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It is obvious to many librarians that requests for information on funding sources are increasing in most types of libraries. Public support programs are dwindling, and corporate profits are receding. The publishing field has responded to this need by producing a new array of tools to help grant seekers find appropriate funding sources.

The purpose of this article is to acquaint readers with a selection of recent literature dealing with the reference interview. An attempt has been made to identify and to describe some of the important trends related to the reference interview. Two areas of recent interest are improving communications and utilizing techniques from communication sciences in interviewing; in addition, the uses of sensitivity, body language and counseling techniques are covered.

About two years ago, when I took up my present duties, it was pointed out to me by the Assistant Director that when the telephone rang in the Reference Department, it was to be answered, “Good Morning, Information Desk!” This greeting (with variations according to the time of day) was even written into the library's policy and procedures manual. I, enthusiastic about the new job and the opportunity to be a dispenser of information, heartily agreed and willingly complied. Recently, however, I changed the policy and informed the department staff that they could start identifying themselves as the Reference Department or Desk, rather than as the Information Desk. As for me, I was changing to “Good Morning, Reference Department!”

With the start of a new decade in 1980, the public witnessed the arrival of a significant new technology, closed‐captioned television. The culmination of nearly a decade of research and development, closed‐captioned television opened up a new world for the hearing‐impaired. Closed captioning provides a line of on‐screen, written messages co‐ordinated with the sound of the television program. These captions are “closed” in that they are visible only to viewers who have specially designed adapters, known as decoders, to make the words appear on the screen. More than just subtitles, captioning transcribes narration and sound effects as well as dialog. At last, over sixteen million hearing‐impaired individuals in the United States can read what they cannot hear on television.

With the rapid growth of the video and VCR market since the 1980s, librarians have increasingly used videos for staff training and development, as well as for instructional purposes. As a medium, video provides a potentially stimulating and accessible alternative to other training approaches. In many training and instructional situations, video can clarify technical procedures, step‐by‐step, using such functions as slow motion and replay. For training programs emphasizing soft skills development (including communication, supervisory, and management skills), video can enhance role playing and behavior modeling. It can also provide opportunities for self‐observation and evaluation through the taping of simulated or actual interactions.