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The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of issues related to library involvement in a popular virtual world, the massively multiplayer online role‐playing game (MMORG) Second Life.

Interviews with librarians participating in Second Life expand on the rationale for participating in this 3‐D virtual world as well as various uses of Second Life and other new technologies for all types of libraries and librarians.

Benefits to both libraries and librarians from participating in a virtual world like Second Life include opportunities for collaboration, creativity, learning, and global networking with other librarians, educators, and technologists.

Virtual worlds are new to most libraries, librarians, and administrators. This interview will be of interest and value to all those interested in extending their reach in reference, collections, and information literacy by pushing out to new technological frontiers and exploring and taking risks in virtual areas where users are going.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a selective bibliography for librarians and adminstrators in all types of libraries, with sources that can help them understand virtual worlds and their applications for libraries. Second Life is used as an example of virtual worlds.

The authors describe a range of primarily recent publications (2004‐2006), which aim to provide practical advice and information, to aid librarians and administrators seeking to understand and utilize virtual worlds.

Provides information about each source, indicating content and how the information can help. Acknowledges and explores the lack of knowledge among many librarians and administrators of expanded Web technologies like 3D virtual worlds and their reference, collections and information literacy applications, and provides an annotated list of helpful publications.

This is not an exhaustive list and is particularly limited in numbers of research publications due to the fact that this technology is new and research in this area is only just emerging.

A useful source of information for librarians and administrators in all types of libraries considering exploring and experimenting with library services within virtual worlds.

This selected bibliography fulfills an identified information/resources need by offering a varied list of publications which can provide practical help to library workers supporting and venturing into the rapidly developing and high profile virtual worlds arena.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue of Reference Services Review entitled “LOEX‐of‐the‐West 2012: creative landscapes in southern California”.

Over 160 librarians from across the USA and Canada attended the biennial LOEX‐of‐the‐West (LOTW) conference on the campus of Woodbury University in Burbank, California from June 6‐8, 2012. LOTW strives for an atmosphere in which speakers can share innovative ideas and open a dialog with other librarians.

Traditionally, after each LOEX‐of‐the‐West (LOTW) conference a number of papers based on session presentations are submitted to Reference Services Review (RSR) for publication. Building on their work at the 2012 preconference, Editors of RSR, Ms Eleanor Mitchell and Ms Sarah Barbara Watstein, have worked closely with presenters to transform their talks to published papers. After going through a double blind peer review process, seven papers have been selected for publication in this issue.

The authors/Guest Editors are excited to share these papers in this special LOEX‐of‐the‐West issue of Reference Services Review. It is indeed just as the conference theme stated “Information Literacy for all Terrains”.

Many libraries, public, academic, or special, no matter how technologically advanced, maintain a finger‐marked, dog‐eared file at the reference desk. This file, usually on 3x5‐inch cards, contains answers to questions that have proved difficult. Such a file is necessary in any library that has ever had, or ever expects to have, any turnover in reference personnel. Even good, seasoned librarians may not have perfect recall for the minutia of a vexing question answered months or years ago, perhaps by someone else. Determining the number of access points in a manual reference aids file is a dilemma. One could make a cross‐reference for every way any person could possibly seek the information or one could write a single card and trust collective memory to remember how it was filed. Multiple cards increase the possibility of finding the information, but clog the file. The single card approach, as has been observed, “provided only one point of access, which frequently could not be identified in a stress situation.” Also, newer librarians, weaned on computers and impatient with manual files, tend to avoid the card file, which they view as an unworkable relic. The manual reference aids file at the California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) Library contained about 800 tidbits of elusive information such as subject headings used for archaeological site reports, a list of the Supreme Court cases kept in the reserve book room, facts of local history, a reminder of which issue of Fortune lists the annual Fortune 500, where to find Nielsen ratings, and more.

This paper aims to question whether the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education adheres to the theory upon which it was based and to examine the actions of the Association of College and Research Libraries following the Framework’s release and its consequences.

This paper is an essay-style viewpoint, reflecting the observations and opinions of the author.

The author criticizes the Association of College and Research Libraries for its inaction in educating member librarians about how to implement the Framework and observes ideological rifts that were exposed within the academic librarian community as the Framework was being discussed following its adoption.

This paper is meant to provoke thought and generate discussion in regard to the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.

The purpose of this editorial is to look at virtual learning environments, Facebook, and YouTube – places where students and scholars work, collaborate, share and plan, and encourage reference and information literacy librarians to take the “next step” up to the multifaceted challenge of “visibility” in these environs.

The editorial looks at virtual learning environments, Facebook and YouTube.

The editorial finds that developments in virtual learning environments have resulted in a sea change in the design and delivery of education from kindergarten to corporate. Educational technology now plays a critical role in learning and teaching across the academic spectrum, from K‐12 and beyond, in many disciplines at most colleges and universities.

The editorial is of value in presenting a myriad ways in which the library can be represented in these environments.

The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with information literacy including instruction in the use of information resources, research, and computer skills related to retrieving, using, and evaluating information. This review, the twenty‐second to be published in Reference Services Review, includes items in English published in 1995. After 21 years, the title of this review of the literature has been changed from “Library Orientation and Instruction” to “Library Instruction and Information Literacy,” to indicate the growing trend of moving to information skills instruction.