ILS 504:S71
Reference Information and Library Science
Dr. Josephine Sche
Exercise 2
A Search for Reference Sources and a
Comparison of the Search Results
Submitted October 10, 2010
by Kimberley Weber
Introduction
In this exercise I have done a search for reference sources for three different reference questions: 1. a general reference question, 2. an academic question and 3. a current event topic question. For each of these questions I have created a list of appropriate keywords and utilized the tools and strategies available for the different types of reference sources. For example, many of the databases and search engines have advanced searching capabilities that allow you to narrow or broaden your search. This was especially helpful when researching the academic question but not necessary when working on the answer for the general reference question. I used OPAC online data bases through ICONN and CONSULS, subject guides through ipl2 and Buley Library, and two search engines, Google, and Yahoo! I then compared the research results of the different print and electronic resources.
The paper is divided into three separate sections for each one of the three reference questions. Within each section I have the following subdivisions: the mock interview between the library user and the reference librarian; the keywords and strategies used for the search; the search which explores the one best OPAC search result, the two best online database search results, the two best subject guide search results, and the two best search engine search results – (for consistency I used only Google and Yahoo!); and finally I finish each section with the “best answer” to the question. I conclude by evaluating strategies, successes, and drawbacks to the various searches as well as providing the winning reference source and a general answer to the reference question.
At the end of the paper I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the different reference sources and make a recommendation for which sources best answer the different types of reference questions most commonly asked at a public/academic library.
Topic #1
I. A General Reference Question
“I want to learn about PEZ® candy dispensers.”
II. Reference Interview
(LU=Library User, RL= Reference Librarian)
LU - I’m sorry to bother you, you look really busy, but can I ask you a question?
RL -Oh no, you’re not bothering me at all. How can I help you? (RL moves away from the computer screen, makes eye contact, smiles and uses a friendly voice.)
LU - It’s a weird question but I need to learn about PEZ® candy dispensers.
RL - I think PEZ® candy dispensers are very interesting. I have a friend who collects them. What kind of information are you looking for on PEZ® dispensers?
LU – Well, I’ve been collecting them since I was six and I’m wondering if they’re worth anything. I’m thinking of selling them on EBay or at the flea market, but I want to see what my starting price should be. I also want to find out if I have any rare or valuable dispensers.
RL - That’s very interesting. So what you’re looking for is a price guide that could give you the value of individual pieces?
LU - Yeah, I’d really like to sell some of my collection.
RL – So this needs to be a very current price guide. You are planning on selling your dispensers soon?
LU – Yeah, I guess so. I need to make some cash fast.
RL - Have you already done some research before coming to the library today?
LU - Not really. I’m really hoping they’re worth something but I want to get educated before I start asking around at the flea markets. I don’t want anyone to take advantage of me. I have this witch dispenser I got when I was a kid one Halloween. I think it’s from the 50s. I’m hoping it’s worth $1,000 or more.
RL – Alright then, why don’t we start by looking in the library catalog? We have a great selection of price guides for many collectibles, coins, stamps, china, plus comic books and Barbie dolls. I don’t remember seeing one for PEZ® dispensers, but maybe we’ll find one. Have you used the online catalog before?
LU – No, I haven’t been in the library for a lot of years. Last time I was here you had the card catalog.
RL – A lot has changed at the library. Here let me show you how to use the OPAC. ( RL then spends several minutes showing LU how to use OPAC, explaining how you can access from home, search in hometown library as well as 45 other bibliomation libraries, also gives a 1:1 tutorial about REQUEST and how you can use your Connecticut library card at any public library in the state).
III. Search Terms
“PEZ® candy dispensers”, “PEZ® Candy Inc.”, “PEZ® dispenser” AND “price guides collectibles”, “PEZ® dispenser collectibles”
IV. Searches
A. “ONE” best result from OPAC
Used Bibliomation WebPac using search term “PEZ® candy dispenser” http://bibcat1.biblio.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=12860O893M4W8.26299&profile=newtwn&lang=eng&logout=true&startover=true#focus
The best result was a Reference price guide (2004) and it can be found in the C.H. Booth Library’s collection.
Peterson, Shawn. 2004. Warman’s PEZ® Field Guide: Values and Identification. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. (Antiques REF 664.153 PET).
Two other bibliomation libraries had a 2000 edition of the same price guide.
Peterson, Shawn. 2000. Warman’s PEZ® Field Guide: Values and Identification. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications.
“TWO” best results from Online databases
I searched on ICONN through C.H. Booth Library and found full-text articles in Gale using the search term “PEZ® candy dispenser”. If I use only “pez” I get a lot of articles in Spanish with “Pez” in the title.
Fluckinger, Don. 2009. "Heads Up! Sure, the PEZ® Collectibles Market Is Often Tied to the Launch of eBay. But the History of the Classic Candy Dispenser Predates Elvis, the Grapes of Wrath, and Even King Kong." Antiques Roadshow Insider 9.1 7(3): (January). General OneFile. Gale. Cyrenius H Booth Library. 2 Oct. 2010
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=24014
Higgins, Kevin T. 2010. "Dispenser Pioneer Passes: PEZ® Was Just Another Candy Until Curtis Allina Championed the Placement of a Character Head on a Hinged Lid. The Innovation Turned a Container into a Toy." Food Engineering 82.3 23(1): March. General OneFile. Gale. Cyrenius H Booth Library. 2 Oct. 2010
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=24014
B. “TWO” best results from the “Subject Guides”
I used ipl2: URL:http://www.ipl.org
EBAY - From ipl2: URL:http://www.ipl.org go to – “special collections”, then go to – “entertainment, leisure, and hobbies”, then go to – “antiques and collectibles appraisals”, then go to – “collectibles”, then go to – EBay http://www.ebay.com/. Requires registration with username and PW. From EBay type in search term “PEZ®”.
Burlingame Museum of PEZ® Dispensers – From ipl2 URL:http://www.ipl.org go to – “resources by subject”, then go to – “entertainment & leisure hobbies”, then type in search term “PEZ® collectibles” Burlingame Museum of PEZ® dispensers http://www.burlingamepezmuseum.com/
C. Best Result from “TWO” Search Engines
Search Engine #1 - Google
Google http://google.com/ Search on Google using the search terms –“PEZ® dispensers” AND “price guide”, “PEZ® dispenser value”, and “PEZ® dispenser value guide”.
EHow: How to Determine the Value of Your PEZ®:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2670_determine-value-pez.html.
Search Engine #2 – Yahoo!
Yahoo! http://www.yahoo.com
with the search term "PEZ® dispenser” and “PEZ® dispenser collectible”
PEZ® Collector’s Store
http://www.pezcollectors.com/
V. Best Answer – Discussion and Conclusion
The Library User will get the best answer to his question by using the Warman’s PEZ® Field Guide found through the OPAC at his hometown library, the very first place the reference librarian searched.
Peterson, Shawn, Warman’s PEZ® field guide: values and identification, Iola, WI, Krause Publications, 2004. (Antiques REF 664.153 PET).
Although the edition is dated, the more current 2009 version was not available through ILL in Connecticut, (checked this through REQUEST). Prices in the 2004 edition provided good guidance when compared to prices found on EBay (October 3, 2010). The guide provides a great introduction for a new collector as well as good information on terminology and what makes a dispenser valuable. For example is the dispenser marbleized? Does it have feet? Is it M.I.B = Mint in Bag? M.I.C = Mint in Cellophane? Warman provides a great glossary of terms as well as information on conferences, newsletters, and the best way to start a collection.
For the best information on current PEZ ® prices, Warman’s PEZ® guide should be paired with research on EBay. A 1950s witch is for sale on EBay for $414.00, but was listed for $250 -$300 in the guide book. A bride and groom set had an asking price of $10 on EBay while the guide book had a value of $35-$45. The guide book is exactly that, a guide, yet it is still helpful if you want to know if a dispenser is worth .99¢ or $99.00. It is especially useful if you are trying to evaluate rare items in your collection.
The online databases did not provide current price information, though they did have interesting background information on the history of PEZ®; they were invented in 1927 as an alternative to smoking and come from the word PfeffErmintZ (peppermint in German). The subject guide searches also did not provide very current information although the Burlingame Museum site (referenced in the ipl2 Subject Guide) did have a link to conventions as well as a newsletter, all good sources for a new collector.
Overall I found that the two search engines, Google and Yahoo!, brought up relevant searches. Yahoo!’s sites tended to be fee-based with newsletters and other information requiring a membership fee. EBay did not come up at the top of Yahoo!’s site listings which was surprising as they too have numerous PEZ® dispensers for sale and seem to be the best online source for collectors. Many sites mentioned Warman’s as the most respected price guide for PEZ® dispenser collectors. Several of the Yahoo! sites I evaluated seemed more amateurish in layout and the contact information was not there. They also lacked the authority and transparency you would want when buying/selling items of value. Google had EBay at the top of their site list followed by the official PEZ® site. EBay had a great guide for first time sellers and seemed to provide protection although I did learn that a fake Mickey Mouse was sold on EBay for $11,000.
To summarize, the OPAC at the library, the first place searched, provided the best resource with Warman’s PEZ® Field Guide. This source used in conjunction with EBay should help get the library user top dollar for his rare witch PEZ® dispenser from the 1950s and although it’s not going to bring the $1,000 he was hoping for $414 isn’t bad for a free treat from a childhood Halloween.
Topic #2
I. An Academic Subject Related Topic
“I am writing a paper on the ethics of neonatal resuscitation and am looking for several current articles to support my opinion on the subject.”
II. Reference Interview
(LU=Library User, RL=Reference Librarian)
LU – Hi, I use the library quite a bit but I’m having trouble finding good sources for a paper I’m working on. Could you help me?
RL – Sure, could you tell me a little bit about your topic?
LU – Yes, it’s a paper for college. I have to write about the ethics of neonatal resuscitation. But it’s more than that. I want to research the ethical dilemmas in the medical care of infants. I am looking for sources that cover protocol and guidelines used in the NICU. I also want to learn what happens when doctors and parents disagree on how to proceed.
RL – So it’s a paper from a medical perspective?
LU – Actually it’s not; the paper is for an ethics course so while it’s about medical protocol, I’m really more concerned with the ethics of the issue, how doctors treat patients especially when they’re too small to speak for themselves.
RL – Oh, very interesting. So have you already done some research on the topic?
LU - A little bit. I’ve explored some of the legal and economic aspects of the medical guidelines but now I need to get into a more philosophical discussion of neonatal resuscitation.
RL - How soon do you need the information? I can get you started with this Encyclopedia of Bioethics (Reich, 1978). It’s an old edition but the entry on “Medical Aspects and Ethical Dilemmas in Infants” has some great hypothetical scenarios with some guidelines for medical professionals.
LU – Great. There are some good keywords too that may help me expand my research. This reference to contemporary debate in philosophical and religious ethics is sort of what I’m looking for.
RL – Okay, let me start searching in Medline, an online database, and see what else I can find. I’ll focus on ethical views in the decision making process of medical care in severely disabled infants.
LU – It’s a difficult topic. I’m having a very hard time with it.
RL – It’s a very big topic. I will be looking for articles with strong bibliographies so you can get some good background articles. Maybe with a little more background information you’ll be able to narrow your scope.
III. Search Terms and Strategies
“bioethics and obstetrics”,” neonatal life” AND “death ethics”, “labor and delivery” “neonate” AND “ethics”, “decision making” AND “ethics”, “resuscitation” AND “ethics”, “neonatal” AND “ethics”, “ethical issues in neonatal care”, “clinical ethics”, “bioethics”, “medical ethics”, “healthcare ethics”, “premature infants”, “prematurity”, “low birth weight babies”, “neonatal resuscitation”, ”do not resuscitate”,” DNR guidelines”, “moral reflections”, “morality in neonatal care”, “NICU”, “medical dilemmas” AND “infants”
The strategy for this question was much more complex. The medical terms were unfamiliar to me so I had to spend some time checking search engine terms, MeSH keywords and looking at the Encyclopedia of Bioethics (Reich, 1978). to come up with useful search terms. Once I found an article I needed to evaluate it for currency, accuracy, authority and accessibility. Finding contributors with strong credentials is also important as the library user needed articles of a scholarly nature. When checking for information on websites I watched for .org, .edu, and .gov endings in the URL. I tended to reject information coming from .com and .net. These sites also were not as forthcoming with names and credentials of their contributors, another good reason not to use these sources.
IV. Searches
A. “ONE” best result from OPAC – Bibliomation WebPac http://bibcat1.biblio.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=12860O893M4W8.26299&profile=newtwn&lang=eng&logout=true&startover=true#focus
I used advanced search in bibliomation catalog and also used global bibliomation which accessed all bibliomation library catalogs. Search term subject – “premature birth”, “ethics” AND “infants”. This found:
Martin, J. (et al). 2009.“Born a bit too early recent trends in late premature births(electronic resource)”, Hyattsville, MD: United States Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
B. “TWO” best results from Online databases
Medline accessed through Buley Library’s databases. Used a variety of search terms from MeSH terms - “decision making” AND “ethics”, “resuscitation” AND “ethics”, “neonatal” AND “ethics”, “ethical issues in neonatal care”, “clinical ethics”, “bioethics”, “medical ethics”, “healthcare ethics”, “premature infants”, “prematurity”, “low birth weight babies”, “neonatal resuscitation”, ”do not resuscitate”,” DNR guidelines”
Kluge, E.H. 2009. “Quality of Life Considerations in substitute decision making for severely disabled neonates: the problem in developing awareness.” Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 30(5) 351-66.
Janvier, A. and Barrington K.J. 2005. “The ethics of neonatal resuscitation at the margins of viability: informed consent and outcome.” Journal of Pediatrics 147(5) (November) 579-85.
C. “TWO” best results from the “Subject Guides”
Health education subject guide through Buley Library, both articles were available in full text.
Sparks, Richard C., 1998. To Treat Or Not to Treat: Bioethics and the Handicapped Newborn. New York: Paulist Press.
Pinch, Winifred. 2002. When the Bough Breaks: Parental Perceptions of the Ethical Decision Making in NICU, Lanham, Md.: University Press of Maryland.
D. Best Results from “TWO” Search Engines
Search Engine #1 – Google
Found on Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=related:7D5yxZnknS0J:scholar.google.com/&hl=en&as_sdt=8000 with the search terms “medical dilemmas” AND “infants”.
Lorenz, J. 2005. “Ethical dilemmas in the care of the most premature infants: the waters are murkier than ever.” Current Opinions in Pediatrics Volume 17 (2) April:186-190.
Search Engine #2 – Yahoo!
Using Yahoo http://www.yahoo.com (Advanced search) with the search terms “newborn AND ethics”
Stark, A., Adamkin, D., Batton, D., Bell, E., Bhutani, V., Denson, S., Engle W., and Martin, G., 2009. “Noninitiatin or Withdrawal of Intensive Care for High-Risk Newborns.” American Academy of Pediatrics: Pediatrics vol.119, (2): February.
V. Best Answer – Discussion and Conclusion
Due to the academic nature of this question it is difficult to assess the one “best” answer from the sources retrieved. However based on the reference interview it seems that the library user is looking for information that would provide a philosophical discussion covering many facets of this ethical, medical, economic, and legal issue. Of the many articles and studies evaluated, the best sources seemed to come from online databases and also from the subject guides at Buley Library. The online database, Medline had current articles from professional journals. One of the best articles came from this online database, it was fairly easy to navigate and allowed you to view related articles as well as keep a history of articles you have already scanned. However not all articles had full-text, sometimes only abstracts were available. Normally there was very good citation information.(I was able to visit PubMed through my daughter’s school and this database seemed to be stronger than Medline but it is available through Buley).
Kluge, E.H. 2009. “Quality of Life Considerations in substitute decision making for severely disabled neonates: the problem in developing awareness.” Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 30(5) pp.351-66.
This article spoke to the ethical issues which were to be the focus of the library user’s paper. It offered up guidelines on the questions to be asked when evaluating a neonatal resuscitation, spoke of the treatment dilemma, provided a strategy for care and also offered up advice on what to do when the parents and doctor are in disagreement on how to proceed. The references used were some of the same works I saw over and over again in other articles. This article also came from a multidiscipline source; Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics which best suited the library user’s need for a more philosophical perspective. Articles from Journal of the American Medical Association had too much of a medical slant for the purpose of this particular paper. The final factor in giving this source a favorable evaluation is the currency of the article. Many of the articles on this subject are quite dated and I was disappointed not to find more current information.
The subject guides had a public health category which linked to the CDC and Medline which proved to be very useful. The guide was updated in June of 2010 and Buley Library provides good background on the subject guide editor, June Cheng which helped make me feel confident about the source. The OPAC article "Born a Bit too Early" (J. Martin, 2009) provided good background but did not have the necessary philosophical perspective. The search engines provided articles that were very useful and although not the “best answer” would still be good sources for a scholarly paper.
Topic #3
I. A Current Events Topic
“I just heard some scary stuff on the news about a superbug that is resistant to antibiotics. I need to learn more.”
II. Reference Interview
(LU=Library User, Reference Librarian)
LU – I have a very important question and I need the answer immediately.
RL – Sure, how can I help you?
LU – I heard some really scary information on the news about a superbug that’s coming to the U.S. by way of travelers.
RL – So you want to learn more about the disease?
LU – What I really want to know is how I can safeguard my family against the disease. My husband travels overseas all of the time and my elderly mother lives with us. I want to know how I can keep her and my whole family safe.
RL – Is this the superbug that is resistant to antibiotics?
LU – Yes, that’s the one. I heard all about it on channel 8 News. It sounds very serious.
RL – Have you had a chance to read about it anywhere else?
LU – No, just the news. I’m wondering what doctors recommend.
RL – Let’s go over to the OPAC and see what current information we can find. Magazine articles might be a good place to begin…..
III. Search Terms and Strategies
“public health” AND “superbug”, “health education” AND “superbug”, “emerging infectious diseases”, “pandemic”, “drug resistant viruses“ ,“NDM –1” “superbug” AND “New Delhi” “New Delhi metalllo-beta-lactamase”, “superbug symptoms” AND “prevention”, “antibiotic resistance”, “antibiotic sensitive”, “superbug” AND “prevention”, “New Delhi travel” AND “elective surgery”, “beta-lactam cabapenums”
IV. Searches
A. “ONE” best result from OPAC – Bibliomation WebPac http://bibcat1.biblio.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=12860O893M4W8.26299&profile=newtwn&lang=eng&logout=true&startover=true#focus
From the WebPac using the search term “public health” the best source was from Silas Bronson Library. The catalog had a direct link to:
Healthfinder [electronic resource]: your guide to reliable health information/developed by HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) in collaboration with many other agencies. Office of disease Prevention & Health Promotion, Washington D.C. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1997-. URL:http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS45861
which linked to this article:
Reinberg, Steven. 2010. “New Drug Resistant ‘Superbug’ Reaches U.S. Shores.” Healthday, August. URL:http://www.healthfinder.gov.new/newstory.aspx?docID=643158.
Within the article there were several links to other sources, one of them to the
U.S. Center for Disease Control & Prevention URL://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/index.html.
B. “TWO” best results from Online databases
From Buley Library’s online database Medline through EBSCOhost. These were both full-text articles with great citation information and links to other relevant articles.
Kumarasamy, K.K., Toleman, M.A., Walsh, T.R., 2010. “Emergence of a New Antibiotic Resistance Mechanism in India, Pakistan, and the UK: a Molecular, Biological, and Epidemiological Study.” The Lancet Infectious Diseases Vol.10 (9) (September): 597-602.
Muir, A., and Weinbren, M.J., 2010. “New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase: a Cautionary Tale.” The Journal of Hospital Infection Vol.75 (3) (July): 239-40.
C. “TWO” best results from the “Subject Guides”
Visit Buley Library website http://library.scsuctstateu.edu/ then go to -Reference Resources on the Internet- then go to Public Health Health Information from U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health – then to Searched Research guides Subjects: Health Sciences through Buley Library.
“Traveling to India for the Delhi XIX Commonwealth Games.” 2010. Travel Medicine and Infectious Diseases vol. 8 (3) May:129-38.
Goldstein, D., 2010. “Online Medical Tourism Agency Health Options Worldwide (HOW) Discusses India’s Resistant Medical Travel “Superbug”.” PR Newswire :September 8.
D. Best Results from “TWO” Search Engines
Search Engine #1 – Google
Google http://google.com/ with the search terms – “NDM –1”,“superbug AND New Delhi”,“New Delhi metalllo-beta-lactamase”, “superbug symptoms” AND “prevention”, “antibiotic resistance”, “antibiotic sensitive”, “superbug” AND “prevention” “New Delhi travel” AND “elective surgery”, “beta-lactam cabapenums”
“Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Your Survival Guide to Safe and Healthy Travel” URL: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/survival-guide.aspx
Search Engine #2 – Yahoo!
Yahoo http://www.yahoo.com with the search term - “public health” AND “superbug”, “health education” AND “superbug”, “emerging infectious diseases”, “pandemic”, “drug resistant viruses“ “NDM –1” “ “superbug” AND “New Delhi” “New Delhi metalllo-beta-lactamase”, “superbug symptoms” AND “prevention”, “antibiotic resistance”, “antibiotic sensitive”, “superbug” AND “prevention”, “New Delhi travel” AND “elective surgery”, “beta-lactam cabapenums”
“Science and Development Network: News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world” URL:http://www.scidev.net/en/news/india-rejects-new-delhi-superbug-study.html?utm_source=link&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=en_news.
VI. Best Answer - Discussion and Conclusion
The “best answer” for tips on safe and healthy travel came from my Google Search which led me to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Your Survival Guide to Safe and Healthy Travel.” URL: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/survival-guide.aspx
As I continued my interview with the library user it became apparent that she was not interested so much in learning about the “superbug” but rather wanted to learn how to keep her family, and most especially her elderly mother safe. Information on the CDC site provided facts about the three people that contracted the superbug in India. All three patients contracted the antibiotic resistant infection in Indian hospitals; one was treated for injuries relating to a car accident, another had a pre-existing medical condition, and the third was a woman from India who was being treated for cancer and had surgery and chemotherapy and then traveled to the U.S. (Fox News - http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/09/14/update-new-drug-resistant-superbugs-states/. Retrieved 10/02/2010). Experts agree that you are more at risk of the NDM 1 virus if you seek medical care in India and Bangladesh and that the business/vacation traveler is not really at risk.
Several Indian sources felt the NDM-1 publicity was a smear tactic to discourage patients from seeking medical care. No U.S. sponsored site mentioned this as a possible motive but the CDC recommends avoiding unnecessary surgeries in areas where NDM-1 has been reported. Most of all you need to practice good hygiene, wash your hands before eating, and keep your home clean and take good care of your pets. All of this information was helpful to the library user and made her more comfortable with her husband’s travel plans. The Google put the CDC travel tips at the top of their search page, a clear and concise site, and very easy to maneuver.
The databases and subject guides were more scientific and dealt more with the mechanics of the virus which is not what the library user was looking for. Yahoo!’s best source also was more technical.
Conclusion
In summary it seems important to evaluate the question before you start the search process. Different questions require different strategies and also different sources. Just as you don’t need to crack eggs with a hammer you probably don’t need to answer a ready reference question with an online database when an almanac or encyclopedia will do. On the other hand you probably don’t want to use Wikipedia as a source for a scholarly paper.
The PEZ® question was answered with the combination of a guide and current price lists found on EBay. More in-depth academic questions such as my second example; the ethics of the NICU are multifaceted and require a much more in-depth search. You will need to evaluate the bibliographies of articles because from here you often can get good information or leads on other respected sources. Encyclopedias to gather search terms and gather background information, online databases to retrieve scholarly journals, subject guides to access relevant and current websites coordinated by a human with knowledge of the subject matter, the OPAC for print materials on other indexes as well as a reputable search engine for leads on current news stories, blogs, etc. are all important tools for academic research. For my academic question the best articles came from academic journals which came from the subject specific index Medline. Many of the articles I evaluated had strong bibliographies, were peer reviewed and were frequently cited in other articles. The library user is going to need a lot of sources for this controversial topic as it has many diverse points of view. The current events topic on the travel and the “superbug” required currency that was best found online from government sources. In some cases blogs could be your best source although you will have to be diligent in evaluating the source. When using search engines it is very important to evaluate the sites retrieved carefully, most especially for authority, currency, scope and bias.
All three of the questions will require an exit interview of some kind to make sure the library user received the “best answer” to their question and that they are comfortable interpreting the sources they received. The librarian does not want to do the user’s work but still needs to do his/her job by filtering out useful information from the bad and/or unreliable.
Sources Cited for this Exercise
Beck, Susan E. 2009. “Evaluation Criteria.” The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or Why it’s Good to Evaluate Web Sources. New Mexico State University URL:http://lib/nmsu.edu//instruction/evalcrit.html.
Bibliomation WebPac http://bibcat1.biblio.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=12860O893M4W8.26299&profile=newtwn&lang=eng&logout=true&startover=true#focus
Buley Library website http://library.scsuctstateu.edu/
Burlingame Museum of PEZ® dispensers http://www.burlingamepezmuseum.com/
Cassell, Kay Ann, and Uma Hiremath. 2009. Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century. New York: Neal Schuman Publishers.
“Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Your Survival Guide to Safe and Healthy Travel.” URL: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/survival-guide.aspx
EBay http://www.ebay.com/. Requires registration with username and PW.
EHow: How to Determine the Value of Your PEZ®:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2670_determine-value-pez.html.
Encyclopedia of Bioethics. 1978. Reich, W, ed., New York: Free Press: Division of Macmillan Publishing Company Inc.
Fluckinger, Don. 2009. "Heads Up! Sure, the PEZ® Collectibles Market Is Often Tied to the Launch of eBay. But the History of the Classic Candy Dispenser Predates Elvis, the Grapes of Wrath, and Even King Kong." Antiques Roadshow Insider 9.1 7(3): (January). General OneFile. Gale. Cyrenius H Booth Library. 2 Oct. 2010
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=24014
Goldstein, D., 2010. “Online Medical Tourism Agency Health Options Worldwide (HOW) Discusses India’s Resistant Medical Travel “Superbug”.” PR Newswire :September 8.
Healthfinder [electronic resource]: your guide to reliable health information/developed by HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) in collaboration with many other agencies. Office of disease Prevention & Health Promotion, Washington D.C. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1997-. URL:http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS45861
Higgins, Kevin T. 2010. "Dispenser Pioneer Passes: PEZ® Was Just Another Candy Until Curtis Allina Championed the Placement of a Character Head on a Hinged Lid. The Innovation Turned a Container into a Toy." Food Engineering 82.3 23(1): March. General OneFile. Gale. Cyrenius H Booth Library. 2 Oct. 2010
http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=24014
Katz,William A. 2001. Introduction to Reference Work. 2 vols. New York McGraw -Hill.
Kluge, E.H. 2009. “Quality of Life Considerations in substitute decision making for severely disabled neonates: the problem in developing awareness.” Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 30(5) 351-66.
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