Reference & User Services Quarterly articles from December 2009

Reference & User Services Quarterly archives from December 2009

A Year in the Life: Business Librarians Report on 2008-09
December 22, 2009... Academic Business Library Directors (ABLD), an association consisting of the directors of libraries at the preeminent business schools in the United States and Canada, comes together each year to discuss issues of interest. Prior to the meeting,...

Mining Ballots: Nuggets for the Future
December 22, 2009... I was born on November 4. I am an election baby. I was born on a Wednesday, but in the year I was born, there was not a U.S. general election. Those only happen on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November from November 2 through November 8...

Next Generation Catalogs: What Do They Do and Why Should We Care?
December 22, 2009... Jenny Emanuel is passionate about the user search experience. She is young (well, younger than me) and her experience growing up with networked libraries informs her views. She doesn't rest on generalizing from herself or reading what...

Book Group Therapy: A Survey Reveals Some Truths about Why Some Book Groups Work and Others May Need Some Time on the Couch
December 22, 2009... Book groups, whether library-sponsored or privately hosted, continue to grow in popularity. Perhaps the opportunity to connect to others face-to-face in what is an increasingly virtual world motivates people to come together to talk about their...

Outstanding Business Reference Sources: the 2009 selection of recent titles.(FROM COMMITTEES OF RUSA)(The Princeton Encyclopedia of the World Economy; The 100 Best Business Books of All Time; Historical Encyclopedia of American Business; The Product Manager's Desk Reference; Handbook of Finance; Wind Energy: The Facts; The Sage Handbook of International Marketing; Encyclopedia of Business in Today's World; Encyclopedia of Alternative Investments; The Business of Sports)(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Each year the Business Reference Sources Committee of BRASS selects the outstanding business reference sources published since May of the previous year. The committee reviewed thirty-seven entries; three were designated as "outstanding," and...

Student Feedback on Federated Search Use, Satisfaction, and Web Presence: Qualitative Findings of Focus Groups
December 22, 2009... Illinois State University's Milner Library conducted focus groups in the summer and fall of 2007 as part of its user-centered approach to implementing a federated search engine. The feedback supplemented the comments from usability testing...

Teaching Information Literacy Skills to Prepare Teachers Who Can Bridge the Research-to-Practice Gap
December 22, 2009... This paper explores ways in which academic libraries can partner with colleges of education to prepare teachers who can apply research to their practice. Federal mandates such as No Child Left Behind (2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities...

The Good, the Bad, but Mostly the Ugly: Adherence to RUSA Guidelines during Encounters with Inappropriate Behavior Online
December 22, 2009... Using a scoring rubric based on RUSA's "Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers" (RUSA Guidelines), librarians' performance in 106 chat reference transcripts in which a patron was determined to be...

Books That Inspire, Books That Offend
December 22, 2009... A content analysis of 298 statements describing books included in the University of Oklahoma Books That Inspire exhibit was conducted to identify the reasons members of the academic community found particular books inspiring. Twenty-six...

Graphic Novels in Curriculum and Instruction Collections
December 22, 2009... Graphic novel collection and use has become a popular topic in the library community; most of the literature has focused on collecting in school and public libraries. The number of academic libraries that carry graphic novels has increased, but...

Art Song Composers of Spain: An Encyclopedia.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Art Song Composers of Spain: An Encyclopedia. By Suzanne R. Draayer. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow, 2009.544p. Alkaline $75 (ISBN 978-0-8108-6362-0). Suzanne Rhodes Draayer's Art Song Composers of Spain: An Encyclopedia fills a major gap in the...

Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows through 2007.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows through 2007. By Thomas S. Hischak. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2009. 644p. Alkaline $295 (ISBN 978-0-7864-3448-0). Thomas Hischak knows his theatre--and...

Characters and Plots in the Fiction of Kate Chopin.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Characters and Plots in the Fiction of Kate Chopin. By Robert L. Gale. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2009. 199p. Alkaline $75 (ISBN 978-0-7864-4005-4). Though Kate Chopin is now best known for The Awakening, she was a prolific writer. According...

Civil Rights Movement: People and Perspectives.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Civil Rights Movement: People and Perspectives. Ed. by Michael Ezra. Perspectives in American Social History. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio, 2009. 300p. Alkaline $85 (ISBN 978-1-59884-037-7). The Civil Rights movement was a turning point in...

The East Asian Story Finder: A Guide to 468 Tales from China, Japan and Korea, Listing Subjects and Sources.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... The East Asian Story Finder: A Guide to 468 Tales from China, Japan and Korea, Listing Subjects and Sources. By Sharon B. Elswit. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2009. 288p. Alkaline $75 (ISBN 978-0-7864-3945-4). Librarian and storyteller Elswit...

The Encyclopedia of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... The Encyclopedia of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery. By Carol A. Rinzler. Facts On File Library of Health and Living. New York: Facts On File, 2009. 288p. Alkaline $75 (ISBN 978-0-8160-6285-0). Changing one's appearance through surgical or...

Encyclopedia of Human Relationships.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Encyclopedia of Human Relationships. Ed. by Harry T. Reis and Susan Sprecher. Los Angeles: Sage, 2009. 3 vols. Acid free $425 (ISBN 978-1-4129-5846-2). From the initial human bond between mother and child, relationships with others are a...

Encyclopedia of Islam.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Encyclopedia of Islam. By Juan E. Campo. Encyclopedia of World Religions. New York: Facts on File, 2009. 800p. Acid free $85 (ISBN 978-0-8160-5454-1). This encyclopedia is part of a six-volume set covering major religions of the world;...

Encyclopedia of Jewish-American Literature.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Encyclopedia of Jewish-American Literature. By Gloria L. Cronin and Alan L. Berger. Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Literature. New York: Facts on File, 2009. 416p. Alkaline $75 (ISBN 978-0-8160-6085-6). This reference book focuses on...

Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society. Ed. by Rodney P. Carlisle. Los Angeles: Sage, c. 2009.2 vols. $325 (ISBN: 978-1-4129-6670-2). Ebook ed. $405 (eISBN 978-1-4129-7193-5) (not reviewed). All work and no play can make a dull reference...

Encyclopedia of Race and Crime.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Encyclopedia of Race and Crime. Ed. by Helen T. Greene and Shaun L. Gabbidon. Los Angles: Sage, 2009. 2 vols. Acid free. $350.00/set (ISBN: 978-1-4129-5085-5). Regardless of how one views the demographic makeup of the United States, be it...

Encyclopedia of Substance Abuse, Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Encyclopedia of Substance Abuse, Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery. Ed. by Gary L. Fisher and Nancy A. Roget. Los Angeles: Sage, 2009.2 vols. Alkaline $350 (ISBN 978-1-4129-5084-8). The Encyclopedia of Substance Abuse, Prevention,...

The Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... The Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History. Ed. by Aaron Brenner, Benjamin Day, and Immanuel Ness. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 2009. 800p. Alkaline $175 (ISBN 978-0-7656-1330-1). This single-volume encyclopedia takes a comparative...

Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods. Ed. by Paul J. Lavrakas. Los Angeles: Sage, 2008. 2 vols. Acid free. $350 (ISBN 978-1-4129-1808-4). There is no doubt that a plethora of literature devoted to surveys and survey methods exists,...

Encyclopedia of Time: Science, Philosophy, Theology, and Culture.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Encyclopedia of Time: Science, Philosophy, Theology, and Culture. Ed. by H. J. Birx. Los Angeles: Sage, 2009. 3 vols. Alkaline $400 (ISBN 978-1-4129-4164-8). Time is considered in the broadest of perspectives in this encyclopedia edited by H....

The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing through American History 1900 to the Present.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing through American History: 1900 to the Present. By Amy T. Peterson et al. Ed. by Amy Peterson. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 2008. 2 vols. Alkaline $199.95 (ISBN 978-0-313-35855-5). "That dress is so...

Harlem Renaissance Lives from the African American National Biography.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Harlem Renaissance Lives from the African American National Biography. Ed. by Henry L. Gates and Evelyn B. Higginbotham. New York: Oxford Univ. Pr., 2009. 608p. acid free $50 (ISBN 978-0-19-538795-7). Some three hundred biographical entries...

Historical Encyclopedia of American Business.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Historical Encyclopedia of American Business. Ed. by Richard L. Wilson. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem, 2009.3 vols. Alkaline $364 (ISBN 978-1-58765-518-0). Wilson, a professor of political science at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, has...

Magill's Survey of World Literature.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Magill's Survey of World Literature. Rev. ed. Ed. by Steven G. Kellman. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem, 2009. 6 vols. Alkaline $499 (ISBN 978-1-58765-431-2). Magill's Survey of World Literature is a new, expanded edition of the 1993 title of the...

Milestone Documents of American Leaders: Exploring the Primary Sources of Notable Americans.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Milestone Documents of American Leaders: Exploring the Primary Sources of Notable Americans. Ed. by Paul Finkelman. Dallas, Tex.: Schlager, 2009.4 vols. Acid free $395 (978-0-9797758-5-7). This set is intended to be a companion to the earlier...

The Nineties in America.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... The Nineties in America. Ed. by Milton Berman. Decades. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem, 2009.3 vols. alkaline $364 (ISBN 978-1-58765-500-5). The 1990s may not come to mind as a watershed decade like the depression thirties or the socially convulsive...

Science Fiction Television Series, 1990-2004: Histories, Casts and Credits for 58 Shows.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Science Fiction Television Series, 1990-2004: Histories, Casts and Credits for 58 Shows. By Frank Garcia and Mark Phillips. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2009. 431p. alkaline $59.95 (ISBN 978-0-7864-2483-2). In the "Introduction" to...

U-X-L Encyclopedia of World Mythology.(E-book review)
December 22, 2009... U-X-L Encyclopedia of World Mythology. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 5 vols. $305 (ISBN 978-1-4144-3030-0). This five-volume set, which is also available as an e-book, was designed for the middle school through high school users. The three hundred...

Booktalking Bonanza: Ten Ready-to-Use Multimedia Sessions for the Busy Librarian.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Booktalking Bonanza: Ten Ready-to-Use Multimedia Sessions for the Busy Librarian. By Betsy Diamant-Cohen and Selma K. Levi. Chicago: ALA, 2009. 240p. $40 (ISBN 978-0-08389-09652). These two library dynamos offer here a great resource for the...

Creating Your Library Brand: Communicating Your Relevance and Value to Your Patrons.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Creating Your Library Brand: Communicating Your Relevance and Value to Your Patrons. By Elisabeth Doucett. Chicago: ALA, 2008. 124p. $50 (ISBN 978-0-8389-0962-1). Most librarians have marketed their libraries and their library services at one...

Even More Great Ideas for Libraries and Friends.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Even More Great Ideas for Libraries and Friends. By Sally Gardner Reed and Beth Nawalinski. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2008. 285p. $69.95 (ISBN: 978-55570-638-8). "You gotta have friends" is the premise of Even More Great Ideas for Libraries and...

Game On! Gaming at the Library.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Game On! Gaming at the Library. By Beth Gallaway. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2009. 306p. $55 (ISBN 978-1-55570-595-4). Are you a librarian looking for ways to bring gaming into your library? If so, Game On! Gaming at the Library provides a...

Going beyond Google: The Invisible Web in Learning and Teaching.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Going Beyond Google: The Invisible Web in Learning and Teaching. By Jane Devine and Francine Egger-Sider. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2009. 156p. $65 (ISBN: 978-1-55570633-3). This is a book that will remain near this reviewer's desk for the next...

Staff Development Strategies That Work! Stories and Strategies from New Librarians.(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Staff Development Strategies that Work! Stories and Strategies from New Librarians. By Georgie L. Donavan and Miguel A. Figueroa, New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers, c. 2009. 260p. $75.00 (ISBN 978-1-5557-0644-9). Eighteen "new" librarians...

Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Service: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 22, 2009... Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Service: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. By Pamela J. Morgan. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2009. 201p. $65 (ISBN 978-1-55570-643-2). As libraries across the country cut budgets, using paraprofessional...