GENERAL REFERENCE QUESTIONS
Question
#1: What are public libraries doing about the problem of
latchkey children?
Analysis: Asking for actions libraries are taking in regards
to latchkey children (i.e. children whose parents are working when they get out
of school.)
Genre:
Subject or
periodical index.
Key
Concepts: public
libraries, latchkey
Information
Type:
recent articles in the field of library science
Type
of Search: Keyword
search needed to check multiple fields for the term latchkey.
Search
Strategy: I
planned to search one or more databases that are limited to information or
publications applicable to the field of library science, beginning with the
American Library Association webpage.
This alleviated the need to use Boolean searching. A “latchkey” keyword
search results will all have some connection to libraries. If I had limited success at www.ala.org, I would have checked Library
Literature, but it proved unnecessary.
Databases
Searched: I
started with the American Library Association website. Because I found a very good overview that
included resources, and one additional publication there, I did not go further
except to check CONSULS for availability of the latter publication.
Answer: At the American Library Association website, you
will find a good overview that includes multiple examples of afterschool
programs for children in libraries around the country. There is also advice on getting programs
started and an extensive list of further resources including a book published
in 1999 and multiple websites.
American Library Association. (June 2002) Connecting kids and afterschool
programs – what
works. Retrieved
http://www.ala.org/afterschool/whatworks.html.
Closure: Let me know if you need more information than you
find on this webpage and the linked resources.
______________________________
Question
#2: Is there any evidence that
drinking bottled water is healthier than drinking tap water.
Analysis:
Comparison
of bottled water and tap water quality emphasizing study evidence.
Key
Concepts: bottled water, tap water, better quality,
health, evidence
Information
Type: General
audience overview of scientific studies
Genre:
Periodical
index that includes science and health journals
Search
Type: Keyword
to locate the intersection of key concepts within indexed articles
Search
Strategy: I
began by trying to make what seemed to be more precise search terms “bottled
water” AND “tap water” AND “quality”, but in the end “bottled water” AND
“better” actually yielded the best results.
I also searched EBSCO subjects: “bottled water” and “bottled water—
Databases:
I began
with EBSCO because it is easy to check several databases at the same time and
doesn’t timeout. I indicated Academic
Elite, CINAHL and Medline. I
crosschecked ICONN’s Health and
Answer: Going through Buley Library, I searched Academic
Elite, Sociological Abstracts, and Medline at EBSCO databases, URL: http://0-web18.epnet.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/search.asp?tb=1&_ug=dbs+0%2C10%2C14+ln+en%2Dus+sid+14DE2074%2D2A92%2D4DD6%2DA746%2DDDD53D042E8C%40Sessionmgr6+35AD&_us=dstb+KS+ex+default+gl+default+hs+0+sm+KS+so+b+ss+SO+B7AD&_us.sm=ES&_us.db=0%2C10%2C14&_us.ex=default&stb=true.
I
searched “bottled water” AND “better”.
Scanning the resulting articles did not yield much evidence that bottled
water in general is better than tap water in general. To quote Bullers’s article (below)
“Whether bottled water is better than tap water, and justifies its expense,
remains under debate.” To some extent the
literature seems to lean toward home filtering as a third alternative, given
that hazards may be present in particular examples of either bottled or
tap. You might want to read a few of the
26 articles yourself. Of the articles
available in full text, I would suggest the following two for their even-handed
approach.
Bullers, Anne Christiansen. (2002) Bottled water: better than tap? FDA
Consumer, v. 36, no. 4,
Jul/Aug 2002. p.14-19. Retrieved
Wide Web. Abstract: “Discusses the consumption of bottled
water in the U.S. Idea that water is a
healthy drink; Growth in the bottled-water industry;
Regulation of bottled water by the
Drug
Administration (FDA); Safety of bottled water; Differences between artesian
well water,
mineral water, spring water, well water, and distilled
water. INSET: To Filter or Not to Filter?”
Golub,
Catherine (2001) Liquid assets: is bottled water really better than what’s on
tap?
Enviornmental Nutrition, v. 24, no. 9, p. 1-2.
Retreived
database on the
World Wide Web. Abstract:
“Reports on the results of a study by the
Natural
Resources Defense Council on bottled water and tap water.”
Closure: Do
you think that these articles might fully answer your question? (If yes then)
Feel free to come back to the desk if you would like more information.
____________________________
QUESTION
#3: Is the Giant Panda really a bear? If not, what species is it?
Analysis:
Asking for
species of Panda bears.
Key
Concepts: Panda,
species
Type
of information:
Specific species information likely to be found in a general source.
Genre:
General
encyclopedia
Search
Technique: Subject
access
Search
Strategy: Within
a library, I would likely first check a print encyclopedia’s entry under
“Panda.” In this case I used an online
encyclopedia in the same way and then checked a website listed in the search
results for further refinement of the issue.
Databases:
Encyclopadia
Britannica Online accessed through Buley Library at http://0-search.eb.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/. Since the information needed is likely in an
adult general encyclopedia, it provides an efficient, one-step method of
locating it. The particular online enclyclopedia was chosen for its availability.
Answer:
Encylcopadia
Britannica Online’s “panda” main entry provides the following information at
this URL: http://0-search.eb.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/eb/article?eu=59693&tocid=0&query=panda&ct=
“also
called Giant Panda (species
Ailuropoda melanoleuca), white-and-black, bearlike mammal found in the
forest areas of west-central China and subsisting mainly on bamboo.
Once classified with the lesser panda in the raccoon family, it is now usually
classified as a bear, family Ursidae. (Its classification as a distinct family,
Ailuropodidae, has also been suggested; the panda's skull and dental
structures, for example, do not resemble those of bears.)”
The results page at Britannica Online also suggests websites, one of
which is: http://www.giantpandabear.com/DHTML/index2.html. Within the FAQ (frequently asked questions)
on this site is the following statement: “FAQ 8 - Answer:
”Recent DNA analysis indicates that giant pandas
are most definitely of the bear species although different enough to be put
into its own sub family. All leading authorities now classify the giant panda
as a bear and not in the raccoon family.”
Closure: Does that fully answer your question?
_______________________________
QUESTION #4: My next-door neighbor was complaining about NIMBY syndrome. What is it?
Find some recent articles on the subject.
Key Concepts:
NIMBY, syndrome, (medical?) Information
Type: Definition and recent periodical information
Genre: A
dictionary, possibly a subject one, and a periodical index appropriate to the
subject.
Search Technique: Keyword in both dictionary and periodical index because it
is effective in retrieving term in multiple fields.
Search Strategy: The word “syndrome” in the question made me think this might
be a medical condition, but since I had no idea, I started with the Oxford
English Dictionary online to see if it was there, searching “NIMBY.” There was an entry. Since it turned out to be a sociological
term, I turned to a social science database. Although the patron asked for
recent articles, I did not limit publication date in case there were very few
articles, but I did request date ranking of results. Also it might have been
appropriate to limit to full-text, but I prefer to see the full range of
articles available in the database and indeed one citation given is not full
text.
Databases:
I did a definition search at the Oxford
English Dictionary on line. Based on the definition, I chose Social Sciences
Index-FS, which also gives me access to Wilson Select Plus. A social science or general index through
another vendor that provided full text would have been just as
appropriate. I did crosscheck EBSCO and
ICONN just to see if there were more recent general articles. An interesting thing about this search is
that the best article I found is a result at Social Sciences Index, but not at
Wilson Select Plus, although the access is supposedly through WSP.
Answer: Using the Oxford English Dictionary Online through the Buley Library, I did find a definition, URLhttp://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/cgi/entry/00155104/00155104se49?query_type=word&queryword=NIMBY&edition=2e&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=SujT-RRl6oR-102&hilite=00155104se49
“NIMBY, nimby, orig. 
n
mb),
‘not in my backyard’, a slogan expressing objection to the siting of something
considered unpleasant, such as nuclear waste, in one's own locality; freq. attrib.”
Using
the Advanced Search at Social Sciences Index FS, URL: http://0-firstsearch.oclc.org.csulib.ctstateu.edu/WebZ/FSQUERY?format=BI:next=html/records.html:bad=html/records.html:numrecs=10:sessionid=sp01sw01-58529-dc87jqju-cxs07k:entitypagenum=2:0:searchtype=advanced
, searching “NIMBY and ranking by date , I found a number of articles. The most recent ones focus on one particular
instance or kind of social service proposed in a neighborhood. If this is not
what you are interested in, I would suggest some two-year-old articles that are
more general and written in accessible language. Two are available in full text
from the results page.
Fischel,
William A. (Feb 2001) Why are there NIMBYs? Land Economics, v. 77, no.
1, Feb. 2001, p.
144-52. Number
BBPI01021405.
Ross, Benjamin (Winter 2001) Suburbs, status, and sprawl. Dissent, v. 48, no.
1, Winter 2001, p. 50-5.
Number: BSSI01002620.
A third article that might be general is available in the Buley
Library:
Smith, Eric R. A. N. (2000) The other
side of the NIMBY syndrome. Society & Natural Resources, v. 13,
no.
3, 2000.
Closure: Do you think
these articles might be helpful for you?
(If yes then) If after reading
them you need more information, feel free to come back to the desk.
_____________________________
Question #5: How does
decaffeinated coffee compare to regular coffee from a health standpoint?
Analysis: Needs health information about caffeine in coffee and
decaffeinated coffee as a substitute.
Key Concepts: Caffeine, coffee, decaffeinated,
health
Information Needed: General health information on the
subject of coffee and decaffeinated coffee..
Genre: Subject or
periodical index appropriate to the subject, or perhaps a book if patron in
library.
Search Type: In a library I might use browsing of books
following a keyword search of the catalog. Outside of a library, since
decaffeination does not seem to be a subject in most indexes, subject searches
would have to be for “caffeine” or “coffee” and results seem overly broad. Hence a keyword search would be the best to
target the requested information.
Search Technique: If I had been in a library, I would have first
checked the library catalog for available newer books that covered the subject
of caffeine. Since I wasn’t in a
library, I headed to health oriented databases and searched “decaffeinat* and
“health” and then just “caffeine.” Still
looking for a recent good overview that was recent, I also checked www.firstgov.org where I would expect to
find reliable links to health information on government sites.
Databases: I searched EBSCO including Academic Elite, CINAHL, and
Medline for keywords “decaffeinat* and “health.” I scanned results for
“caffeine” as well. Not particularly
thrilled with my results, I also checked ICONN’s Health and
Answer: There is evidence on both sides of this
controversial topic. Some studies have
shown caffeine to be linked to various diseases.(1) Others relate decaffeinated coffee to
rheumatoid arthritis,(2) and certain decaffeinating agents to cancer.(3) Most general sources seem to indicate that a
normal amount of caffeinated coffee is not harmful, but that it is habit
forming. The same sources indicate that most current methods of decaffeination
are safe. Some individuals are more sensitive to caffeine than others, and
individuals with certain health risks are advised not to use caffeine.(4,5,6) Krass’s
brief article advises:
“Despite
persistent suspicions that caffeine could cause cancer, birth defects, and
infertility, evidence from the research labs remains inconclusive. If you
really want to scare yourself [read} Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden
Dangers of
(1)
National Library of Medicine’s “caffeine” subject links. URL:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/caffeine.html.
Accessed on the World Wide Web
through www.firstgov.com
on
(2)Nutrition Bulletin (April
2002) Men’s Health, v. 17, no. 3, p. 32.
(3) National Cancer Institute statement, URL: http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/3_16.htm. Access on the
World Wide Web through www.firstgov.com
on
(4)
Coffee: how much is too much? (May 2001) Consumer Reports, v. 66, no. 5,
p, 64-65. Accessed on
the World
Wide Web through CONSULS and the EBSCO database on
(5)
Mooney, Linda (Jul 2000) Should you
decaffeinate your life. Prevention, v, 52, no. 7, p.
130-137.
Accessed on the World Wide Web through
CONSULS and the EBSCO database on
(6) Kummer,
and decaffeination. The Atlantic, v. 266, no.1, p. 92-96.
Accessed on the World
Wide Web through CONSULS and the
EBSCO database on
(#6 is older article, but a good
overview of many research studies still cited)
(7)
Krass, Peter. (2002) Drug of choice. Inc. v. 24, no. 2, editors page. Accessed on the World
Wide Web through CONSULS and the
MDX Health-FS database on
Closure:
I’ve given
you a lot of sources here. Is there
anything you would like to know about them?
Do you think they may give you enough information about your topic? If you have more questions feel free to come
back to the desk.