LIS4060 Assignment 1

1. There are language dictionaries and then there are subject dictionaries. Give 5 examples of language dictionaries, and 5 examples of subject dictionaries.

2. Now encyclopedias. Give 3 examples of general encyclopedias, and 5 examples of subject encyclopedias.

3. Read Redefining the Academic Library: Managing the Migration to Digital Information Services (http://web.archive.org/web/20120211072912/http://www.educationadvisoryboard.com/pdf/23634-EAB-Redefining-the-Academic-Library.pdf ). This white paper is not primarily about reference. But it holds implications for reference. We need to understand the big picture in academic libraries, because this filters down to all libraries including public and school libraries.

Make a bulleted list of implications you see in this article for provision of reference services.

4. Familiarize yourself with the Main Library databases, especially those in the General / Interdisciplinary categories (http://libguides.du.edu/DatabasesBySubject).

Spend 2 hours searching anything you want in these databases. Try not to spend too much time in any one database so that you can do sample searching in a larger number on this list. Document your searching (database searched, search query, number of results). Tell me that you have spent at least 2 hours.