Reference Questions, Set Two -- 4/26

Print Resources

1. What is the name of the archbishop of Canterbury?
a. Analysis: This question requires a factbook. Since the Archbishop of Canterbury has something to do England, I can try Whitaker’s Almanack, a British resource. I can also try looking for “archbishop of Canterbury” in the index of a biographical source. (Do they have indexes?)
b. Strategy: It’s Friday night and the library is closed… I accessed an online biographical database using my library card and searched for “archbishop of Canterbury.” Two results were found: one for someone born in 606 and one for someone born in 1950. I chose the latter, which was an entry in Contemporary Authors about Rowan Williams.
c. Answer: As it turns out, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Church of England. The current archbishop is Dr. Rowan Williams.
d. Citation: “Rowan (Douglas) Williams.” Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2010. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2010. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC

2. What University offered the first bibliography course and when?
a. Analysis: This query requires some kind of historical source. Since it is asking about a “first,” I will try Famous First Facts.
b. Strategy: I looked through the table of contents in Famous First Facts, and checked entries under libraries and education.
c. Answer: I didn’t find the answer.
d. Citation: None.

3. When and where was Senator Edward Kennedy born? I need some information about his life.
a. Analysis: This is a question that requires a biography.
b. Strategy: It was Friday night and the local public library was closed, so I accessed a biographical database from home using my library card number. I found one a source that had a print equivalent and entered “Edward Kennedy” in the search field. This brought up several results for the senator. (Including an entry in Contemporary Authors, which I wasn’t expecting!) When I went to the library on Saturday, I also looked for Edward Kennedy in Who’s Who in America.
c. Answer: According to Encyclopedia of World Biography, Edward (Ted) Kennedy was born in 1932 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He died in 2009 in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. (According to Who’s Who in America, he was born in Boston.)
d. Citation: “Edward M. Kennedy.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2010. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC
i. Who’s Who in America, 2001. New Providence, NJ: Marquis Who’s Who, 2000.

4. What information should be included in the first paragraph of the minutes of a meeting?
a. Analysis: Since this is asking how to do something, a handbook or manual would be appropriate.
b. Strategy: I accessed a reference book called Encyclopedia of Small Business through the Stamford library’s website. It had an entry about how to conduct meetings, but the entry didn’t explain how to take minutes. (And there was not an entry just for “minutes.”) Then I did a subject search for business manual in the Norwalk Public Library OPAC and found a handbook called Taking Minutes of Meetings. This book was part of a business reference series called Creating Success.
c. Answer: The beginning of official meeting minutes should include the name of the committee; the date, place, and time of the meeting; people “present” (those with voting power); people “in attendance” (those without voting power, including the minute-taker); “apologies” (the equivalent of an excused absence); “absent” (like an unexcused absence); and “copy” (people who do not have to be at the meeting, but will receive a copy of the minutes). After that information is stated, the rest of the minutes are divided into categories including committee business, minutes from the previous meeting (if there are any corrections or amendments), and matters arising.
d. Citation: Gutmann, Joanna. Taking Minutes of Meetings. 2nd edition. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan-Page, 2006.

5. Provide a list of 2 articles on Web 2.0 published in the last three years.
a. Analysis: This question is asking for periodicals, so I need a periodicals index.
b. Strategy: Using EBSCOhost through Buley’s website, I accessed the SocINDEX reference and searched for “web 2.0.” Later, I realized that SocINDEX does not have a print equivalent. Sigh…
c. Answer: One article published is “Online behaviours of adolescents: Victims, perpetrators and Web 2.0,” published in the Journal of Sexual Aggression. Another article is “Trends in online social networking: adolescent use of MySpace over time,” from New Media and Society. Both articles were published in March 2010.
d. Citation: Atkinson, C., & Newton, D. (2010). Online behaviours of adolescents: Victims, perpetrators and Web 2.0. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 16(1), 107-120. doi:10.1080/13552600903337683. SocINDEX with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 24 Apr. 2010
i. Patchin, J., & Hinduja, S. (2010). Trends in online social networking: adolescent use of MySpace over time. New Media & Society, 12(2), 197-216. doi:10.1177/1461444809341857. SocINDEX with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 24 Apr. 2010.

Buley Databases

1. I need to buy some books by African Writers. Who is the publisher of African Writers series?
a. Analysis: From the wording of the question, I wasn’t sure whether books by any African writers would be sufficient, if an unknown collection/series of works by African writers was needed, or if a specific series called “African Writers” was being requested. Depending on the nature of the query, one possible resource would be a bibliographic database; another would be a directory of international publishing companies.
b. Strategy: I clicked “Search Databases” and chose English literature as my research area (even though I was looking for African literature). The first database I tried was MLA International Bibliography. When I searched for “African writers,” many journal articles appeared – and I knew that wasn’t what I was looking for. I narrowed the results to “book collections” so they would be closer to the query. This brought me results that were mainly biographies, which was also not what I was looking for. Then I went back to the database page and chose Literary Reference Center. This allowed me to narrow my search in many ways, including author’s cultural identity; however, that didn’t help because it only had “ ____- American” options (i.e. African-American). I went back to MLA International Bibliography, searched for “African Writers series,” and again found journal articles – but this time, I noticed that some of the article titles included the phrase “Heinemann African Writers Series.” I then went to the CONSULS database, did a keyword search for “African writers series,” and found many books that are part of that series.
c. Answer: The African Writers Series is published by Heinemann.
d. Citation: Here is a citation for one book in the African Writers Series: Tadjo, Veronique. The Shadow of Imana: Travels in the Heart of Rwanda. Translated by Véronique Wakerley. Oxford: Heinemann, 2002.


2. In what ways does the meaning of “Device” differ from “Contrive”?
a. Analysis: This question requires a dictionary.
b. Strategy: I clicked “Search Databases” and chose English literature as my research area. Then I chose the Oxford Reference Online database and entered the words in the search field. (Also, I searched for “devise” in case that word was part of the intended query.)
c. Answer: “Contrive” is a verb which means to plan something, while “device” is a noun that means an object used for a certain purpose. “Contrive” and “devise” are both verbs, but after comparing the definitions, it seems that contriving involves cunning or trickery (artifice), while devising does not.
i. contrive v.: devise or plan using skill and artifice.(From The Concise Oxford English Dictionary in English Dictionaries & Thesauruses)
ii. device n.: a thing made or adapted for a particular purpose, especially a piece of equipment mechanical or electronic. (From The Concise Oxford English Dictionary in English Dictionaries & Thesauruses)
iii. devise v. & n.: plan or invent by careful thought. (From The Oxford American Dictionary of Current English in English Dictionaries & Thesauruses)
d. Citation: Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 20 April 2010. http://0 www.oxfordreference.com.www.consuls.org/views/ SUBJECT_SEARCH.html?subject=s7&authstatuscode=202.


3. My neighbor complained to me about the NIMBY syndrome that is affecting the community. What does NIMBY mean?
a. Analysis: This question requires a dictionary of acronyms.
b. Strategy: I started with the Oxford Reference Online database and looked for an acronym dictionary in the list of books. I found the Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations and entered “NIMBY” in the search field.
c. Answer: nimby: Colloquial not in my back yard (indicating liberals, reformers, etc., in principle but not in practice (From The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations in English Language Reference)
d. Citation: “NIMBY.” The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations. Oxford University Press, 1998. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 20 April 2010. http://0-www.oxfordreference.com. www.consuls.org/views/SEARCH_RESULTS.html?y=6&q=NIMBY&category=t25&x=19&ssid=58542970&scope=book&time=0.866912390428723.

4. What literary awards did Jack Vance receive?
a. Analysis: This question requires a biography.
b. Strategy: I chose Literature Resource Center from a list of databases and entered “Jack Vance” in the search field. Then I narrowed the results to biographies and read one that was available in full-text.
c. Answer: “(Vance) has produced a large body of science fiction, fantasies, and mysteries—forty-five novels, five collections, and more than thirty uncollected magazine and original anthology stories—under two versions of his own name and five pseudonyms; he also wrote six episodes of the “Captain Video” television series during 1952-1953. In 1961 he won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for his mystery The Man in the Cage (1960), and in 1963 he won a Hugo Award for his novella The Dragon Masters (1962: published in book form, 1963). Another novella, The Last Castle (1966; published in book form, 1967), received a Nebula Award in 1966 and a Hugo Award in 1967.”
d. Citation: Letson, Russell. “John Holbrook Vance.” Twentieth-Century American Science-Fiction Writers. Ed. David Cowart and Thomas L. Wymer. Detroit: Gale Research, 1981. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 8. Literature Resource Center. Web. 20 Apr. 2010.

5. I am looking for short stories published by Cyprian Ekwensi and African writer.
a. Analysis: This source requires a bibliography. It could also be answered by a biographical source such as Contemporary Authors, because that source lists authors’ works. Also, I don’t know if the query is requesting only stories published as part of Heinemann’s African Writers Series, or if the query is specifying that Ekwensi is an African writer.
b. Strategy: I went to Literature Resource Center and used the same strategy as I did with the Jack Vance question.
c. Answer: The Rainmaker and Other Short Stories (short story collection), African Universities Press (Lagos, Nigeria), 1965, revised edition, 1971.
i. Lokotown and Other Stories(short story collection), Heinemann (London, England), 1966.
ii. The Restless City and Christmas Gold, with Other Stories Heinemann (London, England), 1975.
iii. The Rainbow-Tinted Scarf and Other Stories (collection), illustrated by Gay Galsworthy, Evans Africa Library (London, England), 1975.”
d. Citation: “Cyprian Ekwensi.” Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 20 Apr. 2010.

6. I would like to apply for a grant for services to the homeless. Help me locate the names and contact information for three foundations to which I can apply for the grant.
a. Analysis: This source requires a directory of grants or foundations.
b. Strategy: I entered “grants” in the database homepage’s search field; this directed me to the Public Health category, which includes Foundation Directory Online. I entered “homeless in the Power-Search field, and that brought many results.
c. Answer: The Aetna Foundation gives to many organizations and for many purposes, including providing services to the homeless. Two Connecticut organizations Aetna has helped include the Mercy Shelter and Housing Corporation and Saint Luke’s Lifeworks. (However, Aetna does not provide grants to individuals.) The address is Aetna Foundation, Inc., 151 Farmington Ave., RC31, Hartford, CT 06156-3180. Telephone: (860) 273-6382. Contact: Lynn B. Ferdman, Prog. Consultant. Fax: (860) 273-4764. E-mail: aetnafoundation@aetn.... URL: www.aetna.com/foundation
i. Another company that gives to organizations fighting homelessness is Bank of America. Contact the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc., 401 S. Tryon St., NC1-021-02-20, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001. Telephone: (800) 218-9946. URL: www.bankofamerica.com/foundati...
ii. Finally, the Ben and Jerry’s Foundation provides grants to organizations helping the homeless. Contact Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Inc., 30 Community Dr., South Burlington, VT 05403-6828. Telephone: (802) 846-1500. Contact: Debby Kessler, Admin. Asst. URL: www.benjerry.com/ foundation/in...
d. Citation: Foundation Directory Online. Foundation Center. 2010. 20 April 2010.

7. I need an article on world geography Lesson Plan that discusses Gender Equity.
a. Analysis: I need to search a database that has periodical articles. If this reference interview were in person, I would ask if a peer-reviewed scholarly journal article was needed, or if an article from a newspaper or popular magazine would suffice.
b. Strategy: I went to the database homepage, chose “women’s studies” as my search category, and selected the GenderWatch database. Then I conducted a keyword search for “international gender equity”
c. Answer: The article “Democracy: Ruptures and Transformations” by Peruvian author Virginia Vargas discusses the effects of colonialism on gender roles.
d. Citation: Virginia Vargas. “Democracy: Ruptures and Transformations.” Quezon City: 2007, Iss. 1; pg. 6, 6 pgs. http://0-proquest.umi.com.www.consuls.org/pqdweb?did=1459275551&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=23650&RQT=309&Vname=PQD.

8. The distance librarian at Buley Library published an article on “Second Life.” I would like to know the full title of the article and where I can get a copy of the article.
a. Analysis: This query requires citation information for an article; an index is needed. All I know about the article is the topic; it would be easier to find the article if I first figure out the title and/or author’s name.
b. Strategy: First I went to the Buley homepage to find the distance librarian’s name. Her name is Rebecca Hedreen, and she has a page on SCSU’s website that includes a list of her publications. I looked over the list and clicked on links to her work, but nothing seemed to address “Second Life.” (However, there was a lot about “Web 2.0.” Hmmmm….) Next, I went to the database page, chose the “library science” category, and searched for Rebecca Hedreen in the Emerald database. No luck. Then I tried the First Search Library Literature database, with an author and keyword search.
c. Answer: “Exploring Virtual Librarianship: Second Life Library 2.0,” published in Internet Reference Services Quarterly by Hedreen et al, is not held by Buley. It is available through interlibrary loan.
d. Citation: Hedreen, et al. “Exploring Virtual Librarianship: Second Life Library. 2.0.” Internet Reference Services Quarterly (Internet Ref Serv Q) v. 13 no2/3 (2008) p. 167-95.

Internet Resources

1. What was the editorial in New York Times on November 1st, 1990?
a. Search terms: “November 1 1990 editorial.”
b. Resource: New York Times Archive.
c. Answer: The New York Times editorial on 11/1/1990 was titled “Name Calling on Crime.”
d. Citation: “Name Calling on Crime.” New York Times. 1 November 2010. Accessed via New York Time Archive 21 April 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11 /01/opinion/name-calling-on-crime.html?scp=1&sq=november%201%201990% 20editorial& st=cse.

2. I need an article that discusses “Multiple Personality Issues” published in the last five years.
a. Search terms: Keyword search for “multiple personality issues,” using date restriction option (2005-2010).
b. Resource: Iconn.org.
c. Answer: See citation below.
d. Citations: Smythe, Jeff. "Uninvited guests crash a party for one: multiple personality disorder and the criminal law's derision toward multiples." Journal of Law in Society 6.1 (2005): 179-207. General OneFile. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=IPS&docId=A158814106&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=21294&version=1.0

3. I want to borrow a book from a public library with the title The Thing around Your Neck. I live in Hamden, CT. Which is the nearest public library that owns the book and how do I get to the library from 126 Ursini Drive? How far is the library from my house?
a. Search terms: Title search for The Thing around Your Neck, with the category “Books.”
b. Resource: Worldcat, a bibliographic database.
i. After finding the address of the library, I went to MapQuest and entered the home address and the library address to get directions.
c. Answer: According to Worldcat, the closest copy is at the Gateway Community College Library on the Long Wharf campus; according to Gateway’s website, adult Connecticut residents can borrow materials even if they are not enrolled at Gateway.

126 Ursini Dr
Hamden, CT 06514

1. Head north on Ursini Dr toward Circular Ave
0.1 mi
2. Turn left at Circular Ave
0.1 mi
3. Turn right at Benham St
0.7 mi
4. Turn right at CT-10 S/Dixwell Ave
0.3 mi
5. Turn left at Mather St
1.0 mi
6. Turn right at Whitney Ave
1.8 mi
7. Turn left at Willow St
0.7 mi
8. Turn left to merge onto I-91 S toward I-95
1.2 mi
9. Take the exit toward I-95 S
0.2 mi
10. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for I-95 S/N.Y.City and merge onto I-95 S
0.6 mi
11. Take exit 46 for Sargent Dr toward Long Wharf Dr
0.2 mi
12. Turn left at Sargent Dr
Destination will be on the right
0.4 mi

60 Sargent Dr
New Haven, CT 06511

e. Citation: http://www.worldcat.org/title/thing-around-your-neck/oclc/256534950&referer=brief_results
i. http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=126+Ursini+Drive+Hamden+CT&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=126+Ursini+Dr,+Hamden,+CT+06514&gl=us&daddr=126%20Ursini%20Dr,%20Hamden,%20CT%2006514&ei=rcTMSKnAsGAlAeft_WpBg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct =directions-to&resnum=1&ved=0CAkQwwUwAA
ii. http://www.gwcc.commnet.edu/library.aspx?id=507

9. What is the current number of U.S. fatalities in the current war in Afghanistan?
a. Search Terms: “Tally of American deaths in Afghanistan.”
b. Resource: A Google search led me to iCasualties.org
c. Answer: There have been 1047 U.S. fatalities in Afghanistan since 2001, including 101 so far in 2010.
d. Citation: “Operation Enduring Freedom.” iCasualties.org. 2009. 21 April 2010. http://www.icasualties.org/oef.

10. I am looking for a journal article on a new teacher tool, white boards, and a meta- analysis.
a. Search Terms: “Whiteboard.”
b. Resource: Iconn.org, a database sponsored by the state of Connecticut.
c. Answer: “The Digital Whiteboard” by Pamela A. Solvie was published in the April edition of The Reading Teacher. It contains information and reflection on this teaching tool.
d. Citation: Solvie, Pamela A. "The digital whiteboard: a tool in early literacy instruction." The Reading Teacher 57.5 (2004): 484+. General OneFile. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. http://find.galegroup.com/gps/ infomark.do?&contentSet=IACDocuments&type=retrieve &tabID=T002&prodId=IPS&docId=A113299524& source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=21294&version=1.0


11. I hear that the banks have been prohibited from charging overdraft fees on ATM transactions – I need to find the details of the rule.
a. Search Terms: “New ATM laws.”
b. Resource: A Google search led me to LoanSafe.org. A link on that website led me to the Federal Reserve website, which is a reliable and accurate source.
c. “In the past, some banks automatically enrolled you in their standard overdraft practices for all types of transactions when you opened an account. Under the new rules, your bank must first get your permission to apply its standard overdraft practices to everyday debit card and ATM transactions before you can be charged overdraft fees. To grant this permission, you will need to respond to the notice and opt in (agree). If you do not opt in (agree), beginning August 15, 2010, your bank's standard overdraft practices won't apply to your everyday debit card and ATM transactions. These transactions typically will be declined when you don't have enough money in your account, but you will not be charged overdraft fee.”
d. Citation: “What You Need to Know: New Overdraft Rules for Debit and ATM Cards.” FederalReserve.gov. 2010. 21 April 2010. http:// www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/wyntk_overdraft.htm

12. When and where was the last earthquake, and how many people died in the disaster?
a. Search Terms: “Earthquake.”
b. Resource: I accessed World News Digest through the Norwalk Public Library website.
c. Answer: The most recent earthquake was in China on April 14, 2010. As of April 21, 2,183 people were dead and 84 were still missing.
d. Citation: “Day of Mourning for China.” (2010, April 21). Reuters. Retrieved April 21, 2010, from World News Digest database.