Librarians, historians, and new opportunities for discourse : a guide for Clio's helpers

This book stimulates informed dialogue between librarians and historians regarding the changing nature of history and the resultant needs for a wider variety of collections and library services, including inter-library loan, library instruction, outreach, and reference.

Today's history scholars and students utilize information in many different formats, including print, microforms, and digital, with each having its own format-specific requirements. For historians, the library is an essential resource that serves as their "laboratory." Librarians need to recognize the changing needs of this group--arguably among the heaviest users of library materials and services.

Librarians, Historians, and New Opportunities for Discourse: A Guide for Clio's Helpers addresses the concerns and typical operational decisions of librarians in academic libraries regarding reference, instruction, and collection management. The book looks at the role of the librarian holistically, paying special attention to how history is researched and taught, and how this affects librarians.

After reading this book, librarians will better understand this group of patrons who are so dependent on library resources for their research and teaching; conversely, historians will grasp the pressures on librarians making the difficult transition between the print and the digital age. As a result, every reader will be capable of having a more informed dialog with "the other half," regardless of their status as a librarian or a historian.

• Introduction p. xi
• 1 Overview of History p. 1
• Brief History of History p. 1
• Major Fields within History p. 2
• Major Research Methods Used p. 4
• Use and Characteristics of Primary and Secondary Sources p. 5
• Scholarly Production: Books, Book Reviews, More Books, Scholarly Articles, and More Books! p. 6
• Emerging Areas p. 7
• Overlap with Other Areas in the Library p. 8
• Conclusion p. 10
• 2 Learning Your New Landscape p. 11
• Materials Needed p. 11
• What Is and May Not Be Available (the Truth Is Not Always Out There) p. 13
• Major Historians and Their Evolving Methodologies p. 15
• Continuing Education p. 17
• Mentorship p. 17
• Library Association Divisions p. 18
• Major Historical Societies and Organizations p. 19
• Electronic Discussion Groups p. 20
• Conferences p. 20
• Conclusion p. 22
• 3 Getting to Know and Understand Your Local Audience p. 23
• Talking to the Academic Department p. 23
• Meeting Faculty on Their Own Turf p. 24
• What Are the Local Institutions Needs? p. 28
• Conclusion p. 34
• 4 Reference Services and Access to Material p. 35
• Get to Know Your Collection p. 35
• The Reference Interview p. 36
• Catalogs and Cataloging p. 42
• The Reference Collection p. 43
• Major Indexes: Accessing Secondary Materials Electronically p. 44
• Other Types of Information p. 45
• Archival Materials p. 46
• Printed Guides, Bibliographies, Encyclopedias, Landmark Works p. 47
• Reference on Location p. 50
• 24 /7 Reference (or Close to It) p. 51
• Conclusion p. 52
• 5 Information Literacy for Historians p. 55
• The History Curriculum p. 56
• History Components in Other Disciplines p. 60
• Building Instructional Presentations p. 62
• Collaborative Partnering on Assignments p. 64
• Intervention with the Instructor p. 65
• Too Much of a Good Thing? p. 67
• Conclusion p. 68
• 6 Defining the History Collection p. 69
• Challenges of History to Collection Development Policies p. 69
• Defining Scholarly and Historical p. 71
• Textbook Considerations p. 74
• Serials p. 74
• Evaluating Electronic Full Text p. 78
• Media and Web-Based Materials p. 79
• Microforms p. 81
• Newspapers p. 83
• Conclusion p. 85
• 7 Selection and Acquisitions Tools p. 87
• Budget Considerations p. 87
• Building a Foundation p. 93
• Using Approval Plans p. 95
• Review Sources p. 97
• Getting Prize Books p. 98
• Assessing the Collection p. 100
• Promoting the Collections p. 101
• Open Stacks or Special Collections p. 101
• Conclusion p. 102
• 8 Maturing as a History Librarian p. 105
• Progressive Journey p. 105
• Setbacks p. 107
• Navigating Departmental Politics p. 108
• Indicators of Progress p. 109
• Sharing Knowledge as a Senior Subject Librarian p. 110
• Conclusion p. 110
• Reference List and Recommended Readings p. 113
• Index p. 119