A multimodal approach to enhancing memory in reference service

The rapid proliferation of both electronic and paper reference sources in a variety of formats has made the role of memory in reference work more critical than ever. While librarians might be tempted to utilize traditional memory improvement techniques to help in remembering the ever-expanding universe of reference information, the utility of these techniques are questioned. Instead, the author proposes a new multimodal approach to memory enhancement that overcomes many of the inadequacies of traditional memory improvement methods. Unlike traditional methods, which focus on the manipulation of memory content, this new approach facilitates optimal memory performance by addressing the overall social and psychological context in which memory functions.