The reference that will come

Abstract

We are assisting in Italy to a renewed interest towards questions connected to reference, which points out the need to face the challenges and new solutions proposed by the new digital context.
At the beginning, telematic networks and the diffusion of Internet gave the impression of annulling the need of mediation in research. In a second time, facing the overload of distributed information through Internet, there has again been the need to effect a selection, reorganisation and evaluation of resources and information present in the Web, to exploit the role of libraries as gateways to access to resources for payment, to create new profiles of experts in the research of information.
The future of reference should be considered, thought and defined as "digital".
The focus of reference is moving from user's individual research to the librarian's assistance in research, to the user's cognitive learning of tools, strategies and research languages, as well as to the planning of training activities, introductory to any research activity.
Digital technologies offer to libraries the possibility of an extensive interpretation of reference, supporting users during all the information and training path.
We are assisting more and more to cooperation in the reference service. In Italy there is a new approach which sees reference turning from a situation of voluntarism and casualness of organisation models to a very high level of structuring.
The experience of SegnaWeb, a vitual reference desk made in cooperation, is the first and the simplest form of digital reference in Italy.