EM 530 Reference

WEEK 1 TOPIC: Introduction to reference work: history, trends, definitions, reference service

Readings: Katz ch. 1 pp. 1-24; and ch. 2; "RUSA Guide for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Services Professionals" RQ 36(2): 200-203, W 96; " Latrobe and Havener "Addressing School Library Media Reference Services: Guidelines for Success" School Library Reference Services in the 90s, Haworth Press, 1994, p. 161-172.

Exercises: "REFERENCE SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION EXERCISES"

WEEK 2 TOPIC: Guest Lecturer: Lisa Beall, Education Reference Librarian at RBDLibrary will introduce AUBIECat; Electronic Reference ; Selection and Evaluation of Reference Sources

Readings: Katz ch. 1 pp. 24-30; ch 3

Exercises: "GUIDES TO REFERENCE WORKS AND SELECTION AIDS"

WEEK 3 TOPIC: U. S. National and Trade Bibliographies

Readings: Katz ch. 4

Exercises: "US NATIONAL AND TRADE BIBLIOGRAPHY EXERCISES"

WEEK 4 TOPIC: Guest Lecturer Lisa Beall: Indexes and Abstracts - Print and Electronic

Readings: Katz ch. 5 and ch 6 pp. 155-162; 171-190 (Skim pp. 162-170)

ADVANCED KEY WORD SEARCHING (Handout from RBDL)

ERIC SEARCHING (Handout from RBDL)

Exercises "INDEXES AND ABSTRACTS EXERCISES"

WEEK 5 TOPIC:* Guest Lecturer: Sue Medina, Director of Network of Alabama Academic Libraries: Plans and challenges of creating K-12 Virtual Reference Library for Alabama

Encyclopedias - General and Subject:

Readings: Katz ch 7

Exercises: "ENCYCLOPEDIA EXERCISES" Use Encyclopedia Evaluation Form

(Scan also Kister, Sader and Lewis Encyclopedias, Atlases, and Dictionaries, Bowker, 1995 2nd floor REF AE1/E48/1995 or Booklist's "Encyclopedia Update" -on Reserve)

WEEK 6 TOPIC: Ready Reference: Almanacs, Yearbooks, Handbooks, and Directories

Readings: Katz ch. 8

Exercises: "ALMANACS AND YEARBOOKS;" "HANDBOOKS AND DIRECTORIES"

WEEK 7 TOPIC: Biographies; Atlases and Geographical Reference Sources

Readings: Katz ch 9 and ch 11

Exercises: "BIOGRPAHIES EXERCISES;" "ATLASES AND GEOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES EXERCISES"

WEEK 8 TOPIC: Dictionaries

Readings: Katz ch 10

Exercises: "DICTIONARIES EXERCISES;" "GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS EXERCISES"

WEEK 9 TOPIC: Guest Lecturer: Linda Lundell, School Library Media Specialist, Opelika High School will speak on creating the electronic library.

U. S. Government Publications

Readings: Katz ch 12

Exercises: "U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS EXERCISES"

WEEK 10 STUDENT PRESENTATIONS

EM 530

Goal: To develop the knowledge and skills needed for information providers in school settings.

Objectives: To be able to

a. define reference service;

b. conduct a reference interview and identify different types of information needs;

c. evaluate various reference materials and tools, including computerized reference services;

d. list and describe criteria for: (1) evaluating a good reference tool; (2) a basic reference collection in a library media center; (3) weeding the reference collection;

e. utilize reference materials to search and locate answers to specific reference questions;

f. prepare a list of basic reference sources for an identified library media center;

Required Texts:

Introduction to Reference Work v. 1 William A. Katz, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.

Reference Books for Children's Collections, Vogliano, Dolores, editor, 3d ed. New York: NYPL, 1996.

Recommended Resources:

Nichols, Margaret I. Guide to Reference Books for School Media Centers. 4th ed. Englewood, CO; Libraries Unlimited, 1986. On RBDL Reserve

Peterson, Carolyn S. and Fenton, Ann D. Reference Books for Children. 4th ed., Metuchen, N. J.: Scarecrow, 1992. On RBDL Reserve

Encyclopedias, Atlases, and Dictionaries, Sader, Marion and Lewis, Amy, eds., Bowker, 1995;

Booklist's "Reference Books Bulletin Column;" on RBDL Reserve

School Library Journal's Feb., May, Aug., and Nov. issues have reference reviews.

Exercises:

Reference exercises and evaluations for each type of reference work, due each week (25 points)

Student generated question for class to work on (10 pts)

Search log for student generated question (15 pts)

Project:

Annotated bibliography for a basic reference collection for a specified library/media center, consisting of 25 items, due end of quarter (50 points)

EM 530

Exercises:

a) ANSWER TEACHER GENERATED QUESTIONS EACH WEEK. The list of reference works in each section are the sources to use for finding the answers. Hand in written answers. Answers should be more than a yes/no answer, but no more than a sentence long. The process is much more important in this class than the product. (25 points)

b) Reference Work

January Reference work:

For the month of January you will be your own reference librarian, helping you, the student,

1. Define problem

• define a research problem (this can be for a paper required in another course or for your portfolio) - This is a very difficult and anxiety producing phase of research and students need a great deal of help with this. Current newspapers, magazine and journal articles, even textbook, can be helpful in discovering problems for a researcher. (For children a simple encyclopedia article might be a first step in helping to define a problem.)

• identify the information requirements of the problem (what types of resources will you need - e.g. reports of research (in journals and monographs), raw data (in technical reports, handbooks, and statistical tables), secondary, synthesized material, (textbooks, review articles, encyclopedias, etc.)

Develop your information search strategy

• determine the range of possible sources (indexes to periodicals, library catalogs, government produced data and other compilations of data on the World Wide Web and in printed almanacs, handbooks, directories, manuals, and biographical dictionaries, etc.) Find actual sources for your problem



• evaluate the different possible sources to set priorities as to what to search first. Evaluation includes scope of coverage, including dates of coverage,

The above 3 major tasks represent the first phase of research. They are based on Michael Eisenberg's and Robert Berkowitz's Big6 Skills for information problem solving. They developed these steps to help school library media specialists help their students with the task of research paper writing. The second phase deals with utilization of information from reading and extracting the information to synthesizing and evaluating both the product and the process.

February reference work:

GENERATE ONE QUESTION OF YOUR OWN EACH WEEK. Bring to class a typed problem which you would like to have the class work on. These questions may be generated through your work, posed by colleagues, your own students or administrators, or they may have personal interest to you. Questions may be of the ready reference type: who, what, where when, why, and how. They may also be specific search types: more involved projects requiring bibliographies, articles, books or other more extensive sources.

Type the question in the form you first thought of it or were asked about it. Then analyze what type of question this might be, and as the quarter progresses, begin to suggest possible reference tool types (i.e. indexes, dictionaries, handbooks, etc.)

c) SEARCH LOG. Add your question to the others on your weekly exercises. For this question only, keep a search log, to be handed in with the answer (or non-answer). A search log helps reference librarians keep track of which sources they had consulted, the dates each source covered, and whether any relevant information was found in it. For sources with multiple access points, keep track of the terms you had used to search under. In print sources this is a nuisance, but is essential for systematic searching. In computer sources, the computer generates a search log for you, which you may print out. In LUIS you may type "r" to get a list of your search statements. THE GOAL OF THIS EXERCISE IS TO PRACTICE SEARCHING IN RESPONSE TO AUTHENTIC QUERIES. PUT A 1 HR LIMIT ON YOUR SEARCH BUT SHOW WHAT PROCESS YOU HAVE FOLLOWED. (15 points)

Project: Basic Reference Collection for a School Library/Media Center

50 points, due last class day. [FOR A SAMPLE SEE CYNTHIA DAVIS' CORE COLLECTION FOR AN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL, ON MY RESERVE IN RBDL]

The collection must contain minimum twenty five (25) reference works (print and electronic), with an equal distribution across 1) generalities, 2) the three broad subject divisions humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and 3) materials that would aid school professionals and students with career, health, and other social/personal needs. Within each broad area as listed in the previous sentence, arrange by type of tool. Each type of reference tool must be represented, though each area does not have to have every type of tool. See the material from the Alabama State Department of Education Media Program Guidelines -Core Reference Collection. USE Evaluation forms to keep work systematic, and hand in along with your Annotated Bibliography. On your evaluation forms you may use single words, phrases and abbreviations, whatever is most convenient and will help you to write your final bibliography. (See description of Annotated Bibliography below).

The Basic Reference Collection should contain a table of contents with each area and type of tool identified.

Contents:

(a) Describe in one double spaced page the Media Center for which you are building the reference collection. Include size of collection, budget if easily obtainable, size and grade levels of school, location of school (urban, rural, etc.), socioeconomic description of students, special needs of students, professional, paraprofessional and volunteer support for library program. (5 points)

(b) Write in one double spaced page a SELECTION POLICY for the basic reference collection, relating it to such issues as opportunities for electronic networking, proximity to other collections, and the school's instructional philosophy and environment as described in (a). (5 points)

(c) Annotated bibliography of minimum 25 reference works (based on your personal examination of each item. Approximately 1/3rd should be electronic. (Total: 40 pts)

Bibliographic descriptions including ISBN# and price (5 points)

2 sentence content description (10 points)

2 sentence evaluation showing why outstanding (10 points)

1 sentence justification as to why this reference work is appropriate for your school (6 points)

(d) You may earn bonus credit (up to 5 point) for extra items - above 25. These items must be clearly relevant to your situation and annotated in the same way as the rest of the bibliography.

EM 530

Books:

Bungs, C.A. "Responsive Reference Service: Breaking Down Age Barriers," School Library Journal, March 1994. (photocopy).

Davis, C. "Core Reference Collection for Alternative Schools."

"Encyclopedia Update" of Reference Books Bulletin in Booklist Sept.15, 1997. (Photocopy)

Enriching Education. Alabama State Department of Education.

The Librarian's Thesaurus: A Concise Guide to Library and Information Terms. ALA 1990.

R. McDonald. The Internet and the School Library Media Specialist., Greenwood Pr. 1997.

Nichols, M. G. Guide to Reference Books in School Media Centers. 4th. ed. Englewood, CO, 1992.

Peterson, C. S. and Fenton, A. D. (1992) Reference Books for Children. Metuchen, N. J.: Scarecrow.

"Reference Books" column School Library Journal for 1995-1997. (photocopy).

Sandlian, P. "Rethinking the Rules" School Library Journal July 1995. (photocopy).

Truett, C. School Library Reference Services in the 90s. Haworth Press, 1994.