Frank Gibbons: Adjunct Professor
Class Time: Monday through Friday 11:00am - 12:45 pm
Psych Room 204

Course Description
This course is an introduction to reference work in all types of libraries/information centers. It covers the evaluation of reference materials in print and electronic formats and the strategies and skills needed to answer questions asked by patrons/clients.

Course Objectives
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. Student should become familiar with current trends and issues in reference and information service.

Course Requirements

1. A short critical evaluation of one printed reference work and one electronic reference source of the same type (eg encyclopedia, dictionary etc) identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each. Comparison is not required.( Due: End of 2nd. Week)
2. Test(1) based on Information Resource Lists 2 to 6 inclusive.

3. Compilation of a select bibliography on a specified subject( Due: End of 4th. Week) Students will be invited to use electronic and printed information sources in the compilation of their bibliography and keep a record of their search results for a brief class explanation and discussion.

4. Test (2) based on topics discussed throughout the course.

   Grading
   

   1. Information resource evaluation 10%

   2. Test(1) 20%

   3. Bibliography 30%

   4. Test(2) 40%

   Course Outline

   Week 1
   Introduction: the nature of reference work: professional reading
   Types of information resource: evaluation
   Methodology of reference work
   Dictionaries
   Encyclopedias

   Week 2
   Almanacs; Yearbooks; Handbooks
   Directories; Statistics
   Biographical and Geographical reference works
   LIBRARY : practical exercise
   LIBRARY : practical exercise

   Week 3
   TEST 1
   Bibliography: general
   Bibliography: National and Trade
   Bibliography: NUC and other national library catalogs
   LIBRARY: Bibliographical exercises

   Week 4
   Government publications
   Serials
   Indexes and Abstracts
   Evaluation of reference service
   Student presentations and discussions of the Bibliographical Assignment

   Week 5
   Student presentations and discussions of the Bibliographical Assignment
   Student presentations and discussions of the Bibliographical Assignment
   TEST 2
   Overview

   Information Resource Lists

   1. Guides to Reference Material

   Balay, Robert Guide to Reference Books 11th. ed. 1996 Z1035.1 G89
   Walford, A.J Guide to Reference Materials Z1035.1 W33
   American Reference Books Annual(ARBA) Z1035.1 A55
   Reader’s Adviser Z1035 B7

   2. Dictionaries

   Brewer,Annie Dictionaries, Encyclopaedias and Other Word Related Books 4th.ed. 1983 (2 vols) AE5 B73
   Kister, Kenneth Kister’s Best Dictionaries for Adults and Young People: a Comparative Guide 1992 PE1611 K57
   Loughridge,Brendan Which Dictionary? 1990 PE1704 L68

   Webster’s New International 3rd. ed. PE1625 W36
   Random House Dictionary of English Language. Unabridged. PE1625 R3
   American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language PE1625 A53
   Oxford English Dictionary(OED) (in print and on CD) PE1625 O87 1989

   Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang PE 2846 R36 1994
   Dictionary of American Regional English(DARE) PE2843 D52
   Roget’s International Thesaurus PE1591 R73
   Abbreviations Dictionary PE1693 D4 1995

   3. Encyclopedias

   Kister, Kenneth Kister’s Best Encyclopedias 2nd.ed. 1994 AE1 K57

   Encyclopaedia Britannica AE5 E363
   Encyclopedia Americana AE5 333
   World Book Encyclopedia AE5 W55
   New Columbia Encyclopedia 5th. ed. AG5 C725

   Subject Encyclopedias:-

   New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ML100 N48
   International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences H40 A215
   Guide to American Law KF156 G772
   Encyclopedia of Religion BL31 E46
   Encyclopedia of Psychology BF31 E52 1994

   4. Almanacs,Yearbooks and Handbooks

   World Almanac AY67 N5 W7(Desk)
   Whitaker’s Almanac AY754 W5(Desk)
   Information Please Almanac AY64 I55

   Annual Register of World Events D2 A7
   Statesman’s Yearbook JA51 S7(Desk)
   Europa Yearbook JNI E85(Desk)
   Municipal Yearbook JS342 A2 I52
   County and City Data Book HA202 A36
   Book of the States JK2403 B6
   New York Public Library Desk Reference 1993 AG6 N49
   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 O95
   United States Government Manual JK421 A3(Desk)
   Oxford "Companions"series McGraw Hill "Handbooks" series

   5. Directories and Statistics Sources

   Directories in Print AY2001 D57(Desk)
   Encyclopedia of Associations HS17 G332 (Desk)
   Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources HF5353 E9
   Statistics Sources HA36 S84

   Dun and Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Directory HC102 D5(Desk)
   Thomas Register of American Manufacturers HD9720 T6
   Brands and Their Companies T223 V4 A22
   Official Congressional Directory JK1011 A31

   Statistical Abstract of the U.S. HQ202(Desk)
   Historical Statistics of the U.S. HA202 B87
   American Statistical Index(ASI) HA209 A43
   Statistical Reference Index(SRI) HA209 S73

   6. Biographical and Geographical Sources

   Biography and Genealogy Master Index(CD)
   Biography Index Z5381 B5
   Biographical Dictionaries and Related Works 1986 CT104 S66
   Who’s Who in America E663 W56
   International Who’s Who CT120 I5
   Dictionary of American Biography E176 D56
   Dictionary of National Biography DA28 D47
   National Cyclopedia of American Biography E176 N28
   Pseudonyms and Nicknames Dictionary 1982 CT120 P8
   Current Biography CT100 C8
   Newsmaker CT120 C6

   Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World 1962 G103 L7
   Webster’s New Geographical Dictionary G103.5 W42
   Times Atlas of the World G1019 B395
   National Geographic Atlas of the World G1021 N38
   Times Atlas of World History G1030 T54
   Rand McNally Commerical Atlas and Marketing Guide G1200 R36

   7. Bibliographies: General

   Bibliographic Index Z1002 B594
   Gale Directory of Databases QA76.9 D32 D576

   National and Book Trade Bibliography

   Books in Print(Desk) Z1215 P972
   Subject Guide to Books in Print(Desk) Z1215 P973
   Forthcoming Books Z1215 P974
   American Book Publishing Record Z1201 A52
   British National Bibliography Z2001 B75

   National and Union Catalogs

   National Union Catalog. Pre 1956 Imprints. Z881 AI U518
   British Library General Catalogue of Printed Books Z921 B85

   8. Serials

   Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory( Desk) Z6941 U5
   Serials Directory(EBSCO) (Desk) Z6941 S464
   Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media ( Desk) Z6951 A97
   Magazines for Libraries(Katz) PN4832 M23
   International Directory of Little Magazines and Small Presses Z6944.L5 D5

   9. Indexes and Abstracts

   Play Index PN2021 W48
   Short Story Index PN6010 S3
   Columbia Granger’s Index to Poetry PN1022 H39
   Essay and General Literature Index A13 E752

   Expanded Academic Index(SABIO)
   Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature A13 R48
   Humanities Index 1974- (Print and CD) A1 3H8
   Public Affairs Information Service Bulletin( Print and CD) Z7163 P9
   Newsbank (CD)
   Dissertation Abstracts OnDisc
   Social Science Citation Index(SSCI) Z7161 S673
   Arts and Humanities Citation Index(AHCI) Z5937 A788
   Alternative Press Index A13 A7
   Popular Periodicals Index A13 P8

   ERIC Educational Resources ( Print, SABIO)
   Psyschological Abstracts 1927- ( Print, CD, SABIO) BFI P65
   Business Periodicals Index HF5001 B72
   America: History and Life E171 A52
   Congressional Information Service Index and Abstracts KF49 C622