MMM Presentation in OMA EVENT CENTER | MMM Nigeria ( 30 May 2016)

GENERAL STUDY COURSE_GST 121

INFORMATION RESOURCES AND SERVICES

Reference materials

Reference material can consist of a range of different types of material providing students with background information.   This material can either be general or related to specific subject areas.

Dictionaries

It is good to have a dictionary nearby when you are reading a document, particularly if it is in a subject or topic that is new to you.

·         Dictionaries are useful: Dictionaries are useful to find definitions of terms, subjects or topics

·         Determine the subject context of a new topic to help with further searching

·         Subject-specific dictionaries provide definitions of specialist terms

·         Foreign language dictionaries translate foreign terms into English or vice versa.

Encyclopaedias

·         Encylopaedias typically provide a little more detail than a dictionary, such as:  concise overview of the key aspects of a subject or concept

·         A review of the history of a topic.

·         References to further information

·         Biographical details of key figures.

Some online encyclopaedias you can explore are:

·         Encyclopaedia Britannica Academic editionhttp://www.britannica.com/

·         eLS Citable reviews in the life sciences http://www.els.net/WileyCDA/

·         Encyclopedia of materials

·         Many more in various subject areas.

Wikipedia is a well-known online encyclopaedia but has variable quality and should not be relied upon for your university research. If you do use it at all be sure to follow up references to other sources to check the factual content and to reference these rather than Wikipedia itself.

Other reference material

·         Depending on subject area, there are many other kinds of reference material: Collections of statistics in which you can find numerical data for your subject

·         Scientific data compilations containing e.g. tables of physical and chemical properties

·         Pharmacopoeias which give factual information on pharmaceuticals e.g. dosages

·         Bibliographies which are collections of references on a subject or person.

Books

Books may be textbooks at school or university level or more-detailed monographs.

·         Textbooks provide: An in-depth overview of a subject

·         A good grounding in a new discipline

·         A comparison of differing ideas, theories and opinions

·         Facts and figures

Monographs go into more detail including in-depth information, discussion and detailed explanation of research - this is particularly the case in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences  In the sciences they may provide a collection of data, experimental methods etc.

Books can become out of date due to the length of time taken in the publishing process. This is more important in some subjects than others

e-Books

·         Many books are now available as electronic versions or e-books. ome are exact copies of the print version

·         Some provide additional features, e.g. video, self-learning tests, quizzes etc.

·         Some e-books can be downloaded onto hand-held devices for more comfortable reading while others require an Internet connection

·         eBooks are useful because they can be viewed by several readers at once while a printed book is only available to one person at a time.

Due to copyright, you may print only a part of an e-book not the whole book.

Journals

Journals (periodicals or serials) are published at regular intervals throughout the year

·         Journals have: Each year generally has a volume number

·         Each volume contains individual issues which reflect how often the journal is published, eg, weekly, monthly, quarterly

·         Each issue of a journal includes a number of short articles.

Journals may be available in print and/or electronic format. Often only the more recent volumes are available online.  The University subscribes to hundreds of journals, but these can only be a proportion of the total number of journals published worldwide.

Individual journals vary but typically their contents include:

·         Reports of original research

·         Reviews of current subjects of interest

·         News and comment on topical issues or professional concerns

·         Lists of forthcoming events or conferences

·         Job adverts.

Journal articles

Articles may be either reviews or research papers.

Journal articles are useful because: Review articles are useful to provide an overview of a subject.
They are:

·         Long, essay-style articles giving a state-of-the-art picture of a topic

·         Good sources of references to other relevant literature.

Reviews may be published in special annual review serials or alongside other content in journals.

Research papers, the more usual type of journal article, directly report primary research.
They are:

·         More up-to-date than books as publication is faster

·         Usually ‘peer reviewed’, i.e. they have been rigorously assessed and evaluated by experts in the field to ensure that the research and conclusions are valid

·         Detailed, covering a specific aspect of a subject in much more detail than books

·         Usually short, factual and contain precise research methods and results.

However, research papers are not useful for:

·         A general overview of a subject

·         An introduction to a new topic.

Websites

There is a great wealth of information available on the Internet. But don’t rely on Wikipedia and YouTube for your university studies and do ensure that the websites you use are reliable.

Advantages and disadvantages of websites include: Advantages:

·         Easy access

·         Mostly up-to-date (but check)

·         Include various types of media e.g. illustrations, videos, sound

·         Available 24/7.

Disadvantages:

·         Variable quality and lack of control. Anyone can publish a website

·         They may become out-of-date

·         Content can be biased

·         Websites can disappear

·         Information overload. 

Newspapers

As sources of current information and topical comment, newspapers can be good sources for primary research information.

·         Important features of newspapers include: Currency/immediacy

·         Eyewitness accounts

·         Awareness raising

·         Opinions and comment on topical issues

·         Reviews of books and contemporary culture

·         Obituaries of famous people.

Disadvantages to newspapers include:

·         Lack of peer review or accuracy checks

·         Sensationalism/writing to sell copy

·         Bias, perhaps written with particular political viewpoint

·         Not usually written at an academic level.

Conference proceedings

Conference proceedings consist of a collection of papers reporting on presentations or posters delivered at conferences, seminars or workshops. They are sources of primary research information as this may be the first place the information has been made public.

·         Advantages of conference proceedings include: Current issues in a particular field or area are often debated at conferences and the discussions included in the proceedings

·         Papers can be presented at a conference long before, if ever, they are published in a journal

As a result, conference proceedings are an ideal way of finding the most up-to-date and current research and ideas.

The title of the conference proceeding will show where the conference was held and when. The organising body or conference editors will also be provided.

Reports

Reports are produced by agencies and departments on specific topics or issues. These agencies can include Government departments, research establishments, charitable foundations and more.

·         Reports are useful in providing: Up to date information since they are usually published to a specific deadline or as a reaction to an event

·         Current views and opinions

·         Recommendations about future practice

·         Technical information, statistics or data that you would not find in books or journal articles.

The disadvantages of reports are:

·         They become out of date as they reflect the current situation at a given time

·         Not all reports are published so they can be difficult to locate.

Examples

The following websites are examples of reports published in response to recent events:

·         Building a low-carbon economy – the UK’s innovation challenge. Report of the Committee on Climate Change. 2010

·         The Leveson Inquiry Report

(Both accessed 28/5/2013)

 Standards

Standards are consensus agreements drawn up by representative collections of people who have a particular interest in the subject. These might be manufacturers, users, research organisations, or government departments.

·         Standards may offer Guidance on recommended procedures

·         Prescriptive design details

·         Testing methods.

Standards enable the efficient design, manufacture and supply of safe products and services to the consumer by:

·         Promoting best practice

·         Encouraging international co-operation

·         Ensuring compatibility of parts thus enabling global trade

·         Providing reliable data to inform the design process

·         Setting quality and safety requirements

·         Enabling conformance comparisons (fit-for-purpose)

·         Helping with technology transfer to developing countries.

In Britain, standards are produced by the British Standards Institution (BSI). There are over 16,000 adopted British Standards and each year new or revised standards are issued to ensure they are kept up to date.

Over 150 national bodies combine to form the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) which agrees international standards.

Other bodies include:

·         The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC): International standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies

·         The American National Standards Institute (ANSI): US national standards

·         DIN (Deutsches Institut fur Normung e. V): German national standards

·         The European Telecommunications Standard Institute: Standards for the telecommunications industry

·         The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International): technical standards for engineering materials

·         IEEE standards: Standards published by the Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and also the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Manuscripts and Special Collections

Manuscripts and archives are unique items which were created or collected by a person or organisation in the course of their ordinary business, and retained by them as evidence of their activities, or because of the information they contain. They may be written by hand, but can also be typewritten or even printed from computer. The rare books collections at the University (currently only available at the UK campus) include books published before the mid-19th century, and also research collections on particular themes. Because these resources are often unique, and can be fragile, they are stored in special conditions, and consulted under supervision in a reading room (currently only available at the UK campus).

·         Manuscripts and special collections are useful because Manuscripts can be used as primary source material because they give an authentic glimpse into the past

·         They require you to piece together evidence, and make your own interpretation of how or why things happened as they did

·         They form a body of material that can be used for original research, for assignments, dissertations and post-graduate study

·         Early books can also be used as primary sources, as they give contemporary insights into the culture, people and events of the day.

Patents

·         Patents are legal documents which give the owner exclusive rights to profit from an invention, protecting it from exploitation by others unless they have the prior agreement of the patent owner. Patents also establish the ownership of advances in the subject. They are the first reports of commercially-sensitive research

·         They document research not reported in journals

·         They contain detailed descriptions and, if relevant, designs or other illustrations

·         They can show trends in development and applications of new technology.

The patenting process

In order to obtain a patent the invention must fulfil the following:

·         New - the claimed invention must be filed for patenting before publication elsewhere or, in some countries, within a limited time period of publication

·         Useful i.e. capable of industrial application

·         Contain an “inventive step” which is not obvious to others.

Some types of invention are excluded from patenting:

·         Illegal or immoral

·         A literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work

·         Scientific or mathematical theories

·         A way of performing a mental act, playing a game or doing business

·         Some computer programs

·         Animal breeds or plant varieties

·         Medical treatments or diagnostic methods.

The process of patenting an invention can take several years to complete.  Patents are granted by national or international patenting authorities such as the UK Patent Office or the World International Property Office (WIPO) and cover specific countries or geographical areas for limited periods of time, usually 20 years.  During this time the patent-holder can profit directly or by selling or licensing the invention to other companies.

Theses

Theses submitted for doctoral degrees are major sources of primary research output. Some of the most current and original research every year is produced by postgraduate researchers at UK and international universities.

Use theses to find:

·         Research undertaken at universities around the world

·         Details of research completed by others in your school or department.

DVD/VCD & BLU-ray

Optical discs most often storing movies or television shows. BLU-ray and DVDs have a higher resolution than VCDs.

ePeriodicals

A downloadable, electronically published magazine or journal=

VHS Video

A videotape cassette, usually of a movie or television show

Music CD, Tape

Music sound recordings (e.g., opera, symphony, folk, rock, hip-hop, rap, jazz, instrumental, vocal, electronic, found, etc.) stored on a variety of media, e.g., tapes, or CDs

Music Score

Printed music (e.g., full scores, miniature scores, piano-vocal scores, individual instrument scores, songs, etc.)

Vinyl LPs

Music sound recordings (e.g., opera, symphony, folk, rock, hip-hop, rap, jazz, instrumental, vocal, electronic, found, etc.) and non-musical sound recordings (e.g., novels, stories, plays, poems, sound effects, etc.) stored on vinyl LPs

Spoken Tape, CD

Non-musical sound recordings (e.g., novels, stories, plays, poems, sound effects, etc.) stored on a variety of media, e.g. tapes, or CDs

ComputerFile

Software files stored on floppy disks, CDROM or other media

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

An information source is a source of information for somebody, i.e. anything that might inform a person about something or provide knowledge about it. Different types of questions require different sources of information. Information sources may be observations, people, speeches, documents, pictures, organizations, websites, etc. They may be primary sources, secondary sources, tertiary sources and so on.

In general, there are three types of resources or sources of information: primary, secondary, and tertiary.  It is important to understand these types and to know what type is appropriate for your coursework prior to searching for information.

1.     Primary sources are original materials on which other research is based, including:

o    original written works – poems, diaries, court records, interviews, surveys, and original research/fieldwork, and

o    research published in scholarly/academic journals.

Primary sources of information come directly from the creator of the work. They are first-hand accounts written by the author/s and read directly by you, the reader. Primary sources are not evaluated or filtered by a second party, and often represent original research. Primary sources consist of original thinking, they report discoveries, or they share new information.

Typical examples of primary sources include books, journal articles and conference proceedings

2.     Secondary sources are those that describe or analyze primary sources, including:

o    reference materials – dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, and

o    books and articles that interpret, review, or sythesize original research/fieldwork.

Secondary sources of information are compilations written by someone about other authors' work. They are called secondary because a second person intervenes between the author and the reader. Secondary sources are those which simplify the process of finding and evaluating the primary literature. They tend to be works which repackage, reorganize, reinterpret, summarise, index or otherwise "add value" to the new information reported in the primary literature.

3.     Tertiary sources are those used to organize and locate secondary and primary sources.

o    Indexes – provide citations that fully identify a work with information such as author, titles of a book, artile, and/or journal, publisher and publication date, volume and issue number and page numbers.

o    Abstracts – summarize the primary or secondary sources,

o    Databases – are online indexes that usually include abstracts for each primary or secondary resource, and may also include a digital copy of the resource.

Tertiary sources of information are works which index, organize and compile citations to, and show you how to use, secondary (and sometimes primary) sources.

Scholarly and Popular Resources

A scholarly publication is one in which the content is written by experts in a particular field of study - generally for the purpose of sharing original research or analyzing others' findings. Scholarly work will thoroughly cite all source materials used and is usually subject to "peer review" prior to publication. This means that independent experts in the field review, or "referee" the publication to check the accuracy and validity of its claims. The primary audience for this sort of work is fellow experts and students studying the field. As a result the content is typically much more sophisticated and advanced than articles found in general magazines, or professional/trade journals. In brief, scholarly work is: §  written by experts for experts §  based on original research or intellectual inquiry §  provides citations for all sources used §  is usually peer reviewed prior to publication Any primary resource can be a scholarly resource, so the scholarly-popular distinction is only useful for secondary and tertiary resources. Most disciplines require researchers to use mainly primary and scholarly resources. Consequently, it is important to be able to differentiate between the two

Scholarly resources provide: Popular sources While many of your research projects will require you to read articles published in scholarly journals, books or other peer reviewed source of information, there is also a wealth of information to be found in more popular publications. These aim to inform a wide array of readers about issues of interest and are much more informal in tone and scope. Examples include general news, business and entertainment publications such as Time Magazine, Business Weekly, Vanity Fair. §  Note, special interest publications which are not specifically written for an academic audience are also considered "popular" i.e.,National Geographic, Scientific American, Psychology Today. information that has been vetted by scholarly experts in the field. scholarly analysis, description or evaluation of events and ideas. primary sources of information about the views of a scholarly community. Popular resources provide: primary information about culture and society. general information and commentary about political, economic and cultural events. current statistical information of general interest. popular opinions and beliefs. Comparison of scholarly and popular resources Popular Scholarly Appearance Exciting pictures, many advertisements, glossy cover Dense text Serious appearance Audience General public Scholars and students Well-educated public Authors Journalists, professional and amateur writers Scholars, professional practitioners Content Simple discussions of news, entertainment or other popular subjects In depth analysis or extensive overview of a topic Review Process Works reviewed by publications editors or purchased Works published after review by credible scholars in the discipline (peer review) Scholarly Apparatus Few or no citations Simple Language Many citations Technical Language Examples Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Gardening for Dummies American Journal of Sociology, Philosophy and Literature, A History of Britain

Professional/Trade sources

These are more specialized in nature than popular publications, but are not intended to be scholarly. These types of publications are aimed at experts in the field and/or keen amateurs, but the content focuses on news, trends in the field, promotional material etc. Research findings are not typically disseminated here - though they may report that a scholarly publication is forthcoming. These types of publications typically will contain more advertising than a scholarly journal - though it's usually targeted to the field in some way. Examples: Publishers Weekly; Variety; Education Digest

REFERENCE MATERIAL

What are the reference material?

By their very name, reference materials are obviously those items most likely to be useful in answering reference questions. For this reason, they are often held by libraries as resources which are either non-circulating or circulated under strict limitations.

Types of Reference Materials

·         Almanacs.

·         Atlas & Maps.

·         Bibliographies.

·         Biographical Resources.

·         Dictionaries.

·         Directories.

·         Encyclopedias.

·         Handbooks.

Reference Sources

Reference sources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, atlases, etc. are research tools that can help you with your paper or project. Reference sources provide answers to specific questions, such as brief facts, statistics, and technical instructions; provide background information; or direct you to additional information sources. In most libraries, reference sources do not circulate and are located in a separate reference collection. This practice makes reference sources readily available and easily accessible.

Reference sources are designed to be consulted rather than read through. Their design is generally dependent on the type of information and treatment provided. Reference materials can be arranged alphabetically, topically, or chronologically. Many will contain cross listed information and more than one index. If it is not obvious how a reference source is organized, take a moment to look through the explanatory or how-to-use information, which is usually presented at the beginning of the book, or in HELP screens for online products.

There are thousands of reference sources available that cover practically every subject. Although the term reference "book" is frequently used, reference sources can be books, serials, on-line databases or the Internet. A large part of using reference sources well is choosing the right one.

Despite the wide variety available, reference sources can be categorized into a handful of groups. Think about the kind of information you need and how you will use it. If you are unsure which reference tool is best suited to your information need, a reference librarian will be able to assist you.

Quick guide for selecting the right type of reference source (Collins, 151):

For information about...	Choose...
Words	Dictionaries
General information/Overview of topic	Encyclopedias
Names & addresses of people, organizations, institutions, companies	Directories
Profiles of people	Biographical Dictionaries
Places/Maps	Gazetteers or Atlases
Facts and Statistics	Almanacs
Formula, Tables, How-To-Do-It	Handbooks and Manuals
A person's work	Reviews or Criticisms
Dates, outlines, historical timelines	Historical tables, Chronologies, Historical yearbooks
Periodical Articles	Indexes or Abstracts
Books and other sources	Bibliographies or Guides to Literature...

 

 

Types of Reference Tools

Two major categories of reference materials are general and subject. General sources include all subjects and present overviews of topics. Reference materials focused on specific subjects can provide more in-depth coverage.

There are reference sources that provide information on specific subjects as well as general sources that provide information on many subjects. In general, reference sources are either general or subject specific. If you need an overview of a subject, perhaps a general information source will suit your needs. If you need specialized information, a subject specific tool may be better suited.

The following reference sources and others are available in the main Reference Collection on Level 4 of Rasmuson Library, and/or via the Internet.

Dictionaries

Dictionaries provide information about words.

·         General dictionaries are the most familiar to us. You may even own one. This group includes Webster's International Dictionary, the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, and the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. These sources generally provide definitions, pronunciations, syllabication, and usage.

·         Historical dictionaries provide the history of a word from its introduction into the language to the present. The Oxford English Dictionary is an excellent example of this type of dictionary.

·         Etymological dictionaries are dictionaries which emphasize the anaylsis of components of words and their cognates in other languages. These dictionaries emphasize the linguistic and grammatical history of the word usage. TheOxford Dictionary of English Etymology is an example of an etymological dictionary.

·         Period or scholarly specialized dictionaries focus on a particular place or time period. For example, try the Dictionary of Alaskan English if you would like to know when the word "cheechako" was first used.

·         Foreign language dictionaries are fairly self-explanatory. We've all looked up words in a French or Spanish or other Western European language. Don't forget other wonderful dictionaries, such as the Yup'ik Eskimo Dictionary or theInupiat Eskimo dictionary.

·         Subject dictionaries focus on word definitions in a subject area, such as finance, law, botany, electronics, physics, etc.

·         Other dictionaries include dictionaries of slang, abrreviations, synonyms, antonyms, abbreviations, acronyms, reversals, rhyming, idioms, phrases, and guides to correct usage. Dictionary of Acronyms and Abbreviations, The Macmillan Dictionary of Historical Slang, Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, The American Language, Strunk's Elements of Style.

Dictionaries, like other reference sources, may belong to more than one category. For example, an English-Russian engineering dictionary is both a foreign language and a subject dictionary.

Dictionaries may be abridged or unabridged. Abridged dictionaries are smaller and contained the most commonly used words. Unabridged dictionaries try to include all words in current usage. Like other reference sources, dictionaries may become outdated as language evolves. Care should be taken to carefully identify the publication date and focus of the dictionary selected. General dictionaries begin with LC call numbers starting with AG. Specialized dictionaries will have subject specific call numbers.

Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias provide general background information; they are a good place to start researching a topic that you know little about. Large subject areas or disciplines are covered in broad articles that explain basic concepts. These overview articles often contain references to more specific aspects of the larger topic and may include a bibliography that leads you to more in-depth sources. Encyclopedias may be general or subject specific.

·         General encyclopedias usually arrange articles alphabetically by topic. Look for an accompanying index which may list cross-references to other articles. Included in this category are Encyclopaedia Britannica, The Cambridge Encyclopedia , Encyclopedia Americana, and the Columbia Encyclopedia. General encyclopedia LC call numbers begin with AE.

·         Subject encyclopedias are available for almost every academic discipline. They provide more in-depth and technical information than general encyclopedias. Subject encyclopedias generally assume some prior knowledge of the subject. There is no general rule for how these tools are arranged. Look for an index. A few examples of subject encyclopedias include the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences,Encyclopedia of World Art, Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and the Encyclopedia of Archaeology. Subject encyclopedias will have subject specific call numbers.

Directories

Directories provide names, addresses, affiliations, etc. of people, organizations, or institutions. They can be used to verify addresses, name spellings, and provide contact information. As in other reference sources, directories may be general or focused on a particular subject.

·         General directories: Zip Code & Post Office Directory, Encyclopedia of Associations

·         Subject directories: Fairbanks Phone Directory, Museums of the World, A Directory of Eskimo Artists in Sculpture and Prints, A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies, Directory of Multinationals, Thomas Register of American Manufacturers.

Biographical Dictionaries

Biographical dictionaries contain short articles about people's lives. Biography resources have call numbers that begin with CT.

·         General biographical dictionaries include Current Biography, Dictionary of American Biography, Who's Who, Encyclopedia of World Biography, etc.

·         Subject biographical dictionaries may focus on a subject area or group. These sources include Dictionary of Scientific Biography, Contemporary Authors,Biographical Dictionary of Psychology , New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Women of Science, etc.

Gazetteers or Atlases

Geographic information is located in gazetteers, atlases and maps. Geography resources have call numbers that begin with G.

·         Atlasescontain collections of maps. They provide information on geographical/political changes. There are world, national, and thematic atlases and these may be current or historical.

o    World atlases include National Geographic Atlas of the World.

o    National atlases: National Atlas of the United States, Atlas of the American Revolution.

o    Thematic atlases focus on a specific subject area, such as astronomy or agriculture. Examples include, The Oxford Economic Atlas of the Worldand the Environmental Atlas of Alaska.

·         Gazetteersare sometimes referred to as geographical dictionaries and provide descriptions of places, but no maps.

o    General gazetteers include Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, The Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World, Gazetteer of Undersea Features, etc.

o    Regional gazetteers, such as Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, by D. Orth, focus on a specific geographical region and are good places to look if you want to know the location of a town, its population, or where its name came from.

Sometimes atlases and gazetteers are combined, as in the Alaska Atlas and Gazetteer, by DeLorme Mapping, which publishes similar products for the other states.

Almanacs

Almanacs contain statistics and facts about countries, events, personalities, or subjects. Almanac resources have call numbers that begin with AY.

·         General almanacs include the Statistical Abstract of the United States, The New York Public Library Desk Reference, World Almanac (an American focus),Information Please Almanac (print ed. called Time Almanac), Whitaker's Almanak (United Kingdom focus).

·         Subject almanacs include The Weather Almanac, The Almanac of Renewable Energy, Political Reference Almanac, Alaska Almanac, and more.

Handbooks/Manuals

Handbooks and manuals are subject area tools. Handbooks provide facts, terms, concepts, movements, etc. of a topic. Manuals provide detailed instructions on a particular subject, such as how-to-do something or how something works.

·         Handbooks: Handbook of North American Indians, Guide to Alaska Trees,Words and Ideas: A Handbook for College Writing, Handbook of Mathematical Formulas, MLA Handbook For Writers of Research Papers.

·         Manuals: Manual of Photography, Manual for Environmental Impact Evaluation,Alaska Craftsman Home Building Manual, United States Government Manual.

Review & Criticism Sources

These tools provide reviews or critiques of a person's work.

·         General: Book Review Digest (OCLC FirstSearch, hereafter called FirstSearch),MLA (FirstSearch), New York Times Book Review, Contemporary Literary Criticism.

·         Subject: Children's Literature Review, Popular Music Record Reviews.

Historical Tables, Chronologies, Historical Yearbooks

Historical tables and chronologies present historical facts in different formats. Historical tables provide facts chronologically in columns with each column representing another geographical area or other major area, such as history, economics, religions. etc. Chronologies use narrative form to present facts. Historical tables and chronologies may span long or very short time periods. Historical yearbooks provide facts and statistics for a single year and may be published annually.

·         Historical Tables: The Timetables of History, Historical Tables, 58 BC-AD 1985.

·         Chronologies: Chronology of World History, The New York Public Library Book of Chronologies, Chronology of the Expanding World, 1492-1762, A Chronology of the People's Republic of China from October 1, 1949, Annals of European Civilization, 1501-1900.

·         Historical Yearbooks: The Statesman's Year-Book.

Indexes & Abstracts

Indexes and abstracts lead to additional sources of periodical articles. Indexes only provide author, title, and subject information. Abstracts tend to be more descriptive. Some online index databases also include the full-text of the article.

·         General: Reader's Guide to Periodic Index (FirstSearch), Book Review Index,Periodicals Abstracts (FirstSearch).

·         Subject: Art Abstracts (FirstSearch), New York Times Index (ABI Inform),Biography Index (FirstSearch), Chemical Abstracts.

Bibliographies

Bibliographies lead to other information sources. They are lists of books and other materials that provide author, title, and publication information. Annotated bibliographies also include a brief description or summary of the item. Bibliographies are available on almost every topic and may focus on specific persons, groups, subjects, or time periods. Many bibliographies are selective and do not attempt to include all publications. Bibliographies are sometimes referred to as "Guides to the Literature ..."

Examples: American Fiction, 1774-1850, Bibliography of Education, Utilization of Wood Residues: An Annotated Bibliography, A Bibliography of Sir Walter Scott, MLA Bibliography (FirstSearch), Current Bibliographies in Medicine (NLM), Alutiiq Ethnographic Bibliography (ANKN).

Ready Reference

The Ready Reference Collection contains reference sources that are used most frequently. The Ready Reference shelves are located adjacent to the Reference Desk. The collection includes reference tools such as The Encyclopedia of Associations, The Encyclopedia of Associations, The Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, Style guides (MLA, APA, Chicago), a thesaurus, The Physician's Desk Reference, Alaska phone directories, Black's Law Dictionary, World Almanac, The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Zip Code Directories, etc.

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ACCESS TOOLS/RETRIEVAL TOOLS

Systems created for retrieval of information. Retrieval tools are essential as basic building blocks for a system that will organize recorded information that is collected by libraries, archives, museums, etc.

Basic Retrieval Tools

§  Bibliographies

§  Catalogs

§  Indexes

§  Finding Aids

§  Registers

§  Online Databases

Bibliographies

§  A list of information-bearing items. Bibliographies bring together lists of sources based on subject matter, on authors, by time periods, etc.

§  Bibliographies can be a part of a scholarly work and consist of the information sources that were consulted to by the author or compiler, or they can be completely separate entities--an individual list of lists.

§  Some bibliographies include annotations, brief notes or abstracts that offer additional comment or summary of a particular work.

§  Each information-bearing item has a unique description that will include: author(s), title, edition, publisher, place, and date of publication, etc.

§  Bibliographies have a particular focus and/or arrangement: subject, author, language, time period, locale, publisher, form. Oftentimes, bibliographies have a combination of focuses.

Catalogs

§  Catalogs provide access to individual items within collections of information sources (books, videocassettes, computer files, etc.

§  Each information source is represented by a physical description, classification, and subject analysis. Access points are determined, subject headings are assigned, and authority control terms are applied.

§  The description is constructed according to a predetermined standard.

          AACR2 - library, archives, and some museum collections.

          GILS - for some government information.

          Dublin Core - for some internet information sources.

§  Catalogs are used by librarians, museum personnel, and patrons of libraries and archives. 

§  Online catalogs are beneficial when searching for known-item searching or browsing by patrons.

§  Practically speaking catalogs should be able to:

1.     Enable a person to find an information-bearing item(s) of which either the author, title, and/or subject is known.

2.     Show what a collection has by a given author, on a given subject, in a given kind of literature.

3.     Assist in the choice of material(s) as to the edition (bibliographically) and as to its character (literary or topical).

4.     Provide an inventory of the collection.

Forms of Catalogs

§  Book

§  Card

§  COM (Computer Output Microform)

§  OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog)

Arrangements of Catalogs

§  Alphabetically

          Authors

          Titles

          Subject

§  Numerically

          An internal accession numerical sequence.

§  Classification

          Subject analysis.

Classification Scheme (i.e. Dewey Decimal Classification System of the Library of Congress Classification System.

Indexes

§  Provide access to the analyzed contents of "bibliographic entities" (i.e. articles in a journal, short stories in a collection, etc.)

§  Indexes are not limited to what is available in a local setting, and they do not usually give location information as.

§  Indexes are available in print, CD-ROM, or on-line.

§  Indexes are arranged in alphabetical order with entries offered for authors, titles, and subjects.

§  There is not a standard of arrangement, organization, or online searching.

Finding Aids

§  Long descriptions of archival collections. Also referred to as an inventory.

§  Finding aids are often cataloged, that is an alternative record that provides the name, title, and subject points to the item(s).

Registers

§  The primary control tools for museums, also referred to as an accession log.

§  Registers function like catalogs, although they have additional kinds of access points, such as the identification of the object, the donor, a history of association  (i.e. where or with whom previously owned the item), any insurance related information.

§  An identification number (accession number) is assigned. The accession record becomes one or more files that help to provide organization to a museum's collection.

Online Databases

Electronic catalogs, where records are encoded for computer display and are stored in computer memory or on CD-ROM disks.

§  Online databases are built on the technical logic supported by relational database theories. Databases that have records that are all stored within the same file.

§  Records are link by a unique identifier and are linked to related databases that share this unique identifier.

§  Online databases conserves storage space, allows for faster searching, and allows for easier modification o records.

DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE LIBRARY

Different libraries need to perform different functions to meet their users' needs. That is why the number and types of departments vary from library to library. Even within a specific category of library, departments differ in response to influences such as size, budget and usage. Despite these differences, all libraries serve the same purpose, which is to provide both intellectual and physical access to information (Wilson,1984). The following list from Foundations of Library and Information Science includes departments found in larger public libraries and their purposes. Each department will likely not exist in smaller libraries, school libraries or special libraries where several functions are often combined under one department.

Board of Trustees

purpose: establish policies, strategic plans, goals, and direction

Library Administration

purpose: handle overall operation, policy creation and enforcement, personnel practices, fiscal operations, and planning

Reference Department

purpose: meet the information needs of users by answering information questions, reader's advisory, locating materials, preparing guides, maintaining reference files, conducting tours and programs, and selecting reference materials

Circulation Department

purpose: handle the flow of materials to users by checking materials out, receiving returned materials, and administering fines and procedures for late or lost materials

Audiovisual Department

purpose: manage audio/visual equipment and programming

Archives and Special Collections

purpose: manage and preserve records of local or general historical importance, including the handling of rare or fragile materials

Special Services

purpose: serve patrons with special needs such as the blind or visually impaired and provide service to places such as prisons and nursing homes, ex: Bookmobile service

Technical Services

purpose: receive and prepare materials so they can be assessed by maintaining catalog, acquiring materials, monitoring acquisition expenditures, cataloging, classification, barcoding, and preservation of library materials

Maintenance

purpose: keep the physical facility running smoothly by maintaining the grounds, heating, plumbing, electrical repair, housekeeping, and displays

Public Relations: provide communication to the public through promotional materials, programming activities, grant-writing, media relations, and crisis management

Security

purpose: maintain a safe environment for users and staff by patrolling the premises, protecting library property, dealing with problems, and contacting additional safety forces needed

Integrated Systems

Purpose: coordinate the acquisition and use of technology by evaluating and selecting information technologies, training staff, and trouble-shooting technological problems

E-LIBRARY

A digital library is a special library with a focused collection of digital objects that can include text, visual material, audio material, video material, stored as electronic mediaformats (as opposed to print, microform, or other media), along with means for organizing, storing, and retrieving the files and media contained in the library collection. Digital libraries can vary immensely in size and scope, and can be maintained by individuals, organizations, or affiliated with established physical library buildings or institutions, or with academic institutions.^[1] The digital content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks. An electronic library is a type of information retrieval system.