You Could Look It Up


Book Description

"Knowledge is of two kinds," said Samuel Johnson in 1775. "We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it." Today we think of Wikipedia as the source of all information, the ultimate reference. Yet it is just the latest in a long line of aggregated knowledge--reference works that have shaped the way we've seen the world for centuries. You Could Look It Up chronicles the captivating stories behind these great works and their contents, and the way they have influenced each other. From The Code of Hammurabi, the earliest known compendium of laws in ancient Babylon almost two millennia before Christ to Pliny's Natural History; from the 11th-century Domesday Book recording land holdings in England to Abraham Ortelius's first atlas of the world; from Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language to The Whole Earth Catalog to Google, Jack Lynch illuminates the human stories and accomplishment behind each, as well as its enduring impact on civilization. In the process, he offers new insight into the value of knowledge.




Revisiting Gender


Book Description

Examines the changing role of women and men in shaping American life in education, work, and public and private life. Coverage includes the status of girls and boys in public education; the most interesting stories on the dynamics of gender on the state and national level; the status of women and gender equality in the corporate realm; power of images; and the dynamics of home life.




Internet Abuses and Privacy Rights


Book Description

From the controversy surrounding Edward Snowdens security leak of classified information, to hacked email accounts of prominent political candidates, internet privacy and cyber security present major ethical issues in todays technology-centric society. Countries are challenged to find the right balance in securing personal data and how to regulate the sale and exchange of information obtained on the internet. Innovative technologies and data collection that enable novel modes of interaction and new opportunities for knowledge can also be abused to invade peoples privacy, provide new tools of discrimination, and harm individuals and communities. This title will address both sides of this complex topic.










The Reference Shelf


Book Description




The Reference Shelf


Book Description




The Reference Realist in Library Academia


Book Description

Part I examines direct assistance in the library. Part II covers support for the reference desk, such as alternative provisions of service and reference manuals. In Part III, collection activities, instruction, publications, exhibits, and other reference activities are explored. Part IV takes a close look at departmental and library responsibilities.




The Reference Librarian's Bible


Book Description

Divided into dedicated categories about the subjects most meaningful to librarians, this valuable resource reviews 500 texts across all major fields. Drawing on their collective experience in reference services and sifting through nearly 30,000 reviews in ARBAonline, editors Steven Sowards, associate director for collection at Michigan State University Libraries, and Juneal Chenoweth, editor of American Reference Books Annual, curated this collection of titles, most of which have been published since 2000, to serve collections and reference librarians in academic and public libraries. From the Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Social Sciences and Encyclopedia of the Civil War to the Encyclopedia of Physics, Encyclopedia of Insects, and Taylor's Encyclopedia of Garden Plants to the formidable Oxford English Dictionary, The Reference Librarian's Bible encompasses every subject imaginable and will be your first stop for choosing and evaluating your library's collections as well as for answering patrons' questions.




Evolving Internet Reference Resources


Book Description

Save time and avoid trouble as you search the Internet for reliable resources Evolving Internet Reference Resources provides both beginning and experienced researchers with a comprehensive overview of the key information sources available online in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. This invaluable book is your guide to the best free and subscription-based Internet sites and services for 26 diverse subject areas, including law, psychology, rhetoric, LGBT studies, health and medicine, engineering, Asian studies, and computer science. Experts in specific areas review Web sites, meta sites, indexing and abstracting services, directories, portals, databases, and blogs for their accessibility and usability, saving you valuable time and effort in your search for the best academic research and reference resources on the Web. Evolving Internet Reference Resources is your pathfinder for all levels of research in crucial areas of academic and general interest. The book will lead you through the almost overwhelming volume of information available online to help you steer clear of unreliable, untrustworthy, and slipshod material as you search for dictionaries, glossaries, bibliographies, images, book reviews, career information, fieldwork opportunities, biographical sources, timelines and chronologies, audio and video clips, interactive maps, online collections, and much more. Topics covered in Evolving Internet Reference Resources include: significant developments in the availability of art images on the Web how Internet resources have transformed rhetoric, composition, and poetry why free Web sites can sometimes be unreliable organizational strategies for librarians how commercial publishers have acquired some of the best LGBT online resources the potential for Internet resources to enhance social activism in Latin America new approaches taken by librarians in creating online information government agency Web sites online versions of college guides the development of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology the virtual reference shelf available to nursing students and faculty ESL (English as a Second Language) Web sites Evolving Internet Reference Resources is an essential tool for all librarians (academic, school, special, and public), library science faculty, and faculty and students in a wide variety of disciplines.