Frank Gibbons Adjunct Professor
Class Time :Monday through Friday, 11:00am - 12:45pm
This course is an introduction to reference work in all types of libraries
and information centers. It covers the evaluation of basic reference
materials in print and electronic formats and the strategies and skills
needed to answer questions asked by patrons/clients.
Students should acquire a knowledge of the principles and methods used in
the evaluation of information resources
Students should learn strategies for identifying appropriate information
resources to meet the information needs of patrons/clients.
Students should become familiar with current trends and issues in reference
and information service.
Information Resource Evaluation. A critical assessment of a specific type
of reference material(e.g. encyclopedia, directory etc) taking one example
in printed format and a second in electronic format and comparing the
relative strengths and weakness of each
Library Search 1 (covering Lists 1 to 4 inclusive)
Library Search 2 (covering Lists 5 to 8 inclusive)
Library Search 3 (covering Lists 9 to 12 inclusive)
Test (short answer / essay type questions based on topics discussed
throughout the course)
Information Resource Evaluation 15%
Library Searches 45%( 15% each)
Test 40%
Week 1
Introduction: the nature of reference work: professional reading
Types of information resource: evaluation
Methodology of reference work
Dictionaries
Encyclopedias
Week 2
Yearbooks
Biography
Geography : library exercise
Directories
LIBRARY SEARCH 1
Week 3
Business information sources
Government documents
Library practise
LIBRARY SEARCH 2
Bibliography
Week 4
National and Trade bibliography
NUC and other national library catalogs
Serials
Indexes and abstracts
4 July: NO CLASS
Week 5
LIBRARY SEARCH 3
Evaluation of reference service
TEST
Overview
Set Text
Katz, W.A. Introduction to reference work, 7th. edition. New York: McGraw
Hill,1996.
2 volumes.
Volume l Basic information sources
Volume 2 Reference services and reference processes
What is a reference book? a theoretical and empirical analysis
M.J.Bates RQ, 1986, 26(1) pp. 37-57
Every reference librarian a reviewer
James Rettig. RO,1987,26(4) pp. 467-476.
The e-mail reference interview
E.G. Abels RQ,196, 35(3) pp.345-358.
Ready reference via the Internet
Don Lanier and Walter Wilkins RQ,1994,33(3) pp. 359-368
Britannica online: redesigning encyclopedas for the next century.
E.J. Valauskas Database,1995,18(1) pp. 14-20
OCLC's First Search: a reference tool still evolving
C.-L. Benaud and S. Bordeianu. Reference Services Review,1993,21(2) pp. 7- 16.
Source List 1 - Dictionaries
Webster's New International 3rd ed. PE 1625 W36
Random House Dictionary of English Language. Unabridged. PE1625 R3
American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language PE 1628 A53
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) (in print and on CD) PE 1625 O87 1989
Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang PE 2846 R36 1994
Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) PE 2843 D52
Roget’s International Thesaurus PE 1591 R73
Source List 2 - Encyclopedias: General and Subject
Encyclopedia Americana AE5 E333
Encyclopedia Britannica AE5 E363
New Columbia Encyclopedia 5th ed. AG5 C725
World Book Encyclopedia AE5 W55
New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ML100 N48
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences H40 A2 I5
McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology Q121 M3 (newest in Science)
Guide to American Law. KF156 G772
Encyclopedia of Religion. BL31 E46
Encyclopedia of Psychology. BF31 E52 1994
Source List 3 - Almanacs and Yearbooks
World Almanac. AT67 N5 W7 (desk)
Whitaker's Almanac AY754 W5 (desk)
Information Please Almanac. AY64 I55
Annual Register: A Record of World Events. D2 A7
Facts on File D410 F3
Keesing’s Contemporary Archives. D410 K4
Statesman's Yearbook JA51 S7 (desk)
Europa Yearbook JN1 E85 (desk)
Source List 4 - Biographical Sources
Biography Index (25381 B5)
Biography and Genealogy Master Index (CD)
Dictionary of National Biography DA28 D47
Dictionary of American Biography E176 D56
National Cyclopedia of American Biography E176 N28
Who’s Who in America E663 W56
Contemporary Authors (CD)
Current Biography (CT 100C8)
Newsmakers (CT 120 C6)
Source List 5 -Geographical Sources
Webster's New Geographical Dictionary G103.5 W42
Times Atlas of the World G1019 B395
Hammond Atlas of the World. G1021 083
Times Atlas of World History G1030 T54
National Geographic Atlas of the World G1021 N38
Rand McNally Commercial Atlas and Marketing Guide. G1200 R36
Source List 6 -Directories and Handbooks
Directories Directories in Print AY2001 D57 (desk)
Encyclopedia of Associations HS17 G332 (desk)
Handbooks The Guinness Book of World Records AG243 G87
Famous First Facts. AG5 K315
Chase’s Calendar of Events. D11.5 C48
Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia. PN41 B4
Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. PN43 B65
Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. PN6081 B27
Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. PN6080 095
Source List 7 - Business Sources
Standard Industrial Classification Manual HF102 A59 (desk)
Encyclopedia of Business Information HF5353 E9
Moody's Industrial Manual HG4961 M67
Standard and Poor’s Corporation Records HG4501 S7664
Dun and Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Directory HC102DS (desk)
Brands and Their Companies T223 V4 A22
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers HD9720 T6
Source List 8 -Government Documents and Statistics
Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications (see current issues on 3rd floor and CD
version)
Subject Bibliographies of Government Publications. North Wall GP3.22
Congressional Information Service Index and Abstracts (CIS/Index)KF49 C622
Congressional Quarterly. Weekly Report. JK1 C15
United States Government Manual (desk) JK421 A3
Official Congressional Directory JK1011 U53 (desk)
The Book of the States JK2403 B6
Statistical Abstract of the U.S. (desk) H0202
Historical Statistics of the U. S. HA202 B87
American Statistical Index (ASI) HA209.A43
Statistical Reference Index (SRI) HA209 S75
Source List 9 - Trade Bibliography
Books in Print (desk). Z1215 P972
Subject Guide to Books in Print (desk). Z1215 P973
Forthcoming Books. Z1215 P974
Source List 10 - National and Union Catalogs
National Union Catalog. Pre 1956 Imprints. Z881 A1U518 V750
OCLC "First Search"
RLIN
Source List 11 - Serials
Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory. Z6941 U5 (desk)
Serials Directory (EBSCO) Z6941 S464 (desk)
Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media. Z6951 A97 (desk)
Magazines for Libraries (Katz). PN4832 M23
International Directory of Little Magazines and Small Presses. Z6944.L5 D5
Source List 12 - Indexes and Abstracts
Expanded Academic Index (SABIO)
Reader's Guide to Periodicals. Literature A13 R48
Humanities Index 1974- (Print and CD) A1 3 H8
Public Affairs Information Service Bulletin (Print and CD) 27163 Pa
Psychological Abstracts 1927- (Print, CD and SABIO) BFI P65
ERIC Educational Resources (Print, SABIO)
Newsbank (CD)
Dissertation Abstracts OnDisc (Print and CD) AS1 D57
Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) Z7161 S673
Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI) Z5937 A788
Essay and General Literature Index AI3 E752
Play Index PN2021 W48
Short Story Index PN6010 S32
Columbia Granger’s Index to Poetry. PN1022 H39