Transcript Strengths - Lake Land College

Lake Land College
Library
Tim Schreiber
Information Services Librarian
Reference Desk
Phone: 234-5440
Email: [email protected]
Types of
Information
Available
in the Library
Sources of Information
Reference Materials
 Books
 Periodicals
 World Wide Web

Examples of
Reference Materials
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Encyclopedias
Dictionaries
Atlases & Maps
Directories
Handbooks &
Manuals
Reference Materials
Strengths
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Quick facts from
authoritative source
Statistics
Good for getting
overviews or
background info
Weaknesses
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Good starting point,
but you will need
other types of
sources for in-depth
information
Books (non-fiction)
Strengths
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Space available for
lengthy arguments
and detail
Editors and factcheckers
Example: The Mold in
Dr. Florey’s Coat: The
Story of the Penicillin
Miracle
Weaknesses
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Not always the most
up-to-date resource.
More difficult to
search for specific
information.
Periodicals
Newspapers, Magazines, Journals
Weaknesses
Strengths
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Information is more
current.
Editors and factcheckers
Easier to find things;
full-text searches

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Not enough space for
extensive treatment
of single subject.
Academic articles
may be too technical
or specific.
Types of Periodicals
Journals vs. Newspapers & Magazines
What’s the difference?
• Who writes them?
• Who reads them?
• What is their purpose?
• How often are they published?
Journals
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Considered a “scholarly” or “academic”
source.
Purpose is to make original research available.
Authors are scholars and researchers.
Aimed at a small audience of other scholars
and researchers.
Refereed process; peer-review
Usually published monthly or quarterly
Examples: New England Journal of Medicine,
Journal of Special Education
Magazines & Newspapers
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Purpose is to provide general information or
entertain.
Authors are writers or journalists.
Aimed at the general public.
Many pictures, graphics & ads.
Published daily, weekly, or monthly
No peer-review process (but use editors)
Examples: Rolling Stone, Newsweek, New York
Times
World Wide Web (“The Web”)
Strengths
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Many different
points of view.
Many different
formats (text,
images, audio,
video.)
Can be very up-todate.
Weaknesses
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Not organized, can
be hard to find stuff.
Anyone can say
anything, even
wrong or misleading
information.
Evaluating Information

Accuracy

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Authority
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To inform? Persuade? Sell? Entertain? Who is the audience?
Objectivity
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Who wrote it? What are their credentials?
Purpose
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Editors or fact-checkers? Consistent with other sources? Lots
of typos or grammatical errors?
Facts or opinions? Sponsored by a special-interest group?
Easy answers (propaganda) or hard questions?
Currency

How old is the information? Include new developments?
How To Find
Information in the
Library
Library Search Tools
To Find…
Use…
Books
Library Catalogs
Reference Info
Catalogs or Reference
Databases
Article Databases
Articles from
Periodicals
Library Catalogs
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Catalogs tell you what materials (Books, AV items,
etc.) are in the library and where to find them.
Our catalog is called LINC. It is an online catalog,
so you can use it from any computer with an internet
connection.
LINC is a system-wide catalog, which allows you
to order items from 80+ other libraries in the Lincoln
Trail Libraries System.
From our website, you can also search other catalogs
such as Illinet and WorldCat.
Library Databases
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An online resource that contains articles and
information taken from print sources such as
magazines, newspapers, journals, and
reference books.
These are not “internet sources” or free web
pages that you will find using Google or
Yahoo. Articles come from published sources.
Available on the web, but part of our library’s
collection. Must go through our library’s
website (and login if from home.)
Types of Library Databases

Article Databases enable you to search through
thousands of different magazines, journals and
newspapers to find articles on a particular topic.
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Reference Databases provide access to online
versions of reference books (encyclopedias,
dictionaries, etc.) Usually more subject-specific.
Need Help?
Ask at the Reference Desk!
Phone: 234-5440 Email: [email protected]