Reference skills for the school librarian : tools and tips

This book is a user-friendly guide for K-12 librarians, teachers, and school library media specialists that covers all major areas in reference, from the reference interview to encyclopedias and dictionaries.

Like the previous editions of this successful title, Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips, Third Edition provides essential information on reference in the school library, now updated to accommodate the quickly evolving technologies within the field.

Written specifically for K-12 librarians and teachers, the authors present helpful tools and easily applied strategies for every major area in reference, from the reference interview to encyclopedias and dictionaries. This textbook teaches basic reference processes, sources, services, and skills; and provides authentic, real-world school library media reference scenarios as well as exercises for reflection and guided application in today's reference world.

• Part 1 What is Reference All About? p. 1
• Chapter 1 Reference and the School Library: An Overview p. 3
• Introduction p. 3
• Information Inquiry and Reference Services p. 3
• The Reference Process p. 6
• Reference, Information Literacy, and Information Inquiry p. 7
• Information Inquiry, Standards for the 21st-century Learner, and the Common Core Curriculum Standards p. 9
• Research Problem-Solving Processes and Models p. 10
• The Information-Seeking Process and Developmental Issues p. 13
• Reference and the Technology Connection p. 14
• Conclusion p. 15
• Useful Web Sites p. 15
• Chapter 2 Selection, Evaluation, and Maintenance of the Reference Collection p. 17
• Introduction p. 17
• What Do You Need?-The Selection Process p. 18
• How Do You Know If It's Good?-The Evaluation Process p. 21
• Content Scope p. 22
• Accuracy, Authority, and Bias p. 22
• Arrangement and Presentation p. 22
• Relation to Similar Works p. 22
• Timeliness and Permanence p. 22
• Accessibility / Diversity p. 23
• Cost p. 23
• Collection Organization and Maintenance p. 23
• Conclusion p. 25
• Part 2 Nuts and Bolts p. 27
• Chapter 3 Bibliographies p. 29
• Introduction p. 29
• Evaluation and Selection p. 31
• Basic Sources p. 32
• Webliography p. 34
• Chapter 4 Directories, Almanacs, Yearbooks, and Handbooks p. 37
• Introduction p. 37
• Evaluation and Selection p. 39
• Basic Sources p. 41
• Factbooks p. 41
• Directories p. 42
• Almanacs p. 43
• Yearbooks p. 44
• Handbooks p. 44
• Webliography p. 45
• Chapter 5 Biographical Sources p. 51
• Introduction p. 51
• Types of Biographical Sources p. 51
• Evaluation and Selection p. 52
• Basic Sources p. 54
• Current Biographical Dictionaries p. 55
• Native American Biography Sources and Literary Criticism p. 56
• Retrospective Biographical Dictionaries p. 57
• Conclusion p. 57
• Webliography and Additional Examples of Online Biographical Resources p. 58
• Chapter 6 Dictionaries and Encyclopedias p. 61
• Dictionaries p. 61
• Introduction p. 61
• Evaluation and Selection p. 62
• Basic Sources p. 64
• English Language Dictionaries p. 64
• Foreign Language Dictionaries p. 65
• Historical Dictionaries p. 66
• Slang and Dialect Dictionaries p. 66
• Thesauri p. 66
• Specialty Dictionaries p. 67
• Webliography p. 68
• Encyclopedias p. 71
• Introduction p. 71
• Evaluation and Selection p. 72
• Basic Sources p. 74
• General Encyclopedias p. 74
• Single Volume Encyclopedias p. 76
• Subject Encyclopedias p. 76
• Useful Web Sites p. 77
• Chapter 7 Geographical Sources p. 79
• Introduction p. 79
• Evaluation and Selection p. 80
• Basic Sources p. 82
• Current World Atlases p. 82
• Historical Atlases p. 83
• Thematic Atlases p. 83
• Maps p. 83
• Gazetteers and Other Geographical Sources p. 84
• Additional Online Geographical Resources p. 85
• Webliography p. 87
• Chapter 8 Electronic Indexes and Abstracts; Periodical and Specialized Databases p. 89
• Introduction p. 89
• Evaluation and Selection p. 90
• Basic Sources p. 92
• Online Periodical Indexes p. 92
• Specialized Indexes and Databases p. 93
• Webliography p. 95
• Part 3 The Art of Questioning p. 97
• Chapter 9 The Reference Interview p. 99
• Introduction p. 99
• The Patron-The Student p. 100
• The Setting p. 101
• You-The School Library Media Specialist p. 102
• Questions and Questioning p. 103
• Types of Reference Interviews p. 104
• Conclusion p. 105
• Part 4 Reference and the Web p. 107
• Chapter 10 The Web in Today's Reference Services p. 109
• Introduction p. 109
• Search Engines p. 110
• Electronic Resources, Searching Strategies, and Tips p. 113
• Evaluating Electronic Resources p. 113
• School Library Reference Services in the Digital Age p. 115
• Balancing Print and Electronic Reference Resources p. 118
• Changing the Size and Focus of the Media Center Reference Collection p. 118
• Transforming the Reference Shelf into a 21st-Century Exploratorium p. 119
• Useful Web sites p. 120
• Part 5 Scenarios and Exercises for School Librarians p. 123
• Introduction p. 124
• Special Notes for Instructors p. 125
• Chapter 11 Scenarios and Exercises p. 127
• Scenario (Elementary School): Famous First Facts p. 127
• Exercise (Elementary School): Planning a Search p. 128
• Scenario (Middle School): Evaluation of Electronic Information p. 129
• Exercise (Middle School): Online Database p. 130
• Exercise (High School): Research Skills p. 131
• Exercise (High School): Bogus Web Sites p. 132
• Appendix: Publisher Information p. 133
• Glossary p. 137
• Works Cited p. 141
• Index p. 143