The Future of Reference Service: Treading into and Going beyond Digital Reference Service

The present paper is an endeavor to put light on the present bandwagon of digital reference service with a glimpse on the background and genesis of traditional reference service. The present online reference services include asynchronous transactions like e-mail, web forms, Ask-A type services and synchronous transactions like live chatting, video conferencing etc. Indisputably, though the method changes, the fundamental purpose of reference service remains and will remain unchanged. The digital reference process marks a line of demarcation for itself from the traditional one. However, there are some technological innovations like mobile apps, social networking, Live Chat with the online readers etc. which could rightly be said as the future of digital reference service which seem to be very beneficial for the people with special needs also.