reference Services for the Unserved tell readers how to:
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