How to Use the Library: A Reference and Assignment Guide for Students / Edition 1

by Frank Ferro, Nolan Lushington

Overview

The key ingredients for using a library effectively are outlined in this easy-to-use guide. Middle and high school students are provided with the basics on how a library is organized, how to find materials, and how to perform research to complete their homework assignments. Common core library reference sources are annotated to aid the user in finding the most useful resource, and a keyword index helps students connect homework and term paper subjects with the reference works most likely to supply the needed information. Librarians will find that his volume not only aids their student users in achieving more productive research results, but it is also a useful tool for developing their collections to fulfill their students' needs. Information on using the Internet and other electronic sources is also provided.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313301070
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/30/1998
Series:	Contributions in Librarianship & Information Science
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

FRANK FERRO is the Chief of Public Services at the Norwalk, Connecticut Public Library. He has served as a public librarian since 1977 and was head of the Information Department from 1987 to 1997.

NOLAN LUSHINGTON is Associate Professor of Library Science at Southern Connecticut State University. He has worked as a library consultant for over 15 years and has published books on library design.

Table of Contents

Introduction
An Introduction to the Library
Researching Class Assignments
Navigating the Library
Where to Start
More Sources of Information: Magazines and Newspapers, Indexes and Interlibrary Loan
Using the Internet to Conduct Library Research
Sample Library Searches
Reference Sources by Topic
The Arts
Computers
Economics and Business
History and Biography
Language and Literature
Medical and Health
Politics and Government
Psychology
Religion and Philosophy
Science
Sports
Assignment Index to Reference Sources
Guide to Homework Questions
Appendix A: Dewey Decimal Classification
Appendix B: Library of Congress Classification System
Glossary
Bibliography
Title Index
Subject Index

Editorial Reviews

Intended for middle and high school students, this guide consists of three sections. The first part explains how a library is organized, how to use card catalogs, and how to identify different reference materials such as atlases, almanacs, and encyclopedias. A chapter on how to use the Internet to conduct library research is a nice touch. The second part is an annotated list of reference titles grouped by subject, covering the core reference collection in school libraries. The third part, "Assignment index to reference sources," which connects students' research topics with specific reference resources, at first glance is interesting and practical. It uses a question-and-answer format to simulate the research situation. But the hypothetical assignments are simply too limited in scope and often contrived in content; any student would soon realize that it is much easier to go right to the subject index for a reference source. An optional choice for public libraries.--Mark Meng, St. John's Univ. Lib., Staten Island, NY

Library Journal

Addressing secondary school students, Ferro (Connecticut Public Library) and Lushington (library science, Southern Connecticut State U.) overview how a library is organized, how to locate materials and conduct research using electronic as well as traditional media. Features an annotated list of standard resources by topic area, a keyword index to link references with homework assignments, and appendixes on the Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress classification systems. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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