S.R. Ranganathan
S. R. Ranganathan's Portrait at City Central Library, Hyderabad
Born
Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan
12 August 1892
Shiyali, British India (present-dayTamil Nadu, India)
Died
27 September 1972 (aged 80)
Bangalore, India
Occupation
Author, academic, mathematician, librarian
Nationality
Indian
Genres
Library Science, Documentation,Information
Science
Notable
Prolegomena to Library Classification
work(s)
The Five Laws of Library Science
Colon Classification
Ramanujan: the Man and the Mathematician
Classified Catalogue Code: With Additional Rules
for Dictionary Catalogue Code
Library Administration
Indian Library Manifesto
Library Manual for Library Authorities, Librarians,
and Library Workers
Classification and Communication
Headings and Canons; Comparative Study of Five
Catalogue Codes
Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan was a mathematician and librarian from India. His most notable
contributions to the field were his five laws of library science and the development of the first major

1. Dr. Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan (1892 – 1972) Julinah Sabria
Binte Abu Bakar Free Powerpoint Templates V. Somasundram

2. About S.R. Ranganathan (S.R.R.) • Mathematician and library
science scholar from India • Father of library science, documentation
and information science in India • Contributions has worldwide
influence S.R.Ranganathan, 1964 Free Powerpoint Templates
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3. Growing up • Born on August 9, 1892 in Shiyali (present day
Sirkazhi) Madras, India o Father: Ramamrita Ayyar, Mother:
Seethalakshmi o First child and first grandchild of both maternal and
paternal parents Sitalakshmi (1872 - 1953),Sirkazhi S.R.R.’s mother
Free Powerpoint TemplatesImage source:
http://municipality.tn.gov.in/sirkazhi/
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4. Education • Earned B.A. (1913) and M.A. (1916) degrees in
Mathematics from Madras Christian College • Shared excellent
teacher-student relationships • Lifelong goal: To teach
mathematicsRanganathan as a student, 1913 Free Powerpoint
Templates Madras Christian College, 1895

5. Career Taught at Mathematics faculties at Universities in Mangalore,
Coimbatore and Madras His classes were lively and purposive, earned
the name “born teacher” Had thrilling intellectual experiences with
students & faculties Presidency College, Madras SRR and G.A.
Srinivasan, Madras (1923) Free Powerpoint Templates
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6. Family • Married to Rukmani when he was 15 years old, in 1907 o
Rukmani died in an accident in 1928 • In 1929, he married Sarada o
She was very devoted to S.R.R. o Helped S.R.R. to work ceaselessly
for library profession o Only had one son, Shri. R. Yogeshwar Free
Powerpoint Templates SRR with son, YogeshwarSarada and SRR in
Zurich (summer 1954) (June 1937)
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7. Some interesting facts about S.R.R. • Workaholic, spent hours in the
library; even during his leisure hours • Had a stammering problem
which he gradually overcame during his professional life • Initiated the
first graduate course in Library Science in 1948, in Delhi University
Discussing with Free Powerpoint Gupta, 1949 S. Das Templates

8. Stepping into the librarianship….• Had applied for the post of
University Librarian in the University of Madras (UM) in 1923•
University Management created the post to oversee their poorly
organized collection• They required someone with research
background; SRR’s papers on mathematics met the requirements Free
Powerpoint Templates
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9. Stepping into the library world• Initially reluctant to pursue the
position (as he had forgotten about it when he was called for interview)•
Took charge of the University Library on 4th January 1924Welcome as
First Madras University Librarian (1924) Free Powerpoint Templates
Library Madras University
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10. Role as an University Librarian• Found the solitude of the job
unbearable• Begged the university administration for a teaching
position• A deal with the administration o Travel to London to learn
contemporary Western practices in librarianship. o If he still rejected
librarianship after the trip, he will be offered the mathematics
lectureship o Went to University College London, where his
mathematical knowledge came in handy for classification Free
Powerpoint Templates
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11. Library Education • Left for England in September 1924 for a 9month studies & observation tour • Went to University College London,
where his mathematical knowledge came in handy for classification
School of Librarianship, University Free Powerpoint Templates College
London

12. Library Education • W.C. Berwick Sayers, Chief Librarian of
Croydon Public Library and lecturer in the School of Librarianship,
University College London • Inducted S.R.R. into the library profession
• Under Sayers’ guidance, S.R.R. visited a large number of libraries •
Libraries  community reading centres • Services rendered to various
strata • Discovered a social mission for library profession and himself
Powerpoint Templates Free W C Berwick Sayers

13. Contributions • Wrote large mass of literature about librarianship;
particularly classification • Was awarded the Padmashri Award by the
Government of India for valuable contributions to library science
Padmashri.Investiture in Delhi, SRR Birth Centenary, 29 October 1957
by August 1992. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Indian Post Office Free
Powerpoint President of India Templates issues postage stamp

14. PublicationsIndian Library, A., & Ranganathan, S. R. (1951). Indian
library directory. Delhi.Kaula, P. N., & Ranganathan, S. R. (1965).
Library science today : Papers contrib. on the 71-st birthday of S. R.
Ranganathan. London: Asia.Library Seminar on Research in the
Social, S., Ranganathan, S. R., & Girja, K. (1960). Socialscience
research and libraries; papers and summary proceedings, Bombay;
New York.Madras Library, A., & Ranganathan, S. R. (1953). Library
legislation. Handbook to theMadras Library Act. Madras &
London.Madras Library, A., & Ranganathan, S. R. (1963). The five laws
of library science. Bombay &London.Parkhi, R. S., & Ranganathan, S.
R. (1964). Decimal classification and Colon classification inperspective
: with a foreword by S. R. Ranganathan. London: Asia Publishing
House.Ranganathan, S. R. (1965). The colon classification, New
Brunswick, N.J.Ranganathan, S. R. (1934). Classified catalogue code.
Madras; London: Madras libraryassociation; E. Goldston. Free
Powerpoint Templates
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15. PublicationsRanganathan, S. R. (1938). Theory of library
catalogue. Madras; London: Madras libraryassociation; E.
Goldston.Ranganathan, S. R. (1942). School and college libraries.
Madras; London: Madras libraryassociation; E. Goldston.Ranganathan,
S. R. (1944a). Library classification: fundamentals & procedure; with
1008graded examples & exercises. Madras; London: Madras library
association; E. Goldston.Ranganathan, S. R. (1944b). Post-war
reconstruction of libraries in India, a scheme. Lahore:Modern Librarian.
Punjab Library Association. Forman Christian College
Library.Ranganathan, S. R. (1945). Elements of library classification :
based on lectures delivered atthe University of Bombay in December
1944. Poona: N.K. Pub. House.Ranganathan, S. R. (1946a). National
library system : a plan for India. Lahore: IndianLibrarian.Ranganathan,
S. R. (1946b). Suggestions for the organization of libraries in India.
[Madras,New York: Indian Branch, Oxford Univ. Press.Ranganathan,
S. R. (1949). Rural adult education. [S.l.]: Blunt. Free Powerpoint
Templates
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16. PublicationsRanganathan, S. R. (1950a). Library catalogue;
fundamentals and procedure. [Madras:Madras Library
Association.Ranganathan, S. R. (1950b). Library development plan :
thirty-year programme for Indiawith draft library bills for the Union and
the constituent states. Delhi: University of Delhi.Ranganathan, S. R.
(1951a). Classification and communication. Delhi: University of
Delhi.Ranganathan, S. R. (1951b). Philosophy of library classification.
Copenhagen; New York: E.Munksgaard; Hafner.Ranganathan, S. R.
(1951c). Public library provision and documentation problems :
papersfor discussion at the ninth All-India Library Conference, Indore,
11-14 May 1951. Delhi;London: Indian Library Association ; G. Blunt &
Sons.Ranganathan, S. R. (1952). Dictionary catalogue code. Madras:
Madras Library Association.Ranganathan, S. R. (1953). Rendering of
South Asian names : a report. S.l.: s.n.].Ranganathan, S. R. (1955).
Heading and canons; comparative study of five catalogue
codes.Madras: S. Viswanathan.Ranganathan, S. R. (1957a). Library
science and the resilience of its laws. London: North-western
Polytechnic, School of Librarianship. Powerpoint Templates Free
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17. PublicationsRanganathan, S. R. (1957b). Prolegomena to library
classification. London: The LibraryAssociation.Ranganathan, S. R.
(1959b). Elements of library classificaton : based on lectures delivered
atthe University of Bombay in December 1944 and in the Schools of
Librarianship in GreatBritain in December 1956. London: Association of
Assistant Librarians.Ranganathan, S. R. (1959c). Library
administration. Bombay: Asia Pub. House.Ranganathan, S. R. (1959d).
Retrospective bibliography of Asian learned periodicals. Paris:Service
photographique, UNESCO.Ranganathan, S. R. (1960). Library manual,
for library authorities, librarians, and honorarylibrary workers. New
York: Asia Pub. House.Ranganathan, S. R. (1961a). Education for
leisure. New York: Asia Pub. House.Ranganathan, S. R. (1961b).
Reference service. London: Asia Pub. House.Ranganathan, S. R.
(1963b). Documentation and its facets : being a symposium of
seventypapers by thirty-two authors. New York: Asia Pub. House. Free
Powerpoint Templates
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18. PublicationsRanganathan, S. R. (1963d). Documentation
periodicals: coverage, arrangement, scatter,seepage, compilation.
Bangalore: Documentation Research and Training
Centre.Ranganathan, S. R. (1963f). Library week souvenir. Bangalore:
Mysore Library AssociationRanganathan, S. R. (1963g). The
organization of libraries. London: Oxford University
Press.Ranganathan, S. R. (1964). Comments on Model Public
Libraries Bill prepared by the CentralMinistry of Education : an
evaluation. Pune: Si. Ra. Satkara Samiti.Ranganathan, S. R. (1966a).
Library development plan with a draft library bill for KeralaState.
Trivandrum: S.G.P., Govt. Press.Ranganathan, S. R. (1966b). Seminar
technique. New Delhi: Indian Adult
EducationAssociation.Ranganathan, S. R. (1967a). A descriptive
account of the colon classification. Bombay; NewYork: Asia Pub.
House. Free Powerpoint Templates
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19. PublicationsRanganathan, S. R. (1967b). Ramanujan : the man
and the mathematician. Bangalore:Sarada Ranganathan Endowment
for Library Science.Ranganathan, S. R. (1968). Free book service for
all. Bombay: Pub. for the Mysore LibraryAssoc. by Asia Pub.
House.Ranganathan, S. R. (1971). Education and library system of the
nation. Bangalore: MysoreLibrary Association.Ranganathan, S. R.
(1972). Difficulties of government documents, James Childs,
GilbertMudge Award (1971). Bangalore: Sarada Ranganathan
Endowment for Library Science.Ranganathan, S. R. (1973).
Documentation: genesis and development. Delhi: Vikas
Pub.House.Ranganathan, S. R. (1988). Library manual : for library
authorities, librarians and libraryworkers. Bangalore; New Delhi:
Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science ;Distributors UBS
Publishers Distributors Ltd.Ranganathan, S. R. (1990). Indian library
manifesto. New Delhi: ABC Pub. House.Ranganathan, S. R., & All
India Library, C. (1953). Depth classification and reference service&
reference material : papers for discussion at the tenth All-India Library
Conference,Hyderabad, 1-4 June 1953, Delhi. Free Powerpoint
Templates
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20. PublicationsRanganathan, S. R., & Bhattacharyya, G. (1970).
Conflict of authorship; corporate body vscorporate body. Bangalore:
Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science.Ranganathan, S.
R., & Bhattacharyya, G. (1974). Cataloguing practice : [by]
S.R.Ranganathan. London: Asia Pub. House.Ranganathan, S. R., &
Conference, I. (1963). Documentation and the spiral of library service:
IASLIC Conference, presidential address, 5, Poona, 1963. Poona?:
s.n.].Ranganathan, S. R., & Dobrowolski, Z. (1964). Classification
research 1957-1963 : Trendreport (India). Copenhagen: Danish Centre
of Documentation.Ranganathan, S. R., Donker Duyvis, F., & Kaula, P.
N. (1965). Library science today :Ranganathan Festschrift. London:
Asia Publ. House.Ranganathan, S. R., & Girja, K. (1960). Social
science research and libraries : papers andsummary proceedings ot
the library seminar on research in the social sciences, New Delhi,2-4
Jan 1959. Bombay: Asia Publishing House. Free Powerpoint
Templates
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21. PublicationsRanganathan, S. R., & Gopinath, M. A. (1966). Library
book selection. Bombay; New York:Asia Publishing
House.Ranganathan, S. R., & Indian Adult Education, A. (1953).
Literature for neo-literates beingreport of the 3rd National Seminar of
the Indian Adult Education Association held at JamaiMillia, Okhla, 20 to
26 December, 1952. Delhi: Atma Ram.Ranganathan, S. R., & Indian
National Scientific Documentation, C. (1954). Annals of libraryscience.
Annals of library science.Ranganathan, S. R., & Kaula, P. N. (1965).
Library science today : papers contributed on the71st birthday of S.R.
Ranganathan, 12 August 1962. Bombay: Asia Publishing
House.Ranganathan, S. R., & Kaula, P. N. (1992). A Librarian looks
back : an autobiography of Dr.S.R. Ranganathan. New Delhi: ABC
Pub. Hosue : Exclusive distributors, UBS
PublishersDistributors.Ranganathan, S. R., Kaula, P. N., & Das Gupta,
A. K. (1965). Ranganathan festschrift. NewYork: Asia Pub.
House.Ranganathan, S. R., & Kumar, G. (1960). Social science
research and libraries. Bombay: AsiaPublishing House. Free
Powerpoint Templates
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22. PublicationsRanganathan, S. R., & Muthukumaraswamy, R. (1961).
Commemoration bibliography of thefirst 1008 books published by the
South India Saiva Siddhanta Works Publishing Society,Tinnevelly,
Limited. Madras: South India Saiva Siddhanta Works Publishing
Society,Tinnevelly, Ltd.Ranganathan, S. R., & National, L. (1993). Dr.
S.R. Ranganathan : a tribute : on the occasionof his centenary
celebrations. Calcutta: National Library.Ranganathan, S. R., Navalani,
K., & Satija, M. P. (1993). Petits petales : a tribute to S.R.Ranganathan.
New Delhi: ABC Pub. House.Ranganathan, S. R., & Neelameghan, A.
(1966). Library service for all. Bangalore: MysoreLibrary
Association.Ranganathan, S. R., & Neelameghan, A. (1975). Physical
bibliography for librarians. NewYork: Asia Pub. House. Free
Powerpoint Templates
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23. PublicationsRanganathan, S. R., Neelameghan, A., & All-India
Seminar on Public Library, S. (1972).Public library system: India, Sri
Lanka, U.K., U.S.A.; comparative library legislation based onthe papers
and proceedings of the All-India Seminar on Public Library System,
Bangalore,28 to 20, April, 1972. Bangalore: Sarada Ranganathan
Endowment for Library Science.Ranganathan, S. R., Neelameghan, A.,
& Gupta, A. K. (1968). Free book service for all; aninternational survey.
Bombay; New York: Published for the Mysore Library Association
byAsia Pub. House.Ranganathan, S. R., & Palmer, B. I. (1972a).
Impact of growth in the universe ofclassification / view through a
bibliography / by Bernard I. Palmer. Copenhagen: DanishCentre for
Documentation.Ranganathan, S. R., & Palmer, B. I. (1972b).
Ranganathan memorial issue. Copenhagen:Danish Centre for
Documentation.Ranganathan, S. R., & Quayyum, Z. (1993). New
horizons for jute. Ahmedabad, India:National Information Centre for
Textile and Allied Subjects.Ranganathan, S. R., & Sivaraman, K. M.
(1951). Library manual. Delhi: Indian LibraryAssociation. Free
Powerpoint Templates
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24. PublicationsRanganathan, S. R., Sivaraman, K. M., & Sundaram,
C. (1940). Reference service andbibliography. With a foreword by Sir
Maurice Linford Gwyer. Madras; London: The Madraslibrary
association; E. Goldston.Ranganathan, S. R., Social Science
Documentation, C., & International Conference onRanganathans, P.
(1985). Dr S.R. Ranganathan : a bibliography. New Delhi: Social
ScienceDocumentation Centre, Indian Council of Social Science
Research.Ranganathan, S. R., & Sundaram, C. (1940). Reference
service and bibliography. Madras;London: The Madras Library
Association ; E. Goldston.Ranganathan, S. R., & Tamil Nadu
Librarians, C. (1969). Library-science-based libraryservice. Madras:
New Century Book House.Ranganathan, S. R., & Unesco. (1950).
Classification, coding and machinery for search.Paris:
UNESCO.Ranganathan, S. R., & Unesco. Field Science Cooperation
Office for South, A. (1953). Unioncatalogue of learned periodical
publications in South Asia. London: Indian
LibraryAssociation.Tirunelveli Tennintiya Caivacittanta Nurpatippuk, K.,
Ranganathan, S. R., &Muthukumaraswamy, R. (1961).
Commemoration bibliography of the first 1008 bookspublished by the
South India Saiva Siddhanta Works Publishing Society, Tinnevelly,
Limited. Free Powerpoint TemplatesTirunelveli.
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25. Notable ContributionsImage source: Image source:http://tower.com
Free Powerpoint Templates http://openlibrary.org
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26. Image source: http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com Free Powerpoint
Templates
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27. Law No. 1 Books are for use Free Powerpoint Templates
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28. Law No. 1: Books are for use• S.R.R. observed that books were
often chained to prevent their removal and that the emphasis was on
storage and preservation rather than use.• He asserted that the
purpose of such activities was to promote the use of them. Without the
use of materials, there is little value in the item.• By emphasizing use,
Ranganathan refocused the attention of the field to access-related
issues, such as the librarys location, loan policies, hours and days of
operation, as well as such mundanities as library furniture and the
quality of staffing. Free Powerpoint Templates
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29. Law No. 2 Every reader his [or her] book Free Powerpoint
Templates
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30. Law No. 2: Every reader his [or her] book• This law suggests that
every member of the community should be able to obtain materials
needed.• Librarians should have excellent first-hand knowledge of the
people to be served.• Collections should meet the special interests of
the community, and libraries should promote and advertise their
services extensively to attract a wide range of users. Free Powerpoint
Templates
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31. Law No. 3 Every book its reader Free Powerpoint Templates
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32. Law No. 3: Every book its reader• Each item in a library has an
individual or individuals who would find that item useful.• Ranganathan
argued that the library could devise many methods to ensure that each
item finds it appropriate reader.• One method involved the basic rules
for access to the collection, most notably the need for open shelving.
Free Powerpoint Templates
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33. Law No. 4 Save the time of the reader Free Powerpoint Templates
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34. Law No. 4: Save the time of the reader• This law is a recognition
that part of the excellence of library service is its ability to meet the
needs of the library user efficiently.• Ranganathan recommended the
use of appropriate business methods to improve library management.•
Centralizing the library collection in one location provided distinct
advantages.• Excellent staff would not only include those who possess
strong reference skills, but also strong technical skills in cataloging,
cross-referencing, ordering, accessioning, and the circulation of
materials Free Powerpoint Templates
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35. Law No. 5 The library is a growing organism Free Powerpoint
Templates
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36. Law No. 5: The library is a growing organism• This law focused
more on the need for internal change than on changes in the
environment itself.• Library organizations must accommodate growth in
staff, the physical collection, and patron use.• Allowing for growth in the
physical building, reading areas, shelving, and in space for the catalog.
Free Powerpoint Templates
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37. Literature about S.R.R. & his five laws Free Powerpoint Templates
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38. Relevance of the Five Laws today Free Powerpoint Templates
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39. Relevance of the Five Laws today• Ranganathan sees the library
as an institution that is active in a constantly changing environment,
and according that, the institute should change and adapt itself with
spirit of time so it can serve best those who need it.• Even in the 1930s,
Ranganathan realized the importance of placing the readers and their
needs at the center, making him ahead of his time.• This understanding
is not new to academic libraries, but although an effort is being made to
satisfy users information needs, there is still more to be done in this
critical field. Free Powerpoint Templates
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40. Relevance of the Five Laws today• In order to do that the academic
library must expand its boundaries and position itself as a significant
player in the new information environment, as an important aid in the
creation and distribution of academic information and knowledge, to
create a reality in which the library is indeed a living, growing
organism.• Innovation and creativity is needed for pro-activism.
Success in such initiative is a road in which the academic library can
turn Ranganathans vision into the evolutionary reality. Free Powerpoint
Templates
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41. References Bates, M. J., & Maack, M. N. (2010). Encyclopedia of
library and information sciences: Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, c2010.
3rd ed. / Marcia J. Bates, editor-in-chief ; Mary Niles Maack, associate
editor. Gorman, M. (1998). The five laws of library science then & now.
[Article]. School Library Journal, 44(7), 20. Kuronen, T., & Pekkarinen,
P. (1999). Ranganathan revisited: a review article. [Feature Article].
supplements to the five laws of library science, 31(1), 45-48.
McMenemy, D. (2007). Ranganathans relevance in the 21st century.
[Article]. Library Review, 56(2), 97-101. doi: Free Powerpoint
Templates 10.1108/00242530710730268
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42. References Ranganathan, S. R. (1988). The five laws of library
science / by S.R. Ranganathan: Bangalore : Sarada Ranganathan
Endowment for Library Science ; New Delhi : Exclusive distributors,
UBS Publishers Distributors, 1988. Ed. 2 reprinted. Satija, M. P. (1987).
Sources of research on Ranganathan bibliographical essay (Vol. 19,
pp. 311-320). Images source: Krishnamurthy, M. Dr. S. R.
Ranganathan : access portal to works by and on him. Retrieved 1st
April, 2012, from http://www.isibang.ac.in/~library/portal/ Free
Powerpoint Templates
Melvil Dewey
Melville Louis Kossuth (Melvil) Dewey (December 10, 1851 – December 26, 1931) was an
American librarian and educator, inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification, and a
founder of the Lake Placid Club.
Melvil Dewey
Born
Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey
December 10, 1851
Adams Center, New York
Died
December 26, 1931 (aged 80)
Lake Placid, Florida
Nationality
American
Other names
Melvil Dewey
Melvil Dui
Education
Amherst College
Occupation
librarian, resort developer, reformer
Known for
Dewey Decimal Classification
Religion
Christianity
Spouse(s)
Annie R. Godfrey (1878)
Emily McKay Beal (1924)
Relatives
Godfrey Dewey (son)
Signature
Joan S. Mitchell, editor in chief of the DDC since 1993, retired from OCLC on 18
January 2013. She is the ninth editor of the DDC since 1876. Under Joan’s
editorship, OCLC published DDC 21 (1996), DDC 22 (2003), and DDC 23 (2011),
plus the corresponding abridged editions and 200 Religion Class publications
accompanying each full edition. In addition, Joan expanded the DDC’s electronic
publications, including Dewey for Windows and WebDewey. Most recently, the
DDC has been released as linked data at Dewey.info. Joan oversaw
development of various mappings and crosswalks to the system, including
mappings from Library of Congress Subject Headings. She oversaw the
translation of various versions of the DDC into 18 languages. She started the
annual Dewey Translators Meetings held in conjunction with the World Library
and Information Conference (IFLA), and those meetings became the
International Dewey Users Meetings at IFLA. Joan has been a tireless advocate
for Dewey and librarianship, and visited 30 countries on six continents on behalf
of Dewey. Under her guidance, input from the worldwide Dewey community
often shaped the proposals and conversation at meetings of the Dewey editorial
team and meetings of the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee
(EPC). While at OCLC, she coauthored two books, wrote 30 scholarly papers for
publication, and gave over 120 presentations in venues around the world. In
2005, the American Library Association awarded her the Melvil Dewey Medal,
which recognizes distinguished service to the profession of librarianship.
Almanacs, yearbooks and handbooks
Almanacs, yearbooks and handbooks are often single volumes which summarize large amounts of
facts about things like people and organizations, current and historical events, countries, statistics,
and popular culture items like sports, entertainment, zip codes. They can frequently provide quick
answers to factual questions, but aren't useful for extensive research. Yearbooks are issued by
encyclopedia companies and provide a quick update to events occurring during that year. Handbooks
usually are focused on a particular subject, while almanacs are broader in scope.
Britannica Book of the Year.
Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1938- . Annual.
Issued every year, this update to Encyclopaedia Britannica has an overview of the year's
important events. Your library may subscribe to E.B. online so that you can get the entire
encyclopedia and its current events coverage on the Web from the library's computers.
Facts on File: World News Digest with Index.
New York: Facts on File, 1940- . Weekly.
Current events are indexed by person's name, place names and subjects. Because it's issued
weekly, you can often find very up-to-date information, whereas yearbooks and almanacs are
only issued annually at most. May also be online on NEXUS or on CD-ROM in your library.
Information Please Almanac: Atlas and Yearbook.
New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1947- . Annual.
Facts, tables of statistics, information about popular culture and events, with detailed table of
contents and index.
McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology.
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1962- . Annual.
Subject-based yearbook of current events in science and technology.
The Oxford Companion to American Literature.
James D. Hart. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983. 896 p.
This handbook serves as a comprehensive guide to American literature, including historical
aspects, writers' biographies, awards, societies and trends.
The Statesman's Year Book.
Edited by John Paxton. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1864- . Annual.
A section on international organizations, then a listing for individual countries containing
statistical information and facts about political and economic aspects of the country (like
welfare and education systems, financial institutions, diplomatic missions and so on).
The World Almanac and Book of Facts.
New York: Funk & Wagnalls, World Almanac, 1868-1976, 1886- . Annual.
Similar to Information Please Almanac but presented in a more formal style - facts, tables of
statistics, information about popular culture and events, with detailed table of contents and
index. May also be on CD-ROM in your library.
Biographical sources
Reference sources with biographical information may provide a brief summary of data about a person,
fairly detailed information about a person, or references (citations) to other short or full-length
biographies written about the person. Brief summaries are usually found in biographical dictionaries,
while other biographical sources and some encyclopedias may have more detailed information. Some
cover living people and some dead people, a few cover both.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index.
2d ed. Detroit: Gale, 1980- . Annual. [Also on CD-ROM]
There are no actual biographies here but citations telling where to find biographies, whether
short summaries or full-length books.
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography.
12 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1973.
Specifically designed to meet the needs of high school and college students by choosing to
cover people who are frequently featured in the curriculum. Features people who are living as
well as dead, and the biographical information is quite detailed. Study guides in the last
volume identify important people who were associated with particular historical events or
issues.
Webster's New Biographical Dictionary.
Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1988. 1130 p.
Summarized biographies of important people of the past, source for quick facts.
Who's Who.
London: Adam and Charles Black, 1894- . Annual.
International version with brief biographical information for living people.
Who's Who in America.
Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1899/1900- . Annual.
One of many "Who's Who" and "Who Was Who" sources offered by several different
publishing houses. Some focus on ethnic groups, some on historical figures, some on groups
such as artists or politicians. Check your library to see which sources are available.
Dictionaries
Standard dictionaries give an alphabetical list of words and their definitions, but there are several
useful variations also classified as dictionaries. Thesauri contain synonyms and antonyms (opposites)
but usually don't define the words. Dialect and slang dictionaries present words and definitions not
necessarily found in standard dictionaries. There are also dictionaries of abbreviations and acronyms
and dictionaries of quotations. We haven't listed specific examples here, because you'll probably just
want to browse your library's collection. These general dictionaries are usually shelved near each
other in the reference room. There are also quite a few dictionaries available in CD-ROM and on the
Web.
Encyclopedias
Encyclopedias traditionally provide comprehensive coverage of an entire area of knowledge. There
are general encyclopedias and subject encyclopedias, and they differ as to the level of detail provided
and the complexity of the writing. Encyclopedias are good for fact-finding, getting general background
information about a subject or starting a research project. The many CD-ROM encyclopedias contain
much of the same information as the print volumes, as well as being searchable and giving you the
ability to print out text and pictures. The CD-ROM versions and the many subject-based
encyclopedias are not separately listed here—check with your library's reference department to see
what they have available.
Academic American Encyclopedia.
21 vols. Danbury, Conn.: Grolier, 1998.
Presents fairly brief articles on specific topics, with a clear, concise writing style. More factual
information than broad overviews of large subject areas.
Collier's Encyclopedia.
24 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1997.
One of the "big three" adult encyclopedias typically found in public and academic libraries.
Scholarly and comprehensive coverage.
Encyclopedia Americana.
International ed. 30 vols. Danbury, Conn.: Grolier, 2002.
Another of the "big three" mixes shorter articles with long articles broad in scope. In length
and scholarship, compares toBritannica.
New Encyclopaedia Britannica.
15th ed. 32 vols. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2002.
Considered by many to be the premier English-language general encyclopedia. The writing is
scholarly and therefore sometimes difficult to understand in a subject area with which you're
unfamiliar. Articles in the Micropaedia are short and fact-filled, while theMacropaedia has long
articles surveying broad aspects of a topic. Very extensive list of bibliographic references at
the end of each article so you can find additional information.
World Book Encyclopedia.
22 vols. Chicago: World Book, 2002.
Aimed at students, this is very widely used in both public and school libraries. Coverage is
provided for all subjects in the U.S. school curriculum, and articles have lots of crossreferences to other articles within the encyclopedia and to outside sources. Study guides help
to organize research on various topics. This is an excellent place to start when you're totally
unfamiliar with a subject area.
Indexes and abstracts
Indexes and abstracts supplement the library catalog as described by Bopp and Smith (1995):
Users may come into a library, consult the main catalog, and falsely assume they have searched the
entire contents of the library. The catalog may confirm the holdings of a periodical [magazine or
journal] but not its contents; a poetry collection but not individual poems; the title of an author's
collected works but not the individual work; newspapers but not individual news stories. Indexes and
abstracts are created and become extremely useful tools to more fully reveal detailed resources not
covered in the more general catalog.
For most research papers at the college level, you'll want to look for scholarly journal articles about
your chosen topic. Indexes are the tools you'll use for this purpose, and if you're lucky, your library will
have some indexes either loaded in the online library catalog or available on CD-ROM. Searching
indexes is different than searching the library catalog, however, because indexes don't use the same
subject classifications as the library catalog. Some indexes provide books of "descriptors" to help you
search for key words and key concepts by which the items have been indexed.
Be aware that indexes will contain items not held at your library, because they are prepared by
commercial companies that index a particular group of periodicals or works regardless of where they
may be held. A periodical index is most useful if it contains abstracts—brief summaries of the articles.
Abstracts make it easier to tell if the article is relevant to the subject of your research.
Other reference tools
Statistics and Government documents
Government documents are available free of copyright and certain publishers compile and index them
for use by libraries and other researchers. The volume of documents produced every day by the U.S.
government is almost beyond imagining, and the system of numbering documents is unique and
unlike the rest of the library's classification system. In addition to laws, regulations and agency
documents, the government produces a lot of statistics for public release.
Many academic and public libraries have a lot of government documents and statistics and the
various indexing tools you need to be able to locate and retrieve them. A lot of these are available on
CD-ROM or in online databases within the library. Quite of bit of this information is being made
available on the Web as well. Finding both government documents and statistical information can be
a real challenge. A trip to the reference desk is probably the quickest way to zero in on what you
need.
Geographic information
Atlases and maps are the main sources of geographical information in libraries, though many
encyclopedias and dictionaries have maps which may be sufficient for your purpose. There are
different kinds of specialized atlases much as there are different kinds of dictionaries. Some atlases
contain statistics such as population, economic factors, weather, and other facts. There are historical
or thematic atlases which show the world at certain dates or during certain events, such as wars.
Bibliographies
Bibliographies are lists of works—books or shorter works—which help identify sources where
information can be found. You might want to find additional works by a certain author or works on a
certain subject. There are hundreds of different kinds of bibliographies compiled for different
purposes, and your reference librarian can let you know which ones might be useful in the topic area
of your research. Remember that a bibliography will tell you a work exists, but it may not be held by
your library. If you find an interesting item in a bibliography, consult your library's catalog to see if it's
available in the collection.