REFERENCE SOURCES AND SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
Meghan Harper
INTRODUCTION
Most public libraries provide specific physical and virtual spaces for collections of reference
resources and design and implement reference services to meet the informational needs of their
younger patrons. The reference librarian’s skills and knowledge of developmental levels of
children and an awareness of characteristics of children are at the heart of efficiently and
effectively serving these future supporters and advocates of libraries. Reference librarians must
be concerned with what types of resources are provided and how these resources are made
accessible and are ultimately used by the library’s youngest patrons. The development of policies
and procedures that guide the compilation of resources and facilitate the acquisition and
accessibility of both print and virtual resources should be based on a sound foundation of
understanding of best practices for serving children in libraries. The provision of resources and
services to youth has not been diminished by technological innovation—rather the importance of
providing high quality resources and instruction in accessing and evaluating authoritative
informational resources has increased. The availability of all kinds of information in a variety of
formats can result in “information overload” or worse complacency: a settling for the
information that is readily accessed, but not necessarily authoritative or designed to meet the
specific developmental needs of the child (Brandel, 2008). Connecting children with high quality
resources is not a new concern, no matter the format of information from traditional print to the
latest electronic format; early librarians to the present have been concerned with the provision
and accessibility of information. Traditionally, librarians have played a key role in the process of
This chapter, adapted from Reference Sources and Services for Youth, by Meghan Harper (New York: NealSchuman, 2011), is the original, uncut version of the chapter by the same title appearing in Reference and
Information Services: An Introduction, Third Edition, by Kay Ann Cassell and Uma Hiremath (Chicago: American
Library Association, 2013).
Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
information acquisition and use. Today, librarians can and do play a role that enriches the child’s
acquisition and subsequent use of information. Now more than ever, children of all ages
continually need to be provided guidance in becoming savvy consumers and creators of
information.
Reference librarians can draw upon the rich history of providing services to children in
libraries. The forward thinking of early librarians dedicated to serving children has led to the
development of standards and guidelines for providing services to youth in addition to the
provision of exceptional resources geared for children by providers of informational resources in
libraries. Librarians have tirelessly advocated for children to have access to high quality
information and unimpeded access to these resources in school and public libraries. Thus, today,
librarians and youth have a wealth of informational resources to choose from, in and out of the
physical space. The reference librarian’s role as a guide, mediator and teacher of information
literacy skills is more critical than ever.
HISTORY AND OVERVIEW OF REFERENCE SERVICES FOR YOUTH IN AMERICA
American public libraries were not open to children for much of the 19th century, yet the history
of youth reference services begins in the earliest 1800s with a cadre of concerned individuals
developing specialized collections. The mid-1800s saw intermittent funding to begin the
development of official school libraries, but more importantly, the groundwork was laid for the
legislation, formal agreements, and policy development standards that act as the foundation for
youth reference services that exist today. Specialized training for librarians in children’s services
began by the late 1860s and the close of the century saw the establishment of the first children’s
librarian positions. By the early 20th century public libraries had separate physical spaces and
separate collections for children, and collaboration between teachers and librarians began in
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
areas of service, collection development, and literacy. Standards of service developed throughout
the 1900s reflect the emphasis on collaboration among public and school libraries in the
provision of both materials and guidance in use of informational texts. Early collaborative efforts
included the sharing of book collections, presentations by public librarians to school children on
public library resources, organized school visits to the public library and assignment alerts given
to the public library by teachers (Rees, 1924).
The launch of Sputnik in 1957 by the Soviet Union spurred the belief that American
schools must be falling behind those of other nations if American was not first in the space race.
The late 1900s thus saw increasing government support for enhancing school libraries with
nonfiction materials and an emphasis on providing access to informational texts. The most
significant factor affecting reference services provided to youth in the twenty-first century has
been the development of the World Wide Web. The Web and other technological innovations
have nearly eliminated the constraints of physical space and time on librarians’ ability to provide
reference services. Currently, youth reference services in both school and public libraries are
generally focused on supporting the public school’s curriculum and improving academic
achievement of youth.
TYPES OF REFERENCE SERVICE TRANSACTIONS FOR YOUTH IN LIBRARIES
Reference resources and services in public libraries geared for children under five typically focus
on the needs of parents or caregivers who are caretaking the library’s youngest patrons. These
resources are typically characterized by reference resources on building preliteracy awareness
and preparing children for preschool or kindergarten programs. Librarians can anticipate serving
these youngest patrons as they pursue personal interests or support independent investigations
stimulated by exposure to topical units in childcare environments.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Reference librarians can expect the most common types of reference transactions with
youth in grades K–12 will be ready reference, homework help, or research questions that are
typically a result of school coursework or class projects. Reader’s advisory, or recommendations
for reading material to meet either a class assignment or for personal interests is also an indemand service. Librarians can prepare to answer ready reference questions by providing a set of
resources that address commonly asked questions. Such resources might include informational
handouts, directories of community resources or a topical list of websites.
Youth reference librarians will likely be asked many directional-type questions, i.e.,
“Where is this . . . ?” and “How can I find . . . ?” These questions may get tedious at times when
the 12th child has asked you the same question, however, librarians should be cautioned these
types of questions can lead to instructional opportunities to explain how the library is organized,
or greater rapport being developed between the child and librarian. Moreover, some seemingly
basic questions may lead to more in-depth reference transactions.
Research transactions generally require the librarian to employ multiple open-ended or
clarification questions to determine the breadth and depth of requested information. The librarian
may need to share a variety of resources, provide instruction for use and tips for finding and
evaluating the requested information. These types of reference transactions often provide the
librarian a multitude of “teachable moments” for the purpose of introducing or reinforcing
information literacy skill acquisition. While directional questions are not considered reference
transactions, and may even seem inconsequential, it is important that librarians realize these
simple questions offer an opportunity to establish a child’s perception of the librarian as
approachable and helpful. Such a positive perception may influence future reference seeking
behaviors.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Reader’s advisory interactions require the librarian to be knowledgeable of current
literature, the library’s collection and of developmental levels of children to determine the type,
format and content of a resource to connect the child with reading material that will interest
them.
Providing reference services to youth is not limited to communication exchanged during
reference transactions occurring between librarian and youth. As noted in the RUSA guidelines,
a reference transaction is:
an information contact that involves the knowledge, use, recommendations, interpretation, or instruction in
the use of one or more information sources by a member of the library staff. The term includes information
and referral service. Information sources include (a) printed and non-printed material; (b) machine-readable
databases (including computer-assisted instruction); (c) the library's own catalogs and other holdings
records; (d) other libraries and institutions through communication or referral; and (e) persons both inside
and outside the library.
And likewise:
“Reference Work” encompasses reference transactions and other activities that involve the creation,
management, and assessment of information or research resources, tools, and services… [Including]

Creation and management of information resources includes the development and
maintenance of research collections, research guides, catalogs, databases, web sites, search
engines, etc., that patrons can use independently, in-house or remotely, to satisfy their
information needs.

Assessment activities include the measurement and evaluation of reference work, resources,
and services.
These descriptions provide direction as well as an expanded view of the activities that comprise
reference service in libraries. Some ways that librarians provide reference services to extend their
contact and provide independent assistance for students to complete homework assignments or
conduct independent research is to provide a homework center, pathfinders for common
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
instructional units (i.e. science fair topics, career exploration, or teen hot topics such as anorexia,
alcohol abuse), establish an assignment alert process for teachers or virtual homework-help page
on the library’s webpage.
HOMEWORK CENTERS
Research suggests homework centers have a positive influence on overall academic achievement
(Mediavilla, 2001). Homework centers in school and public libraries may look very different
from one another. Most homework centers are developed based on the needs of the intended
population they are serving. Some homework centers are highly structured involving multiple
personnel, volunteers or programming; while others are characterized as informal collections of
resources that are geared for specific assignments or units in local schools (Jones, 1998).
Homework centers may provide specific programming such as academic tutoring or
literacy instruction, in addition to specialized collections (including web resources), and
instructional aids, all housed in one easily accessed location that encourage independent use by
youth. Homework centers are typically a win-win program for the library and for the youth
involved. Homework centers highlight the resources offered by the library and showcase
collaborative efforts of the community and library. Cuyahoga County Public Library System in
Ohio provides homework centers in several of its branch libraries and is a collaborative effort
involving community partners (e.g., see
http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/HomeworkCenters.aspx).
Collaboration among all the agencies that serve children ages K–12 should be common
practice. Not only does such collaboration make sense from an efficiency standpoint, but it also
tends to improve library reference services visibility and quality. Collaboration among
community partners enables libraries to eliminate duplications in services and resources.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Collaborative efforts of community partners or libraries provides opportunities for cooperative
purchasing of reference databases and enables libraries to have greater negotiation power for
purchasing. Tapping into existing collaborative purchasing contracts for reference databases also
eliminates the need for valuable time and energy spent on establishing technical support
relationships and procuring requests for proposals and bidding. Librarians providing reference
services should consider collaborating with community partners, including other libraries, for
training in new web technologies, joint programming, grant writing, support and maintenance of
new technologies, or addressing the specific informational needs of underserved populations.
Librarians interested in developing a homework center in their library but unsure of
where to begin can access a wide variety of examples of homework centers, sample policies and
helpful guidelines for getting started from the homework center pathfinder appearing on page 8.
During some reference transactions that involve homework assignments, librarians will
be faced with a difficult dilemma when asked to provide homework assistance that involves
providing answers to homework questions. Librarians can be reassured that although they may
be asked to provide an answer, the limit of their ethical and professional responsibility is to
provide resources that will enable the youth to complete the homework assignment
independently. In fact, many libraries include a “homework disclaimer” in the library’s reference
policy that prescribes expectations for librarians and describes the services provided in the
library for patrons. For example the St. Louis Public Library describes the role of the homework
helpers available in the library in their reference policy:
Homework Helpers assist elementary, middle, and high school students with a variety of school
assignments. They can help students understand assignments given by teachers. However, interpretation of
the teacher’s instructions, and completion of assignments, is the responsibility of the student.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
The Shellsburg Public Library in Shellsburg, Iowa includes this statement about
homework:
Homework: Because homework assignments are usually made for the purpose of teaching students the
process of finding information, the library’s primary role is the instruction in the use of library tools rather
than the provision of the “answers.”
PROVIDING REFERENCE SERVICES AS A DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE
Reference librarians can look to the principles of developmentally appropriate practice and
developmental assets to provide a solid conceptual foundation guiding provision of sources and
services, quality of interaction, and continuing professional development provided to librarians
developing and providing services to youth. Generally, ongoing professional development is
needed for those working with youth in libraries in order for librarians to keep up to date with
hot topics, technologies and concerns of youth. Most preservice education that librarians have
been exposed to has been limited to a child development or a general psychology elective. Thus,
most librarians benefit from occasional updates or a refresher on learning characteristics of
children. The application of this knowledge to serving children in libraries is critical to the
development of effective reference services and the selection and provision of developmentally
appropriate resources.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
The term developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is used in educational settings serving
young children ages 0–8. Libraries, per se, are not included in the description of child care
environments described by the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s
position statement, which outlines the principles of developmentally appropriate practice.
However, the concepts of providing learning environments that are child-centered and most
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
appropriate for the age and developmental level of the child can be applied globally. DAP
principles encompass the physical space as well as the range of experiences that are provided for
youth in educational settings.
Developmentally appropriate practice promotes the philosophy that learning will be
more meaningful to a child if the instructional practices and environment have been constructed
around the age of the child and therefore specific developmental needs of the child. DAP focuses
specifically on “age appropriateness, individual appropriateness and appropriateness for the
cultural and social context of the child.” The spirit of DAP principles can provide a solid
foundation for providing reference services for children pre-K to grade 12. DAP principles can
be adapted to the library setting in the following ways:

Select age appropriate resources when developing a reference collection (physically
and virtually), i.e. those that have additional features such indices, maps, photos, etc.
to facilitate children’s use of information

Organize resources both physically and virtually using easy to understand
organizational schemes with visual clues such as color coding, and alphabetical,
numerical or topical categories.

Librarians may offer each child a choice of material and/or format to meet children’s
individual learning needs. I.e. children with limited reading abilities may benefit from
audio resources as children often can understand what they hear even though they
cannot read the text.

In our technologically infused age, librarians should be particularly aware of the
cultural and social context of the child seeking their assistance in terms of the format
of available resources. Some children may lack access to a computer at home, lack
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
peripherals (printers, Internet), have insufficient hardware or lack a particular
software program necessary to access certain resources.
A key principle of developmentally appropriate practice is that children learn and grow
through a predictable sequence of development, though the progression through these stages may
vary by individual child. Librarians should keep in mind that children of any age can exhibit
behavior that is more characteristic of chronologically younger or older children within a year or
two age range. Understanding the sequence of growth and development will assist librarians with
providing reference resources and services in a manner that is most helpful for the development
of the whole child. Furthermore, knowledge of developmental stages of children can positively
influence a librarian’s ability to communicate with children in particularly constructive ways.
The following sections present a general overview of age and grade ranges and specific
considerations for the librarian working with youth in the library.
Ages 5–7/Grades K–1
Children at this age are generally learning how to read and understand print conventions. This
concept, while sounding exceptionally basic, is a major factor in how children engage with the
written word whether in print or online resources. Conventions of print refers to the
understanding that when the English language is written down, it is transcribed in a standard,
uniform manner so that words and ideas communicated through writing are consistently and
easily understood by all readers. These conventions include:

Directionality: English is written and read from left to right and from top to bottom.

Punctuation: These symbols communicate meaning and expression to readers.

Space: Writers use space to separate ideas, indicate when readers should pause for
thought, and to separate words so that they are easily read.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults

Case: Letters come in two forms, uppercase and lower case. Case can provide
additional meaning to readers about the beginning of new ideas and indicates to the
reader whether a noun is describing a specific person, place, or thing.

Grammar: Written language subscribes to the rules affecting the form words can take
including verb tense, plurals, possessives, and modifiers like adverbs and adjectives.

Usage: Writers understand how incomplete sentences, run-on sentences, and
improper use of pronouns can impede effective communication of ideas.

Spelling: Words are spelled according to convention so they are easily read by others
to facilitate effective communication (Literacy Builders, 2012).
Children’s ability to understand these conventions can directly affect their ability to find,
evaluate, and use the library’s resources both physically and virtually. Librarians can employ the
following strategies when sharing information with children of this age:

Point to individual words in a title, on a page, or on a computer screen while reading
aloud.

Connect information to prior experiences or knowledge the child may have.

Be alert to vocabulary or word confusion. Inaccurate use of words is common.

Make connections for the child explicit between visual cues, icons, and signs with
associated types or formats of information in the library or on the library website.
Ages 7–9/Grades 2–3
At this age, a child’s speaking and listening vocabularies expand in addition to reading
proficiency. Children begin to express an interest in a variety of literature and will begin to
initiate reading as a means to gather information. Librarians can anticipate that reader’s advisory
questions may increase in addition to basic topical research questions for class assignments (i.e.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
requests for information on trees, animals, etc.). Librarians should also understand that while
children may begin to understand that information is organized and will be able to identify and
navigate information organized by common organizational schemes such as color coding,
alphabetical or numerical organization, use of additional features such as an index, table of
contents or map legend will likely need to be explained and role modeled during a reference
transaction. Librarians should give opportunities for children at this age to observe and actively
participate in seeking information in order for children to “practice” newly introduced
information literacy skills. Librarians should offer verbal encouragement and follow up with the
child to ensure children have a positive experience with both seeking assistance at the library and
using library resources.
Ages 9–11/Grades 4–5
Youth at this age are able to reason, think more abstractly and seek opportunities to engage in
independent investigations. Reference librarians can expect that children will be able to read
independently for knowledge and understand concepts without directly experiencing them.
Librarians can expect that children will have more in-depth research questions in addition to selfinitiated explorations of information. Interest and participation in library-sponsored clubs and
activities will increase. Thus the provision of homework centers, study tables, and information
on hobbies to aid independent exploration or subject-specific reference resources will generally
be well-received. A significant development is the ability to understand the concept of time.
Prior to this age, children have limited understanding of time which may present difficulties with
planning assignment completion. Librarians can assist youth with organizing and planning
completion by helping children identify specific tasks and steps to completing research.
Ages 11–13/Grades 6–7
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
The preteen or “tween” age is dominated by physical growth. Growth spurts rival that of infancy
(Ohio Department of Education, 2010). Tweens become increasingly interested in acceptance by
their peers and begin to question their self-identity. Reference service to tweens includes more
in-depth research questions and may require a variety of differing informational formats and
resources. Although use of mobile devices has increased by children of all ages, including
toddlers, tweens are more apt to have exclusive use and ownership of mobile technologies as
well as have independent purchasing power. Reference librarians can anticipate an increase in
youth requesting and exploring information related to personal interests, hobbies, and sensitive
topics on their own growth and development.
Ages 13–18/Grades 8–12
Young adults generally prefer other young adults and look to their peers for approval and
guidance. At this age, young adults may become involved in extracurricular activities, volunteer
activities or part-time work. Teens tend to be preoccupied with defining their sense of self;
therefore it is likely that teens will appear to be somewhat self-centered and self-absorbed.
Similarly, teens may question authority, viewpoints or their identity; this behavior may also be
coupled with ineffective communication patterns such as mumbling. Teens may appear rude by
being overly overt, direct or abrupt in an attempt to shock the librarian (Jones, 1998).
Independent completion of school assignments is more common with little to no parental
involvement. Likewise, teens may begin seeking information independently as they think about
their future, life after high school, careers and pursuing personal interests and hobbies. Research
questions may require multiple and varied resources and formats. Assignments may require
exploration of viewpoints or perspectives. Librarians can ensure effective communication by
appearing flexible, approachable and respectful while setting firm guidelines and expectations
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
for behavior. Generally, informational handouts, pathfinders and guidance in using reference
resources for future independent use to locate personal interest information are well-received.
Overall, general recommendations for adults working with children is to maintain a good
sense of humor, flexibility and overall commitment to providing children with the best
authoritative resource while honing their information literacy skills that will aid them as they
mature into library-loving adults.
The following chart provides additional information on developmental levels of children
ages 5–18 and offers suggestions for librarians providing reference resources and services.
DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN
Social and Emotional Development
Ages 3–5
 Can cooperate
 Experiences and copes with
feelings; emotions appear to be
all or nothing
 Symbolic representation of self
begins
 Self-centered egocentric
Intellectual Development
Ideas for Librarians


Cannot sequence
Understands some abstract
concepts
Cannot tell “how many times”
Understands family relations
Can tell a story with a length of
4 to 5 words
Cannot separate fantasy from
reality

Understands that print “tells” a
story
Increased problem-solving
ability
Begins to organize information
to remember
Can begin to understand time
and the days of the week
Develops a basic vocabulary
Asserts personal choice in
decision-making





Ages 5–7
 Being friends becomes
increasingly important, although
feelings of independence
continue to develop
 Begins seeing things from
another child’s point of view, but
still very self-centered
 Finds criticism or failure difficult
to handle and may seem very
hard on themselves
 Views things as black and white,
right or wrong, with very little
middle ground
 Begin to understand
consequences of their behavior
 May become upset when
behavior or schoolwork is
ignored














Provide activities with simple
concepts
Point to text when speaking
Add audio to written
directions
Help children explore their
world
Invite community helpers to
the library
Provide plenty of failure free
activity choices
Provide open-ended activities
Role model activities
Provide opportunities for
practice
Offer limited choices
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Ages 7–9
 Develops abilities to behave
appropriately and gets along with
others
 Begins to understand
consequences of own and others’
behavior
 Eagerly will take on tasks and
activities likely to be successful,
but avoids risks
 Judges success or failure based
on adult responses
Ages 9–11
 Enjoys being a member of a
group
 May belittle or defy adult
authority











Develops abilities of thinking
and speaking
Master reading skills and use
math in more abstract ways
Reading may become a major
interest and start reading for a
variety of purposes
Deepens understanding of cause
and affect
Increases ownership in decision
making


Interested in reading fictional
stories, magazines, and how-toprojects books
Develops special interest in
collections or hobbies
May be very interested in
discussing a future career
Fantasizes and daydreams about
the future
Capable of understanding
concepts without having direct
hands-on experience
Ability to manipulate thoughts
and ideas, but still need handson experiences









Ages 11–13
 Develops the ability to work
cooperatively, and can see the
worth of other’s viewpoints
 Becomes committed to their
beliefs and personal views of the
world
 Starts to question adult authority
 Defines self in terms of pinions,
beliefs, values and expand sense
of self by attempting to copy the
culture
 Sensitive to criticism and
displays feelings of success or
failure








Does some abstract reasoning
Continues to broaden knowledge
Uses language to clarify thinking
and learning, often likes jokes
and worlds with double
meanings
Reads for an increasing variety
of purposes
Chooses from a wide range of
reading materials
Increasingly able to read
critically and to detect
inconsistencies in argument
Ability to persist with longer and
more complex text
Starts plans for the future and
career aspirations






Tell stories with lots of details
Work on projects and make
things
Provide failure free activities
Allow students to take
ownership
Offer multiple choices
Provide opportunities to teach
others
Provide opportunities to help
out with real skills used in the
library
Provide time and space for an
older children to be alone.
Time to read, daydream, or do
school work uninterrupted
Encourage participating in
groups to encourage skill
developments
Provide opportunities for older
children to play games of
strategy (checkers, chess, and
monopoly)
Provide a wide selection of
reading materials
Wide variety of informational
services
Use humor with activities to
keep interest
Offer varying levels of text
complexity
Provide future and career
materials
Offer multiple presentation
choices
Offer opportunities to provide
input in decision-making
Ages 14–18
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults

Uncertain about making good
decisions and depends on their
parents to help
Takes on more responsibilities
including work and
extracurricular activities
Needs time alone and with others
Is not willing to ask for help
Can be very abrupt or have
garbled speech

Thinks more abstractly and
understands more complex
issues
Plans for the future
Wants information in one or two
sources

Provide opportunities for
dialog
 Very important for teens to


talk and be listened to

 Be sure to follow up and check
back with teen library users

 Library staff needs to reduce

frustration whenever possible

 Solicit opinions
 Involve in decision making
 Offer multiple accessibility
options
Source: Compiled from Diana S. DelCampo, Understanding Teens ([Las Cruces, NM]: Cooperative Extension
Service, College of Agriculture and Home Economics, New Mexico State University, 2000); Angela Huebner,
“Adolescent Growth and Development” (2000), available at http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/family/350-850/350850.html; “Your Child’s Development: The High School Years,” available at
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1530&ContentI
D=37066&Content=37139.
Developmental Assets
The 40 Developmental Assets identified by the Search Institute are positive factors that
contribute to children and teens’ healthy and successful development (see http://www.searchinstitute.org/developmental-assets). The forty identified assets fall into eight categories: support,
empowerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive use of time, commitment to learning,
positive values, social competencies and positive identity. The first four categories are external
assets (support factors in the child’s environment). The second four categories are internal assets
(values the child may internalize). Developmental assets need to be present in homes, families,
communities and schools. The Search Institute developed asset lists for children ages 3–18 that
can be viewed online or downloaded in English or Spanish at http://www.searchinstitute.org/developmental-assets/lists. Since youth library services should, at their heart, aspire
to having a positive impact on young patrons, an understanding of these assets and the process of
asset building, should inform both the development and implementation of these services.
Librarians providing reference services can help fulfill both external and internal assets on a
daily basis by engaging in some of these types of activities:
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults

Model the ethical use of information.

Exhibit respect for others.

Exhibit positive communication interactions with other students, coworkers and
adults.

Provide opportunities for children to share opinions or demonstrate their knowledge.

Seek feedback and opinions on homework help, resources, or instruction.
Librarians providing reference services to youth of all ages have unparalleled
opportunities to interact with youth in person and virtually, in ways that will ensure a safe
physical, intellectual, and emotional environment.
PROVIDING REFERENCE SERVICES TO YOUTH WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Librarians benefit from understanding legislation and professional organization policies that
address the provision of services to disabled patrons. The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) identifies fourteen categories of disabilities (NICHCY, 2008). Librarians should be
familiar with these disabilities in order to identify accommodations and/or assistive technologies
that will improve the provision of reference services and sources. Providing reference services to
special-needs children may be complicated by access and/or communication difficulties or a
feeling of stigmatization stemming from the use of assistive technology or a different format of
relevant reference resources. Librarians may minimize some of these difficulties by adopting a
few simple strategies:

Librarians can and should make use of assistive technologies and a variety of
reference formats for all reference services for all children. Many assistive
technologies are helpful for all children.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults

To better serve children with physical disabilities, the librarian should ensure that
both the reference desk and the materials are handicapped-accessible. The overall
layout of the library will come into play, as well as having handicapped-accessible
furniture and the appropriate assistive technology such as alternative input devices.

Visual communication may be enhanced by adjusting the print size of signage and/or
incorporating icons.

Library computers may be set up to use text-to-speech, speech-to-text, or screen
magnification software, closed-circuit televisions, tactile graphic systems, optical
character recognition and reading and writing software. Many devices may be
programmed to respond to voice commands.

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
provides a free program loaning recorded Braille books, etc., and playback equipment
to visually or physically impaired residents of the United States. Often libraries can
come to serve as the point of contact between patrons and the NLS (see
http://www.loc.gov/nls/).

Children with hearing and speech impairments may have difficulty communicating
their reference needs. The librarian should deal with these difficulties by engaging the
child in focused conversation, speaking slowly and clearly. If the child has an
interpreter, the librarian should address the child rather than the interpreter. Complex
requests or instructions should be broken into more manageable segments.

As some learning disabilities may not be readily visible, librarians should take the
time to observe all their patrons so they may still make appropriate accommodations
or assist should any difficulties arise.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults

A librarian should always be aware of competing stimuli and should try to limit or
eliminate distracting noise when giving instructions so the child might have less
difficulty focusing. The librarian should engage students by asking questions and by
engaging as many senses as possible in their instructions (colored paper, icons, hands
on exploration etc.).

It’s always best if the child has an opportunity to use resources with guidance prior to
independent use so the librarian might evaluate the appropriateness of the resource or
format for the particular child in question.
Librarians can tap into two online resources to begin learning about assistive technology
to incorporate during reference transactions; Microsoft and Apple give overviews of products
and match disabilities with recommended technology at http://windows.microsoft.com/enus/windows/help/accessibility and http://www.apple.com/accessibility/, respectively. Both sites
also provide suggestions from implementing changes on the desktop to acquiring additional
hardware or software to make technology in the reference area more accessible to youth with
disabilities. Tutorials, training guides and research are also included to provide guidance and
knowledge for librarians. Many Apple mobile devices have built-in accessibility features.
Reference librarians can provide instruction and guidance to enable youth to maximize use of
many of these accessibility features.
COMMUNICATION IN REFERENCE SERVICE
Communication with children when providing reference services requires librarians to exhibit
excellent oral, listening and writing skills. In addition, nonverbal behavior (facial expression,
tone and posture) is also a key factor in communication with children. Librarians should be
aware that children focus more on adult nonverbal behavior than on verbal interaction. Librarians
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
should consciously try to exhibit nonverbal messages that support/complement verbal messages
when working with children. Children may become confused when nonverbal messages do not
match the verbal words they hear, for example, when a librarian says “May I help you?” while
frowning, failing to establish eye contact. Young adults are more likely to describe the librarian
as judgmental or unhelpful. The following table suggests positive nonverbal cues librarians
should consciously employ as well as those to avoid.
Nonverbal Message
Centers
Mouth, lips
Positive Nonverbal
Behaviors
SMILE! Relaxed
Nonverbal Behaviors to
Avoid
Frown, pursed lips
Eyes
Direct, maintain eye contact
Hands
Voice
Shoulders
Stance
Still, open palms
Calm, soft voice
Relaxed
Open, hands at sides
Furrowed brow, raised
eyebrows
Fists, fluttering
Shrill, loud
Hunched
Crossed arms over chest
Librarians can employ the following strategies when interacting with youth whether it is
online, via phone or email, or in person:

First contact with a young patron should be a greeting or salutation.

Introduce yourself as the “authority figure” or librarian and tell them your role in the
information seeking process i.e. “My name is ___. I am here to help.” (Adults often
assume that children can discern the difference between young adults, parents or
librarians. Children may assume the “size” of the person indicates age or position.)

Make eye contact, smile, and wait for the child to respond.

Establish proximity. In-person, sit or kneel beside child.

Eliminate physical barriers and distance by walking around desks or shelving to stand
or sit beside the child.

If demonstrating online searches or sharing online resources be sure the child has a
view of the screen.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults

Allow time for the child to phrase his or her question.

Don’t talk too much or jump to conclusions. This behavior can waste time both for
the librarian and the child, leading to miscommunication and time spent finding
resources that are not useful.

Accompany children to resources in the library; it demonstrates caring and interest
and is more productive than pointing or using nonspecific directional terms such as
“over there”.

Avoid the use of sarcasm and figures of speech. Many children interpret sarcasm as
“mean.”
Librarians working with multiple children can use eye contact, proximity or verbal
acknowledgement of a question to demonstrate attention and interest in a particular child or teen.
Children are more likely to assume a librarian is “too busy” or not interested in providing help
and are more likely to not persist in asking questions whereas teens may assume the librarian is
being judgmental. Youth of all ages may focus more on the emotional message they are
receiving as a result of observing the librarian’s nonverbal behavior. Younger children are more
likely to express their emotions, thus librarians can expect children to exhibit exuberance and
excitement physically by jumping up and down and likewise exhibit frustration by clenching
their fists or stomping their feet. Conversely, teens are likely to exhibit the opposite of what they
are feeling, speaking loudly or offering their opinions when they may feel insecure, unsure, or
embarrassed.
DIGITAL REFERENCE SERVICES
Using online reference resources is a balancing act between providing maximum access to
information while remaining vigilant in regards to the children’s safety. The quality and format
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
of the information is another consideration when looking at any online resource; not only must
the information be accurate and authoritative but it should meet the individual needs of the
particular child in question.
The nearly limitless choice when it comes to online resources is both the greatest
advantage of the Internet and what makes it a particularly difficult realm to navigate. Use of the
Internet provides librarians with an excellent opportunity to positively influence youths’
acquisition of lifelong information literacy skills. The librarian can serve as a mediator between
online information and the child, assisting with access, interpretation and evaluation of various
sources; thus librarians must possess excellent information literacy skills and be able to assess
how to best assist children of all ages.
Digital reference services are online question-and-answer services often provided by
“information specialists” trained to guide individuals to particular resources and specific
knowledge to satisfy information needs. Both information literacy and communication skills
must be honed to the highest degree in order to effectively provide reference services using email
or text messaging as the primary means of communication. Librarians who are new to offering
digital reference service can tap into a wealth of guidance for training and knowledge. IFLA
digital reference guidelines are available online at http://www.ifla.org/VII/s36/pubs/drg03.htm.
This website provides guidelines for offering digital reference with the goal of promoting best
practices in digital reference service on an international basis. The homepage covers the purpose,
history, scope and administration of online reference services. The administration section
provides librarians with an overview of creating a reference policy, planning services, staffing,
training, interface design, legal issues, publicity and promotion, evaluation and collaboration.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Technological skills are an undeniably essential component to successfully accessing
quality reference resources via the Internet. Librarians should be aware of the computer hardware
and software available in their particular settings and how to adapt this available technology to
best serve their patrons. Technological access (or limitations) may impact choices of format,
presentation or communication. As well, a good grasp of technology (hardware, software and
mobile apps) is necessary for librarians tasked with instituting policies that will encourage the
development of information literacy skills and the use of databases and Internet resources while
discouraging inappropriate uses of provided technology.
Librarians should understand similarities and differences in how results are displayed
when using a variety of search engines. Search and met search engines use automated crawlers to
seek out words or phrases, organize them into documents, and gather them into a database.
Metasearch engines are thus named because they search multiple search engines to collocate all
the results in a single display. When using search engines for reference research, it is important
to share how these tools retrieve, and even more importantly, display the results on a page.
Google, for example reports results based on the popularity or relevancy of the link. Since the
placement on the results page is considered by commercial companies to be a means of
increasing revenue, many companies construct their webpages with metatags designed to hook
the crawlers and have their page frequently listed on results pages. Many search engines
themselves are commercial enterprises, so commercials and ads frequently fill the borders of the
search engine pages—a distraction but one most librarians and students must learn to simply
filter out. Librarians could see these ads as an opportunity to discuss media literacy skills with
students.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Some metasearch engines such as Mamma (http://www.mamma.com/) organize their
results page with sponsored links at the top. Metasearch engine Yippy has a clustering function,
organizing results into clusters that reflect narrowed subtopics of a broader term. This search
engine is an excellent choice for assisting students with determining a topic. Metasearch engines
will probably not be the best choice for more complex research queries. General search engine
Excite has an “Are you looking for?” feature that suggests other related topics to your search
term. Librarians can recommend this search engine for students who are researching a related
topic and may be unsure of the search terms.
Yahoo! is technically a general directory with its own database of indexed pages, but it is
often thought of as a search engine due to its sheer size. Yahoo! Kids (http://kids.yahoo.com/) is
geared for younger children and includes homework help.
Most of these search engines would be appropriate for use by upper elementary children
and older. Younger students may have better luck with child-focused search engines such as
Yahoo! Kids, Fact Monster, or KidsClick! directory, all of which have kid-friendly interfaces
and work to limit results and filter out inappropriate sites.
Multimedia search engines are often a first best choice when a multimedia format is
needed. Most search engines provide search options for images. But a multimedia search engine
is the best bet for finding quick multimedia in a variety of formats. AltaVista also provides a
family filter that will stop searches with an alert screen offering the option to continue viewing
images with or without photos that contain adult content. Similarly AlltheWeb provides the
option of allowing or blocking offensive content from the results screen.
Online Searching
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
One of the most important skills librarians can teach children is the difference between search
engines, directories, and databases and their limitations and strengths. Unlike search engines,
directories are compiled by people rather than automated crawlers. Thus the information
compiled and organized has been evaluated as relevant by someone with some standing as an
expert. Most directories are browsable and make use of controlled vocabulary, predetermined by
the subject heading under which all documents about a topic are categorized. KidsClick!
(http://www.kidsclick.org/) is a web directory site designed for kids.
It’s important to remember, that despite providing access to admittedly large numbers of
results, search engines are still only indexing about 14% of what’s available on the web; a lot of
exceptionally high-quality and likely very relevant information resides in databases not
accessible to search engines. This virtual information is often called the “hidden” web and much
of it is found in subscription databases. (Boswell, 2012) Dynamic webpages are also not indexed
by search engines, as they are created in response to a research query (a good example of this
would be a search in a newspaper or magazine website).
“Web 2.0” is a term that refers to a trend rather than specific technologies, though it does
incorporate specific technologies. Web 2.0 refers to changes in how the Internet is being used
and the technologies emerging that stimulate creativity, collaboration and information sharing
online. Web 2.0 technologies are increasingly used in reference services, just as they are
increasingly being incorporated into public school curriculum in the form of blogs, podcasts,
videocasts, wikis and more (Wikipedia, 2012).
When using the Web for reference services, instruction of information literacy skills
should be embedded throughout the process, breaking down the information seeking process into
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progressive stages. Librarians can model location and evaluation strategies while demonstrating
accessibility features of specific online resources.
One effective way librarians can hone their own online search skills (so they can transfer
these skills to students) is to become familiar with the search features and advanced search
options of a select number of search engines and directories, rather than trying to master them
all. Librarians and children benefit from learning the methods of Boolean searching, nesting,
proximity searching, and using quotations and/or a wildcard symbol in searching. A professional
resource for librarians is the Search Engine Watch website (http://searchenginewatch.com/),
which provides an overview of the latest news regarding search engines and helpful tips for
maximizing web searching. The Web Searching Tips section offers guidance for updating
searching skills and for using search engines efficiently and effectively.
Creating a Venn diagram is an excellent way to graphically depict how Boolean operators
work, when hoping to impart this literacy skill to children. For more information on Boolean
searching and examples of Venn diagrams, check out these sites:

“Boolean Logic,” from the Ithaca College Library, at
http://www.ithacalibrary.com/sp/subjects/boolean

“Venn Diagram Boolean Operators,” from Google Search, at
https://www.google.com/search?q=Venn+diagram+boolean+operators&hl=en&client
=firefox-a&hs=Lqk&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=NdXUPyPE7TU0gGAr4GoDA&ved=0CCYQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=1052
Teaching students search skills is one step in a much greater information literacy journey.
The real challenge comes in teaching students how to evaluate websites, endowing them with the
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
necessary information literacy skills to effectively discern the best results from among the
plethora they’ll receive from any search engine. Teaching students how to read a web page’s
URL to determine who is sponsoring the site is a universally relevant information literacy skill.
The traditional maxim that .edu, .gov and .org sites are the most accurate and unbiased has a
rational basis, but librarians should be aware that some of these sites have an agenda or bias and
.com and .net sites, though they are likely marketing a product, may provide accurate
information. The SAS (Source, Accessibility and Scope) principle outlines webpage evaluation.
The SAS principle teaches children that in-depth evaluation of a website begins by questioning
the Source of information: What is the purpose of the site? When was it last updated? What
authority does this source have? Are they a credible source? Accessibility is questioned next: Is
the information well organized and easily understood? Are there dead links or frequent error
messages? Finally, students should question the Scope of the site: What is the extent of the
information available and is this level and content of information appropriate and adequate for
the student’s needs? An overall good strategy and concept to emphasize is that a series of
strategies is necessary to fully evaluate any resource.
Online Safety
Both the physical and emotional safety of children is a matter of concern when using the
Internet. Librarians must be aware of the positive and negative uses of social networking sites
and their privacy settings and issues and should be able to guide both parents and children to
instructional resources on Internet safety. Sexual solicitation, pornography, and virtual bullying
are only a few of the harmful situations children might be subjected to online.
Beyond simply understanding the statistics of solicitation, librarians need to become
informed about strategies predators implement to gain the attention and trust of their victims.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Librarians can then provide relevant Internet safety advice as they guide youth to using the
Internet and maximizing use of mobile devices to search for information. Many school and
public libraries have filtered access to the Internet, preventing access to social networking sites at
school or in the library, but this situation may serve only to prevent librarians from modeling
safe use of social networking sites. Most children will have access to these same sites at home or
elsewhere unsupervised.
As well as personal safety and security issues, librarians should be aware of the risk of
technical problems such as viruses or worms. The best way to avoid such malevolent computer
programs is to become familiar with prevention and detection software. Librarians may also
inform children of these potentially destructive computer programs and how these computer
germs can be ‘caught’ on the Internet as another useful information skill.
USING GOVERNMENT RESOURCES WITH CHILDREN
Government information for children has historically been available to the nation’s youngest
citizens in theory, however, its accessibility, lack of organization, and poor quality, negatively
influenced its use. In the late 1900s, government agencies began to focus on the preparation and
dissemination of resources especially for children. However, currently children, educators and
even librarians remain unaware that this information exists and, thanks to the Internet, is now
virtually accessible to all.
The history of government publication begins in 1813 with the establishment of the
Federal Depository Library Program with the goal of making information on the three branches
of government available to all Americans. The Government Printing Office (GPO) was
established in 1860 and became operational in 1861. The Paperwork Reduction Act was passed
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
in 1995, mandating the GPO use the Web as its chief method for distributing materials. In 2001
budget cuts spurred the GPO to migrate further services to the Web.
Online government resources are intended to facilitate interaction with the government as
well as provide authoritative information. Children will get the most value from these virtual
resources if they understand how the government is structured.
Government sites often provide access to primary documents, facilitating a unique
opportunity to teach children the importance of authority and credibility in the pursuit of
information, as well as the skills necessary to compare and contrast the information found in
primary sources with that in secondary sources, all of which will foster an implicit understanding
of the complexity of historical events.
Government resources are often particularly well-suited to meeting individual learning
needs due to large collections of audiovisual materials (especially useful to children with special
learning needs). The following are some government sites librarians can use with children:

USA.gov (http://www.usa.gov/) is a search engine for resources on federal and state
government sites only. High relevance ranking, simple keyword searching, and the
ability to search at all levels of government make this a starting point for access to
government resources.

Kids.gov (http://www.kids.gov/) calls itself the “official kids’ portal for the U.S.
government” and is geared for grades K–5, 6–8, and their educators. This site
provides an opportunity to teach students about “portal sites” and the evaluation of
commercial sites.

Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids (http://bensguide.gpo.gov/) is
organized by grade levels K–2, 3–5, 6–8 and 9–12, though there is also a
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
comprehensive index which lists alphabetically all topics addressed with hyperlinks
to the grade level selections. Similar topical information is available in each grade
category, while the level of detail of the information increases progressively. Most
articles contain hyperlinked cross-references.

AfterSchool.gov (http://afterschool.gov/) offers activities, resources and information
on issues of particular concern to children K–12, providing resources from across the
whole of the federal government. (The site also includes a searchable database of
possible funding sources for running after-school programs.)

TreasuryDirect Kids (http://www.treasurydirect.gov/kids/kids.htm) provides
downloadable educational materials, games, activities and information on the
treasury, as well as acting as a portal to other kid-friendly websites pertaining to the
White house, U.S. Mint, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and more.

Online collections are composed largely of primary source materials. Perhaps the best
such source is the Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/). The LOC homepage is
organized by user groups. The “Kids, Families” link will take you to the section
geared for elementary and middle school children offering options for exploring
American history such as “America’s Library” where you’ll find a treasure trove of
links leading to biographies, games and a digital collection of audio files under the
heading “See, Hear and Sing.” From the homepage, you can also navigate directly to
the “American Memory” section which contains original sound recordings, films,
photos, prints, maps and sheet music intended as “a digital record of America’s
history and creativity.” Another section of the LOC website, THOMAS
(http://thomas.loc.gov/) is a primary resource on congressional activity and includes
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materials geared to the K–12 audience such as suggested classroom activities, lesson
plans and guides for maximizing use of the site by students and teachers.

The National Archives education site (http://www.archives.gov/education/) provides
resources particularly intended for educators.
State government resources vary by state. Librarians should explore and become familiar
with their state’s resources. Knowledge of the state government is helpful in finding
resources/publications on state government websites i.e. librarians can search state agencies such
as the state library, office of the governor, the office of the treasurer or the office of the state
auditor, all of which are usually include outstanding online resources and many of which may
offer free publications designed particularly for children upon request. Librarians can request
these publications to add to their collections or use them for their own ready reference resource.
EVALUATION AND MARKETING OF REFERENCE SERVICES TO YOUTH
In order to market the reference sources and services offered, one must understand both the
strengths and weaknesses of the library’s services. The evaluation of reference services is key to
identifying which reference services and sources are most valued and utilized, as well as how
these sources and services are used, and by whom. Evaluation can facilitate improvement to the
sources, services, and their accessibility by identifying gaps in the collection or services, or
potential obstacles to use. Subsequently, librarians can establish budget priorities, more
efficiently allocate personnel, and get the most “bang for the buck” with marketing efforts.
The evaluation process begins by deciding the overall purpose of the evaluation and by
addressing the "five Ws" of evaluation. This action establishes the context of the evaluation and
informs how the data will be gathered and analyzed: Why should an evaluation be conducted?
What will be done with the findings? Who will receive the findings? And, how will the findings
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be used? Librarians assessing reference resources and services for youth need consider the
developmental characteristics of children. Surveys, for example, need to be developed with an
understanding of children’s vocabulary levels, their base knowledge and prior experience with
reference services and how long and what format would be developmentally appropriate for the
intended age of the survey recipient. Typical emoticon icons can be used to garner the opinions
of even the smallest children, while open, closed, Likert and/or multiple choice questions can all
be adapted to meet the needs of any particular age group. With Likert scales, however, one must
pay close attention to any vocabulary that is vague or refers to the lapse of time; terms like
“often,” “sometimes,” or “very” might confuse children primary through middle school ages that
have difficulty connecting and recalling the lapse or duration of time and action. Words that
require nuanced distinctions such as “very good” and “good” might also be difficult for children
to distinguish.
Librarians creating a survey might find that it’s very useful to have a child “tester” to
help them understand what questions are unclear. Perhaps one of the most common issues is the
use of library jargon and library-specific vocabulary. Additionally, most children do not
understand role differentiation among library aides and librarians, or what services fall under
reference or circulation service etc. Questions should avoid emotionally charged language and
abbreviations.
Surveys intended for primary-age children should generally follow these formatting
guidelines: include ten or fewer questions, use large font, have multiple colors, use graphics,
group similar questions together, and sequence questions from general to specific. Surveys
should be administered to children individually or in small groups to ensure each child is
answering questions correctly. Writing utensils should be familiar aka crayons, large pencils or
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markers. An oral explanation or even reading the questions aloud may be beneficial. Sharing
survey results with young participants is an opportunity to demonstrate that youth opinions are
valued.
Focus groups are another common evaluative method well-suited to younger participants.
When working with children, focus groups should be conducted with plentiful time allotted for
children to ask clarifying questions, while also noting the general attention span of the youth
participating. Librarians should incorporate participation guidelines to ensure feedback is
solicited from every individual in the group. Interview questions should be limited to one topic
as a diffuse discussion may be hazardous to collecting good data.
MANAGING REFERENCE SERVICES FOR YOUTH
Reference transactions may be the only time librarians and children are actively engaged in an
active, interpersonal, communication exchange. Management of reference services is therefore
an essential ingredient to a successful library. Reference policies should educate children about
the value of the library as well as promoting the ideals of the library. Policies should be public
and known and illuminate a clear course of action for the librarian and provide clear expectations
for young patrons.
The foundation of management policies lies in knowledge of best practices, high-quality
standards, the library’s mission statement and clear service goals. Types of services addressed in
management policies may include face-to-face, phone, and virtual reference transactions,
homework help, class or group instruction and interlibrary loan services. Priorities should be
established and policies should describe the parameters of each reference service and how the
librarian will provide services. Children faced with options for types of reference services (and
with a clear understanding of how and when various services will be offered) will need to select
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
the service that will be most timely and beneficial to them, learning time management and
organizational skills.
After policies are determined, the librarian must develop procedures (specific steps,
activities, or a set of rules) clarifying how the policies will be fulfilled. Generally procedures
address who will be responsible for various policies and how the policies will be implemented.
Procedures should connect policies specific to one aspect of reference service or provision of
sources to the related federal, state, or professional standard or general institutional policy.
Policies specific to youth include the following:

Safety

Confidentiality

Copyright

Homework help

Internet use
THE FUTURE OF REFERENCE SERVICES FOR YOUTH
The future of youth reference services largely depends on how successful reference librarians are
at creatively and proactively engaging young patrons in the pursuit of information. Librarians
need to develop new types of reference services, provide access to increasingly electronic
formats of information, and address the learning styles of the digitally immersed. The future of
reference service is likely to support the historically sound tenets of good service; what remains
to be seen is how these services will be provided through the increasingly mobile and versatile
Web 2.0 technologies. Many reference services already use electronic mediums to enable service
to be provided beyond the physical and operational limits of the library facility. As the penchant
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
of youth to access information 24/7 seems unlikely to change, innovations in reference services
must continue to develop in conjunction with innovations in technology.
CORE REFERENCE COLLECTIONS
The core collections described here were developed to address the reference needs of elementary
age students grades K–6 and middle school and high school students grades 7–12. Each
collection is comprised of approximately 50 titles (both print and electronic titles) that will
provide a solid foundation for librarians serving students at these age levels. Resources were
selected with two primary uses in mind: (1) reference resources that librarians can use to provide
answers to ready reference questions and (2) subject-specific references that address typical
informational needs in terms of youth interest and support of academic projects and units.
Further considerations included the range and format of titles, the ages and developmental levels
of the intended audiences and special features to enhance accessibility and understanding of
informational content.
Elementary Core Collection for Grades K–6
Students in this age group vary from those K–2 students who are just beginning to read to those
upper grades who are becoming savvy consumers and creators of information. Resources for this
age range were selected to be both of high interest and to assist students in completing school
assignments, bearing in mind that expectations for more detailed research projects may require
multiple sources of information for written reports or multimedia presentations.
Dictionaries
American Heritage. (2011). The American Heritage Children's Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt: Boston. Print.
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With over 34,000 words, this dictionary intended for grades 3–6, is a comprehensive
reference tool for the English language. Fifteen hundred color illustrations add visual
appeal and guide words at the top of the page along with guide letters on the right margin
of the right pages make words easier to locate. Each word entry includes a pronunciation
guide, part of speech and definition along with plural and variant forms and variant
spellings. Many entries also include a sample sentence so students can see the word in
context, synonyms, word histories and prefixes and suffixes.
Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries (2009). The American Heritage Student
Dictionary. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Filled with nearly 2,000 colored illustrations and hundreds of feature notes, this
dictionary is intended for children grades 6–9. The nearly 65,000 entries are arranged
alphabetically following a guide on how to make the most use of a dictionary. Special
features include a concise grammar guide and explanation of usage and synonym notes.
Back matter includes a periodic table of elements, a measurement chart, a guide to the
solar system and a taxonomy guide.
Morris, C. G. (2007). Macmillan Dictionary for Children. New York: Simon & Schuster Books
for Young Readers.
This dictionary includes nearly 35,000 entries with over 3,000 illustrations to invite
browsing and research use. A layout is visually appealing for children grades 3–6. Entries
include parts of speech, pronunciation, variant forms, syllabification, cross-references
and idioms. Side panels highlight related topics of interest relevant to particular word
entries and a small reference section at the back allows for quick consultation.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Merriam-Webster. (2010). Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary for Children. Springfield, MA:
Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Alphabetically arranged entries provide the definition, usage examples, word history,
synonym notes, and illustrations for over 36,000 words. A new feature to this edition is
pronunciation paragraphs. Intended for grades 3–6.
Merriam Webster. (2012). Merriam Webster’s Word Central. Online:
http://www.wordcentral.com/games.html.
This free dictionary website was designed for early elementary to middle school children.
The attractive, interactive graphic interface includes such kid-friendly features as games,
a daily "buzzword" and a "Build Your Own Dictionary" option, allowing students to use
their creativity and participate with a Web 2.0 tool. The search tool includes the option of
searching a dictionary, thesaurus, or rhyming dictionary, or children can browse through
the alphabetically organized Student Dictionary links.
Merriam-Webster. (2012). Visual Dictionary Online. Online: http://visual.merriamwebster.com/index.php.
Well suited for use by elementary age children and older, this online visual dictionary
helps visual learners and promotes further understanding of English words by associating
more than 6,000 of them with relevant images. From the homepage children can easily
explore by clicking on one of the 15 major themes, either by name in a left-hand bar, or
by image in the center of the page or by an index. A simple search for a word such as
"dog" might bring up eight results, expanding children's learning and vocabulary by
introducing them to related terms. Each entry includes an audio pronunciation tool.
Visuwords Online Graphical Dictionary. Online: http://www.visuwords.com/.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
This online graphical dictionary attempts to show the relationships between words
through complex webs showing how one word relates to many others in ways such as "is
a kind of" or "is similar to" or "opposes." Children can search via a search tool or browse.
Double clicking on an associated term will expand the word net, allowing children to
delve more deeply into the world of word associations. This tool is excellent for
alternative learning styles and should help all children gain a better understanding of
words and how they are related.
Encyclopedias
Khurana, A. (Ed.). (2010). Children’s Illustrated Encyclopedia (7th ed.). New York, NY: DK
Publishing.
Entries are organized in alphabetical order from "Abolitionist movement" to "Zoos".
Entries include a single paragraph summary followed by photographs and illustrations
with captions highlighting several relevant subtopics. This visually appealing format is
intended to encourage browsing. The companion website includes links to relevant, ageappropriate sites so the intended audience (grades 3–6) can conduct further research into
particular topics of interest.
Encyclopedia Britannica. (2012). Encyclopedia Britannica Online for Kids. Retrieved from
http://kids.britannica.com/.
An online encyclopedia for elementary-age children and older, this subscription resource
provides an interactive interface where children can search for articles with age
appropriate reading levels (8–11 or 11 and up). Children can browse by general topics, or
use tabs to navigate through new facts highlighted each day, news stories, fun activities
and games or highlighted tools such as the "Research Help Desk." Options to limit
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
searches by results format atlas, timelines, or media or video collections enables users to
reduce the results list.
Burnie, David. (2011). The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia. Kingfisher: New York. Print.
This animal encyclopedia exudes visual appeal, with more than 1000 photographs to
accompany the 2000 animal profiles, making it well suited to students as young as grade
three. The work takes a more scientific approach than most, organized by class, from
simpler animals up to mammals, each class organized further within by phylum and
subphylum. Easy navigation is ensured not only by an introductory section explaining the
characteristics of animals and illustrating the classification scheme, but also by a backend glossary, index, and even an alternative name index. Each specific species entry
includes the scientific name, and a brief description including size, habitat, distribution,
migration, hibernation, and any camouflage information.
Gifford, C. (2011). The Kingfisher Geography Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Kingfisher.
This fully updated edition of the award-winning Kingfisher Geography Encyclopedia,
includes brief chapters covering the major attributes of each country, arranged by region.
Recommended for grade levels 3–6, the country-by-country layout allows for easy
navigation while quick reference panels highlight key facts regarding each country's
population, currency, languages, religions, government etc. Each country's pages also
include diagrams, graphs and brilliant photos and easy comparison is facilitated by the
uniformity of arrangement. The opening chapter, "The Physical Earth" provides an
overview of the Earth on a whole, while the final "Ready Reference" chapter provides
information on the world's peoples on a whole. Further exploration is facilitated by an
included website list and index.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
World Book Inc. (2012). World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago, IL: World Book. Print.
This 22 volume encyclopedia set intended for use by students from elementary school
through high school, covers all fields of learning through alphabetically organized articles
with entry cross-references and a comprehensive index to enable easy navigation and
further exploration into fields of particular interest. More than 25,000 photographs and
illustrations provide visual appeal. This most recent edition includes updated population
figures from the 2010 US census as well as new articles on topics such as Facebook,
DNA fingerprinting, zombies, and improvised explosive devices.
Atlases
Adams, Simon, et al. (2011). Children's World Atlas. DK Publishers: New York. Print.
This atlas is arranged by continent with spread focusing mainly on regions with specific
countries only sometimes highlighted. Plentiful color maps are complimented by satellite
images and photographs with caption descriptions of items of interest such as local crops,
sports, or cultural attributes. Introductory chapters provide an overview of the world and
its people. Students can navigate by a table of contents or index. The text also comes with
a companion CD-ROM for interactivity and further information. Best suited for grades 3–
6.
National Geographic Kid’s World Atlas. (2010). Washington, DC: National Geographic.
This edition of National Geographic’s award-winning atlas includes maps, data, photos
and essays. A universal size in physical and political maps encourages comparison and all
maps include surrounding areas so students might gain context and a full-world
perspective. Locator globes and color coding help students maintain a sense of place,
while organization by continent allows for easy navigation throughout the work. Students
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
looking for something more specific can search by place names in the back index.
Sidebars offer quick facts for those in a hurry, or students can follow frequent icons
indicating that further information can be found on the works companion website.
Website multimedia features include videos of indigenous animals, audio files of
indigenous music or the indigenous language. Downloadable maps and images, and
suggestions for further reading, and how-tos to create indigenous crafts are available. The
appealing format and interactivity make this work ideal for any student grade 3 and up.
National Geographic Student Atlas of the World (3rd ed.) (2009). Washington, D.C.: National
Geographic Publishing.
Designed for use by middle school (and high school) students, the work is divided into
two main sections. An introduction provides an overview of maps and how to read them.
The remainder of the work provides information on geologic history, vegetation, climate
zones, environmentally vulnerable areas, populations, cities, languages, economies,
statistics, food production, energy, and world cultures. The second section offers one
chapter per continent, each of which is introduced by an image from space, followed by a
wide variety of full-color maps, charts, graphs, photographs, flags and facts. A uniformity
of map sizes and scale enables easy data comparison. Weblink icons direct students to
Internet sites to further expand their knowledge and keep relevant statistics current.
Bibliographic references and thematic indexes are current.
Wright, David & Wright, Jill. (2012) The World Almanac Children's Atlas. New York: World
Almanac Books.
Under 100 pages, this concise atlas, filled with color photographs and maps, takes
elementary age children through a brief introduction to our world, one continent at a time.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Thirty nations and regions are highlighted with information on the population,
topography, culture, religion, climate and more. Quizzes throughout (with references
back to the text/maps) encourage interactivity and an index allows for direct navigation.
Back end material includes illustrations of flags, stamps and coins from around the world.
Thesauri
American Heritage. (2012). The American heritage children’s thesaurus. Boston, MA: Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt.
Intended for grades 3–7, this volume contains over 4,000 entries with 36,000 synonyms
in alphabetical order and more than 150 color photographs to break up the text. The
thesaurus is made more accessible by an initial explanation for how to use the tome. Each
entry’s common usage is illustrated in a sentence, while synonyms are broken into groups
that distinguish between those most closely related and those whose meanings might
differ slightly. This feature encourages students to begin thinking analytically about their
word choices. Antonyms are included in boxed entries and when a word doesn’t have
synonyms these entries are also boxed along with “word groups” of closely related
words.
Merriam-Webster. Webster's Thesaurus for Students. 3rd ed. Springfield: Federal Street Press,
2010. Print.
This third edition thesaurus offers over 122,000 synonyms, antonyms, and related
words in alphabetically arranged entries.
Almanacs/Random Reference
Chase's Calendar of Events (2012), New York: McGraw Hill.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
An extremely dense collection intended as a guide to special events, holidays,
anniversaries, religious observances, celebrity birthdays, simply strange occurrences, and
even lunar cycle dates. The book begins by highlighting special anniversaries and events
in 2012 and then goes on to highlight particularly important events in history, people, and
sports highlights. The calendar of events is organized simply in chronological order by
month. The remainder of the book is filled with a series of charts and other interesting
highlights like the Chinese calendar, a predictive guide to astronomical phenomena in
2012-12, a map of world time zones, how hurricanes are named, facts about U.S.
presidents and more. An index allows for more pointed searching but this is also a great
work for browsing interesting facts. Includes a companion CD-ROM.
Glenday, C., & Guinness World Records Limited. (2011). Guinness World Records 2012.
London: Guinness World Records.
Intended for readers of any age, this volume is particularly well-suited to browsing. The
table of contents organizes the records into broad categories like the Human Body or the
Spirit of Adventure, while a subject index allows readers to search for particular records
under more specific categories. Record entries includes a descriptive paragraph about the
record, (what was the record, who broke it, how) followed by photographs, generally of
the record holder, often in the midst of breaking the record. Interesting facts are included
in the interspersed text boxes.
Brain, M. (2010). Marshall Brain's How Stuff Works. New York: Chartwell Books Inc.
In more than 100 entries, text and diagrams are combined to explain how stuff works,
from antilock brakes to Internet search engines. Readers can use an index or browse by
any of the very broad eleven categories (chapters) from “In the Air” to “Around the
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
House.” Links within the entries direct readers to the companion online resource
featuring an interactive interface and even further explanations of the functioning of
many more complex machines. This work is best suited for students in elementary
school.
TIME for Kids Magazine. (2011). TIME for Kids Almanac 2012. New York: Time Home
Entertainment Inc.
Published by TIME magazine, this authoritative work is a great resource for elementary
school children looking for quick information about countries around the world,
interesting facts from various fields of study, or pop culture. The Table of Contents
breaks entries into broad categories like “Energy and the Environment” and “Food and
Nutrition” while the index enables students to search by specific topic. Entries include a
paragraph and text boxes are often accompanied by a photo.
(Exclusively) Online Resources
Drexel University iSchool. (2012). ipl2 For Kids: Internet Public Library. Online:
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/.
This site for elementary-age children provides links to information on topics from sports
to computers, math, physics, animals, and arts and crafts. Links to further information or
outside sites are organized under broad topic headings. Search options include a search
box at the top of the homepage and a toolbar to the right on the homepage suggests
browsing options for popular topics. Students requiring further direction have an option
to "Ask an ipl2 Librarian," an email reference service for children 13 years or older.
World Book (2012). World Book Kids. Online: http://worldbook.com/.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
This digital reference resource with its highly interactive and colorful interface, is
intended for children in the younger elementary grades. With thousands of articles for
various reading levels, World Book Kids includes plenty of textual information, but
photos, illustrations, audio clips and interactive games and activities also abound. The
site can be searched or students can browse by broad category. For younger readers, their
exploration might start in one of the three broadest categories: people (biographies),
places (maps) or animals (species profiles). The "Compare Places" feature allows for easy
comparison between countries and encourages the development of analytical skills.
World Book (2012). World Book Student. Online: http://worldbook.com/.
World Book Student is geared towards middle-school students, particularly to assist them
in conducting research. Multiple search features provide a variety of starting points for
searching. For example within the Biography Center, students can search by time period,
gender, field of interest, or nationality. Interactive research tools like the "Timeline
Builder" allow students to interact with the subject matter and organize materials..
Language(s)/Writing
NoveList K–8 Plus. EBSCO Publishing. Online: http://www.ebscohost.com/novelist/ourproducts/novelist-k8.
The focus of this site is lead children in grades K–8 towards quality reading materials.
Each entry includes suggestions for similar literature. This reader's advisory database can
be searched by many qualifiers including age, reading level, subject and genre. An
advanced search option enables users multiple starting points for searching.
Janeczko, Paul. (2012) Poetry from A to Z: a guide for young writers. New York: Simon &
Schuster Books for Young Readers.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
This is much more than an anthology of poems. Approximately 70 poems in this volume,
serves as a model as young writer grades 5–7. Guided poetry writing exercises and
explanations of how to write haiku, list poems, and letter poems are included. Each
featured work includes the authors' commentary. Young writers are also guided through
the process of keeping a journal, generating ideas, and revising their own work.
Organized in alphabetical order by type of poem, children can quickly navigate the text
or use the index to go directly to their desired topic. A further reading feature is included.
Terban, M. (2011). Scholastic guide to grammar. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Designed for use by any student grade 3 and up, this grammar guide is color coded and
tabbed, allowing for easy navigation. The introduction provides a concise explanation on
the importance of mastering the English language (nearly a billion people use it as their
first or second language worldwide) and the chapters that follow guide the student
through the parts of speech, sentences and paragraphs, spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation as well as a section explaining how to improve “Getting Your Message
Across.” An index and thesaurus are included with examples and writing tips present
throughout the work.
Science/Math
Aguilar, D. (2011). 13 planets: The latest view of the solar system. Washington, DC: National
Geographic Children’s Books.
This work is a product of collaboration between National Geographic and David Aguilar
of the Harvard Smithsonian Astronomical Observatory, this revised edition keeps readers
Grades 5–8 updated on the rapidly changing topic of our solar system. Currently the
International Astronomical Union has declared our solar system contains eight planets
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
and five dwarf planets. This volume uses simple text and the author's own photorealistic
computer art to first explain the new planet categorizations and then profile the thirteen
planets, the sun, comets, and other space phenomena. Charts, diagrams, glossary, vetted
websites and further reading list and hands-on activities are included.
Parker, Steve. (2010) 100 Things You Should Know about the Human Body. Mason Crest
Publishers.
Intended for grades 3–6, this work contains 100 facts about the human body from the
development of the fetus in the womb to the body parts involved in and the body
processes of breathing and digestion, to nutrition and general health. A table of contents
allows for searching by general topic, or students can use the index to search for specific
facts. Entries are generally a paragraph long and each page intersperses text with
illustrations, cartoons, photos, and “I Don’t Believe It!” sidebars. These sidebars are
intended to spark interest and inspire further research in other resources.
Stoyles, P. (2010). A to Z of health. Smart Apple Media.
Intended for grades 3 through 6, this six volume series answers questions about physical
and mental health, from entries on diabetes to jet lag. Different body parts and processes
are also explained. Each entry is a brief two pages with a glossary of three to five
important terms, easily found through the alphabetical organization of all six volumes.
Though there is no cross-referencing, each volume includes an index. Full-color
photographs break up the text and there are interesting sections debunking common
myths and explaining ways to prevent illness as well as relevant medicines and
treatments. This work provides a good starting point for basic health questions.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Latham, Donna. (2011). Endangered Biomes, (8 book series). Nomad Press: White River, VT.
Print.
This eight book series explores the world’s endangered biomes each book focusing
respectively on coniferous forests, deciduous forests, deserts, grasslands and savannas,
mountains, oceans, rain forests, and tundra. Each book focuses on examining both human
and natural threats to these ecosystems and encourages children to consider how their
choices might impact the earth. Every book can be browsed by a general table of
contents, though the plethora of photographs and quick facts encourages browsing. An
index and further readings are included.
Farndon, J. (2012). The Great Scientists: From Euclid to Stephen Hawking. London: Arcturus
Publishing Limited.
Beginning with Aristotle and ending with Stephen Hawking, this book (part of the
popular DK Eyewitness series) introduces students to a brief biography of thirty eminent
scientists. Each two page entry includes a photograph of the scientist, a brief exploration
of their personal life, an explanation of their contribution to science, and a timeline to
orient their work in a broader historical context. The bulk of each entry, however, is
devoted to a photo essay explaining the impact of the scientists work. Immense visual
appeal invites browsing, while the brief entries spark questions to inspire further research.
Intended for grades 3–6.
Drexel University. (2012). Internet Public Library’s Science Fair Project Resource Guide.
Online: http://www.ipl.org/div/projectguide/.
This free online resource is geared particularly towards middle school students, with the
aim of guiding students through the process of completing a science fair project. The first
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
webpage is a very helpful explanation of how to use the Guide and the four steps,
"Getting Started," "Choosing a Topic," "Completing the Project," and "Displaying Your
Project" are numbered and easy to follow via links from the homepage. The page for each
step in the process acts as a hub to a slew of links to other useful sites. The "Getting
Started" page explains the scientific process, the concept of a science fair, and the value
of the science fair to students. "Choosing a Topic" provides links to many websites where
students may obtain science fair ideas with notes. The "Completing the Project" page
includes links to assist students in outlining the project steps, developing a research
question, and conducting an experiment. "Displaying Your Project" provides useful links
for help with graphs, written reports, preparing a display, and giving an oral report. If
students need further assistance there are links to "Hints and Tips" and "Tools and
Research."
DeKlerk, Judith. (2009). Math Dictionary. DK Publishers: New York. Print.
This math dictionary for children grades 3–6 includes over three hundred alphabetically
arranged entries providing definitions for mathematical terms, phrases and concepts.
Plentiful images break up the text, provide further explanation, and keep children
interested.
Fitzgerald, Theresa. (2011). Math Dictionary for Kids: The essential guide to math terms,
strategies, and table. Austin: Prufrock Press Inc.
Intended for children in grades 4 through 9, this brightly colored reference work provides
definitions for more than 400 math concepts and terms with many problem solving
strategies incorporated into the text to assist students in understanding concepts and
applying them to their own math problems. Illustrated definitions are especially helpful in
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
the math field, and make the book more interesting for all. The table of contents guides
children to definitions organized by broad categories like measurement terms, algebra, or
geometry terms (alphabetical therein), or children can search for the desired term via the
index.
Alexander, B., Baggaley, A., & Dennis-Bryan, K. (Eds.). (2010). Natural history: The ultimate
visual guide to everything on Earth. New York: DK Publishing.
Intended for grades 5 and up, a cadre of Smithsonian scholars has amassed an
international encyclopedia of over 5,000 life forms as well as produced a brilliant visual
introduction to the field of natural history as a whole. Broken into six chapters, the work
begins with general essays on climate change, evolution and classification to provide
context. Chapters cover "Minerals, Rocks, and Fossils," "Microscopic Life," "Plants,"
"Fungi," and "Animals". Each chapter is filled with photos and profiles of individual
species. Sections representing major taxonomic classifications are included in each
chapter. Arrangement in evolutionary order is done by species' common names, though
Latin names are also provided, to allow for easier navigation.
Powerkids Life Science Database, Rosen Publishing. http://www.pklifescience.com/.
Designed specifically for children in grades 3 through 6, this subscription science
database intends to develop information literacy in conjunction with serving as a science
resource. The homepage allows for navigation to 400 articles (with text-to-speech
capability) by broad categories from "Animals" to "Green Living" or students can use the
search tool. Videos and interactive quizzes encourage active learning participation.
Interactive games reinforce learning and resource sections provide links to websites and
further reading.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Infobase Learning. (2012). Science and Technology: Science Online. Online:
http://www.infobasepublishing.com/OnlineProductDetail.aspx?ISBN=0816044287.
Intended for upper-elementary age children, this science database offers content
organized by subject area, type of resource, and national and state science education
standards. Entries offer article resources, age-appropriate experiments, diagrams, videos
and animation, timelines and biographies. A network of hyperlinks also allows for
browsing or further investigation with suggested searches and related topics. Tabbed
search results and Boolean search capabilities are available for the more advanced
students or as an opportunity to enhance information literacy skills. Output options
include print, email, or saving to a folders.
Social Studies
U.S. Government Printing Office. (2010). Ben's Guide to U.S. Government For Kids. Online:
bensguide.gpo.gov/.
Ben's Guide is an online portal to free government websites, with specific links on the
homepage to take you to further pages specifically geared to grades K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and
9–12 students. All links from this portal are sites designed for children. The K–2 page,
for example, offers the ABCs of government and explains the U.S. symbols (the flag
etc.). The page for grades 3–5 includes an explanation of how laws are made, the division
of power between the state and national levels, and the election process. The grades 6–8
and 9–12 pages cover the same topics, but in greater depths, progressively. All pages
include links to games and activities as well as to outside websites on topics relating to
the U.S. government, leading children to further information, photos, diagrams, timelines,
videos and much more.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
H.W. Wilson. (2012). Biography Reference Bank. EBSCO Publishing. Online:
http://www.ebscohost.com/academic/biography-reference-bank.
This subscription database offers students access to encyclopedia articles, periodical
articles, images and the original profiles of the Current Biography and World Authors
series for more than 600,000 individuals. Students can tailor their searches through more
than 2.2 million records with 35,000 images by name, occupation/activity, gender, place
of origin, birth day/month or even lifespan. If none of those limiters produce satisfactory
results, a quick tutorial will allow students to make use of the "Visual Search" option.
Results pages can be further limited by type of source or specific periodical. Entries
include citation information and related biographies. Students can add entries of interest
to a folder, save, print or email.
Alexander, Heather. (2010). A child's introduction to the world: Geography, Cultures, & People
from the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal
Publishers.
Written for children grades 3–6, this reference work introduces children to the continents,
countries, states and provinces of our world as well as exploring climates, biomes,
terrain, people, cultures, governments and more. The book begins with a general section
explaining overarching topics like Earth's geological history, how to read maps, the
diversity of world cultures and our increasing population density. Part Two introduces
children to the various continents, each section is further organized by geographical
region. Along with plentiful text, the book contains over 150 original watercolor
illustrations. Plentiful sidebars provide fun facts or suggestions for activities. Children
may also navigate this text via an index. Biographical references and suggested reading
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are also included and for fun extras the book contains a removable popup paper globe and
reusable stickers.
Pappas, Lynn & Aloian, Molly. (2012). Cultural Traditions in My World, (6 book series).
Crabtree: New York. Print.
This six book series focuses on describing the cultural traditions, beliefs and rituals both
historically celebrated and still observed today (often in modern festivals and holidays)
around the world. Books focus respectively on Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, India and
Russia. Intended for children from kindergarten to grade 3, the books are sparse on text
while providing plenty of photographs to keep younger children interested.
ProQuest K–12. (2011). CultureGrams Kids Edition. Online:
http://www.proquestk12.com/productinfo/culturegrams.shtml.
Written for the upper-elementary grades, CultureGrams are also available in print
editions, though these do not allow for the interactivity of the online editions. The site
offers comprehensive information about countries around the world. Individual country
profiles feature pictures, videos, data and statistics, information about politics and the
governmental systems. Customs, traditions and the daily life of average citizens are
included as well as famous individuals from that country and popular recipes. The site is
kept current and also includes a timeline for each nation as well as fun facts in a "Did
You Know?" section.
Blassingame, W. (2012). The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents. New York, NY: Random House.
Concise biographies of every president from George Washington to Barack Obama, are
organized chronologically. Along with personal information, descriptions are given of the
major events during each term and the accomplishments of each administration, as well
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as an extended chapter discussing the 2000 election. Entries complimented by plentiful
photos, cartoons, and engravings, making this a suitable book for grades 5–8.
Murcia, Rebecca, et.al. (2011) My guide to the Constitution series. Delaware: Mitchell Lane
Publishers.
Intended for children grades 3–8, this six-book series covers, respectively: The
Legislative Branch, The Executive Branch, The Judicial Branch, The Power of the States,
The Story of the Constitution, and The Bill of Rights. Through age-appropriate text and
full-color photographs, the founding of United States, the writing of the Constitution, and
how, over the years, the Constitution has acted to keep balance in the government is
described. Each book contains its own glossary and index.
Bausum, A., Obama, B., & National Geographic Society (U.S.). (2009). Our country's
Presidents: All you need to know about the presidents, from George Washington to Barack
Obama. Washington, D.C: National Geographic.
This updated edition begins with a foreword from President Barack Obama, followed by
an introduction to the office of the presidency and an initial timeline explaining the
context of each presidential term. The bulk of the book is made up of 1–5 page
biographical entries on each president in chronological order and divided into six groups
by broad historical era. Each entry begins with a full-page official portrait, followed by
information about the President’s personal life, education, political career, administration
and postpresidency life, complimented throughout by photos and illustrations (over 400
in the entire book). The initial timeline is continued at intervals throughout the book to
further explain the historical context and 18 essays accompany the presidential entries
explaining in further detail subjects from the history of the White House to Presidents at
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War. Further reading, websites, bibliographical references, an index and a filmography
are included.
Napoli, Donna Jo. (2011). Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses,
Heroes, & Monsters. Iowa: National Geographic Children's Books.
Intended for children grades 3–6, this single volume work contains illustrated retellings
of classic Greek myths. The illustrations make the work visually appealing, while
sidebars throughout link each of the mythological characters to relevant constellations,
history, geography, and cultural traditions so students can trace the impact of these tales
throughout history and across continents. A mythological family tree and profiles of each
god, goddess, monster and hero, allow children to understand the myths and their
characters in relation to one another as well. Back matter includes suggestions to further
related resources, bibliographic references and an index. It's easy to see why this volume
was included in School Library Journal's "Best Books of 2011."
Middle School and Secondary Core Collection Grades 7–12
Students at this age level are developing critical thinking skills, becoming interested in popular
culture, using mobile technology and thinking about the future. Academically, students are
engaging in more complex research topics. The reference resources recommended here will
engage students’ interests and assist with the increased demand for more complex research and
writing projects. Vetted Internet resources including those with multimedia components are
included to address the interests of digitally immersed youth.
Dictionaries
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. (11th ed.) Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster,
Incorporated, 2012. Print.
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Updated with thousands of words that have only recently made their way into everyday
conversation, this dictionary for older students is also accompanied by a CD-ROM.
Overall the 165,000 individual entries contain 225,000 definitions, with pronunciation
guides, etymologies, example phrases, synonyms, and 700 illustrations throughout.
Biographical and geographical names, abbreviations, a selection of foreign words and
phrases, signs, symbols and idioms are also defined. Abbreviations are interfiled while
biographical and geographical names, and the rest, have their own sections. An index and
style handbook are included.
Merriam-Webster's Essential Learner's English Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster,
2010. Print.
This work, designed for nonnative speakers of English, offers simplified definitions for
more than 54,000 alphabetically arranged English words and extensive examples of usage
(78,000 example sentences) so nonnative speakers might better grasp the words in
context. Over 15,000 idioms, collocations and commonly used phrases are also defined
and all words are labeled (humorous, old-fashioned, technical, informal etc.).
Oxford University Press. New Oxford American Dictionary. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2010. Print.
This dictionary provides definitions for more than 350,000 in order of the most common
meaning rather than original word meanings. Each entry is further broken down from
these "core" meanings into "subsenses," ways in which the word's meanings might be
subtly altered by context. This allows the user to see, quickly and accurately for each
term, the ways in which people might most likely use terms, rather than a mostly obsolete
meaning. This volume also includes definitions for people and places, more than a
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
thousand illustrations, and hundreds of explanatory notes. A set of "Ready R eference"
appendices covers everything from pronunciation to the elements to select proverbs.
Merriam-Webster. Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary for Students. Bilingual ed. Springfield:
Federal Street Press, 2010. Print.
This bidirectional dictionary for all ages provides definitions for over 40,000 Spanish
words, including translations from Spanish to English (and vice versa) and conjugations
for Spanish verbs and irregular English verbs.
Thesauri
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2010. Print.
This alphabetically arranged thesaurus intended for older students contains more than
250,000 synonyms, antonyms, idioms, related and contrasted words, as well as providing
extensive cross references for each selected term. Each entry includes sample sentences
for each synonym listed. An index is included.
Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia Britannica Editorial. 2010 Encyclopedia Britannica. 15th ed. Chicago:
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009. Print.
This 32 volume set of encyclopedias includes more than 65,000 articles on topics
spanning all fields of learning composed by more than 4,300 experts. A two-volume
index, more than 700,000 references, and the alphabetical organization of the bulk of the
volumes allow for easy navigation. The propaedia facilitates understanding of the
interrelatedness of various fields of study.
Rozett, Robert, and Shmuel Spector, eds. Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. Illustrated ed.
Brooklyn: Lambda Publishers, Inc., 2009. Print.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Eight essays on Holocaust topics such as the history of European Jewry and the rise of
anti-Semitis provide an overall context of the holocaust. The essays are followed by more
than 650 alphabetically organized entries on major subjects of the Holocaust along with
over 300 accompanying black and white photographs. People, places, events and
concepts are all covered in entries ranging from one paragraph to several pages. Cross
referencing is facilitated by words or phrases in an entry printed in all capital letters and
the work also contains a bibliography and index for further navigational aid. A day-today chronology from 1933 to 1945 provides a nice overview to place the articles in a
historical context.
Almanacs/Random Reference
The knowledge book: everything you need to know to get by in the 21st century. (2009).
Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Publishing.
This book can serve as either a ready reference tool or simply a browseable tome for
interested students. Organized by broad categories such as "Discoveries and Inventions"
and "Social Life," the work is then divided by subject areas and then further by subtopics.
Nearly every conceivable field of study and topic is covered, giving students brief entries
and more than a thousand accompanying color illustrations on thousands of mankind's
ideas and achievements, explaining why they are important and how they are linked to
one another. A comprehensive index, navigation and further investigation are facilitated
by frequent cross-referencing, fact boxes, timelines, and sidebars. Color coded tabs can
be used for a quick guide.
Wright, John W. The New York Times 2011 Almanac. New York, NY: Penguin Reference, 2010.
Print.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
This approximately thousand page paperback book contains data from science and
technology to sports, entertainment, maps and more. An index for navigation purposes is
included. Abundant white space and well-spaced text make this more accessible to
reluctant readers.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac. (2012). Yankee Publishing, Inc. Online: http://www.almanac.com/.
A free online resource, the Old Farmer's Almanac, offers traditional almanac information
on topics like weather, gardening, astronomy, cooking, birding and fishing, rural real
estate and more. It's colorful and highly interactive interface encourage browsing, though
if students prefer there is also a search tool. Organization is mainly by broad topics
wherein students can view drop down lists of usually between 15–20 subtopics. The
individual entries in this online almanac take the form of, or include, not only text, but
also pictures, diagrams, puzzles, trivia, videos, podcasts and more. Note: This site
remains free because it has extensive advertising throughout.
Time Almanac 2012. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011. Print.
This reference book will provide high school students with thousands of facts, statistics,
dates and other information, organized by forty alphabetized categories from astronomy
to writing. Updated annually, it includes significant new stories and people. Students can
navigate this sea of knowledge via the table of contents or an index.
Jannsen, S. (2011). The world almanac and book of facts 2012. New York, NY: World Almanac
Publishing.
An extremely versatile ready reference work well suited to all students, this work
encourages browsing through its attractive layout and easy to navigate organization by
broad categories from "Sports" to "U.S. Facts and History." If students prefer, or for
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
ready reference needs, the work contains an exhaustive index to guide you to any of the
thousands of facts and statistics from a variety of subject areas.
Atlases
National Geographic Atlas of the World. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society,
2011.Print.
The most recent Atlas from the National Geographic Society boasts more than 80 largeformat color maps (often two page spreads). Each continent is introduced by satellite,
physical and political maps with detailed political maps for regions and individual
countries to follow in each section (194 total summaries of nations/territories). This atlas
doesn't limit itself to land masses. New imaging technology has allowed the creators to
present ocean floor maps with enough undersea features to require an index. A special
collection of extraterrestrial maps, "Flags and Facts" pages and a place-name index
exceeding 150,000 entries are included.
The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World. London: Times, 2011. Print.
In its thirteenth edition, this atlas for all ages contains continental satellite images,
thematic and topographical maps, photographs, graphics, and thematic essays on topics
ranging from climate change to the global impact of recession. An index with over
200,000 place names is included.
(Exclusively) Online Resources
Expert Space. (2012). Scholastic Inc. Online:
http://education.scholastic.ca/category/CUR_SCI_EXPERT_SPACE.
Intended particularly for students in grades 7–12, this digital reference resource allows
students to develop information literacy skills such as outlining, evaluating sources,
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
citing resources and more while developing social studies and science content-area
knowledge. Entries are organized by broad topics (those most likely to be taught as part
of a traditional curriculum), each individual entry (or “Xspace”) begins with a video to
attract students’ interest followed by an informational article with Lexile reading levels
clearly displayed to help guide students to the text best suited to their needs. Spanish
translations and a read-aloud tool are available for all articles. Entries contain further
links to timelines, articles, websites, images, primary sources to facilitate in-depth
exploration. Interactive learning tools such as an assignment calendar, a project ideas
tool, a notepad and an outline creator help students organize and complete assignments.
All work can be organized and saved in each student’s individual “digital locker.”
Go Grolier Online. Scholastic, 2012. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. Online: http://go.grolier.com/.
For grades 3 and up, this subscription-based online encyclopedia provides a table of
contents, links to further reading within each article and a section explaining how to cite
articles. Entries are assigned reading levels.
StartSpot Mediaworks. (2012). GovSpot. Online: http://www.govspot.com/.
This free portal government site offers access to links to many government department
websites, information on the various branches of the U.S. government, a link to the CIA
World Fact book, frequently updated government news and more. The homepage allows
for navigation by a sidebar that organizes multiple links into broad categories such as
"News," "Justice & Military," "Politics" and more. There are separate sections for current
issues, lists, and popular links highlighted under "Shortcuts." A "Did You Know?"
section provides for casual browsing and links to other government search engines.
Reading levels, and layout, make this site most accessible to high school students or
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older. A strong dedication to providing nonpartisan information makes this a great
resource for government information without the necessity of navigating bias and party
lines.
"Infobase Publishing—Online Products—Issues & Controversies Online." (2012). Infobase
Publishing. Online:
http://www.infobasepublishing.com/OnlineProductDetail.aspx?ISBN=1578520274.
This online subscription database focuses on publishing both the pro and con sides to any
current events and issues so that students may get a balanced explanation in any given
entry. Issues covered span politics, business, social, education and pop culture
controversies. Updated weekly, there are more than 1,000 current issues covered through
both primary and secondary source documents. Individual entries all contain pro and con
statements, and some contain editorial cartoons, newspaper editorials, discussion
questions, activities and more. Thousands of links to news sources and timelines are also
included to provide context.
"Learning Express Library." Welcome to Learning Express Library! Web. 11 Mar. 2012. Online:
http://www.learnatest.com/LEL/.
This subscription database provides information, skill-building courses, exercises,
eBooks, practice tests and more, all organized into “Learning Centers,” which mainly fall
into age and grade level categories from “Elementary School” to “Skill Building for
Adults.” New users can take a guided tour of the Learning Express Library, browse a list
of Learning Centers and resources, or browse a complete library of eBooks from the
homepage. Returning users can easily navigate to their appropriate Learning Center and
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then to particular skill areas therein, further subdivided into particular skill sets and then
individual skill development tools.
Gale Cengage Learning. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Online:
http://www.gale.cengage.com/InContext/viewpoints.htm.
A subscription-based online bibliographic resource is subdivided by topic. The Opposing
Viewpoints interface is easily navigable allowing instant access to pages on Issues, Maps,
or other Resources. Users can dive right into research from the main page, browsing by
"Featured Viewpoints," magazine articles, other reference resources, statistics or search
option for any given issue. Saving features include the ability to bookmark, share or
email any page, interactive maps, and citations tools. Videos, images and audio files are
included. All topics are approached as a debate between opposing viewpoints for an
unbiased representation. Overall there are more than 14,000 pro/con viewpoint essays on
over 5,000 topics covered in this database.
Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas. ABC CLIO. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. Online:
http://pop.greenwood.com/.
This online subscription database allows patrons access to current information regarding
American pop culture icons, idols, and ideas. A portion of the database focuses on
historical documents. Students can analyze how past popular culture possibly influenced
or contrasted with current trends. The 35,000 entries are constantly updated, hundreds of
photographs enhance content, and "Analyze" sections present questions and various
viewpoints on controversial subjects, encouraging students to participate in learning and
form their own ideas.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
"Student Research Center." EBSCOhost. EBSCO Publishing. Web.
http://www.ebscohost.com/schools/student-research-center.
A subscription research database specifically designed for high school students, the
Student Research Center acts as a hub, providing access to content from biography
collections, literature and poetry databases, science collections, history collections, image
collections, newspaper databases and more. From the main page, students can browse by
topic heading or use a search tool, limiting their search by type of resource, publication
date, full-text only, or even Lexile reading level. Top searches are highlighted in a
sidebar as well as a spotlight topic. Students can also use this resource for access to a
dictionary or encyclopedia.
Teens Health (Kids Health). (2012). The Nemours Foundation. Online:
http://kidshealth.org/teen/index.jsp?tracking=T_Home.
This website specifically designed for teens, allows students to explore health issues
relevant to their lives such as sexual health, food and fitness, drugs and alcohol, mental
health and more. The homepage provides an colorful and interactive interface with hot
topics, feature articles and an expert to answer user questions. A quiz box allows for
interactivity right from the homepage and may spark initial interaction. A left hand menu
provides links to the other areas of the site, organized by general topic, and then further
organized by category. "Drugs and Alcohol," for example, is further broken into
"Tobacco," "Alcohol," "Drugs," and "Getting Help." Each of these categories is still
further subdivided so students may easily browse to specific matters of interest. If
students prefer they can use the search box to search for a particular topic. The site is also
available in Spanish.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
"Teen Health and Wellness." (2012). Teen Health and Wellness. Online:
http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com/.
An online subscription resource, Teen Health and Wellness offers a comprehensive,
categorized collection of information on various issues of health particularly relevant to
young adults from body basics to drugs, alcohol and sex. Informational articles and selfhelp tools can be found by broad categories that are then divided by subtopics. Individual
articles often include videos and/or interactive tools to make learning more interesting.
Articles can be printed or emailed and there is an automatic citation generator. For
students in need of crisis help, there is access from this site to a help hotline.
World Book (2012). World Book Advanced Online. Online: http://worldbook.com/.
This online subscription based encyclopedia provides detailed topical entries and
amazing color photography. Multimedia entries, the ability to generate automatic
citations in MLA, APA and Harvard formats, pathfinders to guide any research, an atlas,
local country resource guides, newspaper archives, primary source database and a
dictionary are included. Designed specifically for use by high school and college
students, this is an information dense resource focused on scholarly research. The "My
Research" tool allows students to create a private profile to save and track their research.
World Book Advanced also provides research to thousands of complete e-books in
English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Latin, Flemish and Portuguese.
World Book (2012). World Book Discover. Online: http://worldbook.com/.
World Book Discover is an subscription based online reference tool intended for use by
students reading below grade level due to language or learning difficulties. In addition to
World Book's usual expansive collection of articles, this resource also includes text-to-
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
speech capabilities, tools such as the "How To Do Research" feature with tutorials and
exercises to help build information literacy skills (from how to find and evaluate sources
to how to cite them), translation tools and plentiful multimedia enhancements including
interactive videos. A unique feature of this World Book product is a video series
answering high interest topics called World Book Explains.
Language(s)/Writing
Shabo, Magedah E., ed. African American Literature: A Concise Anthology from Frederick
Douglass to Toni Morrison. Clayton: Prestwick House, Ind., 2009. Print.
This book for all ages introduces students to three centuries worth of African American
poems, essays, short stories, speeches and more. The work is rganized chronologically in
two parts with timelines to provide historical context. The book is subdivided by
individual authors. Each selection of an author's works is preceded by a brief biography
of the author with an accompanying photograph. The table of contents gives a
comprehensive overview and provides for easy navigation.
“Infobase Publishing—Online Products—Language Arts: Writer's Reference Center." (2012).
Infobase Publishing. Online:
http://www.infobasepublishing.com/OnlineProductDetail.aspx?ISBN=0816081174.
This subscription based resource provides students with assistance in virtually all areas of
writing from grammar and usage explanations to vocabulary, word choice and rewriting
advice. Writing resources include almost 100,000 definitions and 150 essays on style and
research. One particularly useful feature is a dynamic citation tool for MLA, Chicago and
APA formats. From the main page students can navigate via a search box or browse by
topic or particular reference resource.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
"Literature Resource Center." (2012). GALE—In Context. GALE Cengage Learning. Online:
http://www.gale.cengage.com/servlet/ItemDetailServlet?region=9&imprint=000&titleCode=GA
L30&cf=n&type=4&id=159401.
This online subscription based literature database provides biographical entries on
135,000 authors, with 6,000 links to outside websites and 4,000 portraits. As for the
works of these authors, the database contains 11,000 overviews and 30,000 full-text
poems. Approximately 8,500 interviews and 75,000 full text critical essays are included.
The easy-to-navigate interface allows you to search by person, name of work, keywords,
or all text. Students can further limit their results by publication date or content type.
Mango Languages. (2012). Mango languages. Retrieved from
http://www.mangolanguages.com/libraries/.
Designed for use by all ages, Mango Basic and Mango Complete are subscription-based
products intended to teach users simple conversational skills as well as more complex
conversational skills in Chinese (Mandarin), French, Greek, Hindi, Japanese, Portuguese,
Turkish, Spanish, Farsi, German, Hebrew, Italian, Korean, Russian, Thai, or Vietnamese.
Mango focuses on practical speaking skills. Users can speak another language in as little
as one lesson (though total fluency is never the intent). Languages are taught through an
interactive interface, visually and through auditory tools. ESL is also offered.
The Purdue Online Writing Lab. Purdue University, 2011. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. Online:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/.
OWL is a valuable, free reference resource for writing papers in MLA or APA format.
The site provides resources to help students avoid plagiarism, write a good basic business
letter and craft a strong resume. These most popular resources are highlighted on the
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home page as well as suggested resources for particular users, from ESL students to
professional writers. A search option enables users to search through OWL's over 200
offered resources. Style guides provide general overviews of the MLA or APA styles as
well as general formatting tips, a sample paper, and particular citation rules for a variety
of resources. OWL exercises can guide students through active learning of spelling,
punctuation, paraphrasing and more. OWL podcasts and an RSS feed are additional
features.
San Jose State University Writing Center. (2012). Writing Resources. San Jose State University.
Online: http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/writingresources/.
The San Jose State University Writing Center provides links to resources on a large span
of topics for student writers. Though intended for college students, most of these
resources are still extremely useful for high school students. Users have the initial choice
of choosing the format of informational resources such as handouts, style guides or video
tutorials. Online resources are organized by general topics from "Grammar and
Punctuation" to "Professional Writing." Handouts are similarly organized by topics and
serve as an aid in developing further understanding of topics generally through practicing
of highlighted skills. Video tutorials are currently limited but the University is working
on developing this section of the site further.
Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide. 14th ed. New York: Longman,
2011. Print.
Despite its title, this work provides rubric and resources for writing any type of essay (not
just research papers). Intended for high school and college students, the book gives
students examples of each type of essay as well as citation styles. The general research
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
writing process is illustrated through a step-by-step format whereby the book takes
students from selecting a topic to formatting the final paper. Spiral bound with easy
navigation tabs, this book is well suited for heavy use.
Hacker, D. (2011). A writer’s reference with resources for multilingual writers and ESL (7th ed.).
New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press.
This work is intended to assist all high school students and older with improving their
academic writing. The work begins with an explanation of how to use a writing guide,
and the table of contents provides an easy navigation through the book's organization by
broad topics from punctuation and sentence mechanics to research and sections on
writing specific types of research papers. Written by an ESL expert, this book is
especially useful for those students learning the English language, with charts, activities,
exercises and model papers to assist. All students, however, will benefit from the
grammar guide, MLA, APA and Chicago style manuals and will likely appreciate the
spiral binding allowing students to lay the volume flat while using it to write citations or
complete grammar exercises. An index is included.
Science/Math
"McGraw Hill's Access Science." (2012). Access Science. Online: http://accessscience.com/.
This online subscription resource grants secondary students access to a vast science
collection: encyclopedia articles, news, biographies, images, videos and much more
covering more than 7,000 scientific topics. Students can browse by topic headings,
featured articles, or type of resource, or use the search box. Helpful tools are highlighted
in a sidebar, such as the periodic table and a geologic time table. The Study Center
provides study guides and bibliographies. RSS feed and podcasts are also offered.
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Wayne, T. (2010). American Women of Science Since 1900. (2010). Santa Barbara, CA: ABCCLIO.
This two-volume reference resource provides 500 biographical entries on the most
important (though still widely little-known) American women scientists of the 20th
century. Each entry includes black and white photographs, a bibliography of further
resources and a minibiography discussing women's lives and the significance of each
individual scientist, their contributions to their particular fields, and the struggles many of
these scientists faced as female academics and researchers. Preceding the alphabetically
organized biographical entries are essays on subject such as "The History of American
Women in Science" and a "Disciples" section which explains the various fields of science
and how they relate for those less familiar with the science field. This resource is also
available as an e-book.
NOVA Science Now. (2012). PBS Online: WGBH Educational Foundation. Online:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/.
This website is an exciting resource for text-based information and a plethora of audio
and visual learning experiences on scientific topics spanning every field of science from
"Human Hibernation" to "A One Way Trip to Mars?" Information offered is dense and
ideas complex so this source is better suited to older students. This resources includes
images, videos, and even interactive features like polls to garner and hold interest in
science topics. A search box feature allows students to search instantly for a particular
topic of interest, or browse by a pull down topical list organized by broad topics from
"Ancient World" to "Space and Flight." New topics of interest are highlighted through a
slideshow of images on the main page. Students can also read through blog posts on the
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life of a scientist, scroll through a list of exclusively video features, or check the NOVA
TV schedule.
Social Studies
InfoBase Publishing. (2012). African-American History Online. Online:
http://www.infobasepublishing.com/OnlineProductDetail.aspx?ISBN=0816041903.
African-American History Online is a subscription database covering more than 500
years of African-American history through timelines, essays to explain historical context,
biographies, image and video galleries, maps and charts, and entries on particular topics
of importance to African-American history. Users can browse the database by particular
record type (biographies, timelines, primary sources etc.) or by eras in the “Learning
Center” or students may search directly using the search box with Boolean operators to
help teach information literacy skills. Search results are organized by tabs indicating
record type and then listed in terms of relevancy. Print, email or save features are
included. Further reading is presented through in-text links or a sidebar of links to
“Related Information.”
Infobase Publishing. (2012). American Indian History Online. Online:
http://www.infobasepublishing.com/OnlineProductDetail.aspx?ISBN=0816043779.
American Indian History Online is a subscription database covering 15,000 years of
American Indian history and culture. Topical entries, biographies, images and videos,
maps and charts, primary sources, timelines and more are used to provide high school
students and up with a comprehensive view of American Indian history. Particular
features of interest may be the “Tribes index” where students may browse through an
index covering more than 600 Native American groups. A “Primary Sources” browse
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page enables students to look up Native American legends. The highly interactive
homepage allows students to browse by record type or by eras, or they may choose to use
the search tool with Boolean operators. Results pages are organized by relevancy and
tabbed by record type. Individual entries have embedded links or links to “Related
Information” for further research on a particular topic. Each entry ends with full citation
information.
O’Brien, P. (ed.) (2010). Atlas of world history (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University
Press USA.
World history, from the evolution of the earliest humanoids to the present day, is
addressed in this comprehensive reference work with over 8,000 entries and more than
450 color maps, 100 color photographs, and 60 diagrams spanning 300 some pages.
Organized chronologically by broad historical periods the work is international in scope.
World history is described through each era, showing the chain effects of war, poverty,
pandemics and population shifts. Rather than separating nations and time periods, this
work attempts to illuminate the interconnectedness of world events and is best suited for
high school and above. Bibliographic references are included as well as a comprehensive
index, a chronology of important dates, a glossary, and reference tables.
"Biography in Context." GALE—In Context. GALE Cengage Learning. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.
Online: http://www.gale.cengage.com/InContext/bio.htm.
This online subscription database contains more than 600,000 biographical entries on
more than 525,000 influential and important figures throughout history and across the
world. Fact boxes provide a summary of important information for teens searching for a
quick browse through biographies. Links to periodical resources and multimedia sources
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add pertinent content to entries. Search options abound from the homepage. Users can
search directly via the search box (with Search Assist to provide suggested phrases etc.),
limit their search by format (images, primary sources, etc.) or browse by geography,
historical time period, specific social issues and more.
Purdy, Elizabeth R., ed. Celebrating Women in American History. New York: Facts on File,
2011. Print.
This five volume set explores the impact women have had on American history through
under-acknowledged roles from colonial times to the present. Each volume addresses a
concise era of American history, with an essay introducing each era for context, while the
chapters therein are organized by subject areas such as politics, science and medicine or
entertainment. Illustrations and photographs abound through the biographical profiles of
important women, boxed entries highlight important people or events, and each chapter
concludes with a list of articles, books and websites for further reading. Bibliographical
references and indices are included.
Shoulder, K. (2010). The Everything World's Religions Book: Explore the beliefs, traditions, and
cultures of ancient and modern religions. Adams Media. Print.
Intended for young adults and older, this book explores all the major (and many of the
minor) world religions from Native American tribal faiths to Judeo-Christian religions to
Scientology and even atheism. From ancient to modern religions, each of the fifty entries
explores the religion’s history, the moral foundations of its major tenets, the rituals, and
the cultural convictions associated with the religion. The table of contents allows readers
to search or browse by any of the 22 broad categories that comprise chapters, such as
“New Age and Other Beliefs,” or use the index.
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College/Job Preparation
McGraw-Hill, Editors. The Big Book of Jobs 2011–2012. The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2011.
Print.
Intended for anyone thinking of seeking a job, this reference work provides detailed
information on over 250 careers in an alphabetical listing from architects to zoologists,
techniques on how to write compelling resumes and cover letters, and advice on how to
navigate the stressful process of job searching. The book's contents are split into two
sections, section one generally following the process of job searching, chapters arranged
in a step-by-step guide to the overall process from "Beginning the Journey" and
"Exploring Career Options" to "Mastering Job Interviews" and "Launching Your Career,"
and section two formatted as an occupational outlook handbook (job descriptions/outlook
entries). Bibliographic references and indices are included.
College Board. (2011). College Handbook 2012 (49th ed.). New York, NY: College Board.
This general reference guide intended for high school students, provides a guide to over
5000 colleges and universities (every accredited college in the United States). Each entry
includes information on admission procedures, graduation and attendance statistics,
majors offered, tuition and other costs, athletics, on campus activities, campus
commuting, and demographic and geographic information. End matter includes a
planning calendar and worksheets to help readers complete applications. The annually
updated handbook has an online counterpart where students can keep track of important
test dates as well as search through colleges by name, or filter searches by type of school,
location, types of campus and housing options, offered majors or particulars of the
learning environment (whether they allow student-designed majors etc.), sports and
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activities, policies on accepting academic credits, offered support services, diversity
statistics, or level of selectivity or required test scores.
Ivester, Matt. Lol…OMG!: What Every Student Needs to Know About Online Reputation
Management, Digital Citizenship and Cyberbullying. Las Vegas: Create Space, 2011. Print.
Intended for today's high school and college students, this work seeks to teach young
adults how to manage their online reputation and digital citizenship. Organized by broad
topic areas such as "Becoming a Conscious Creator of Content," students can easily
navigate via the table of contents. Throughout advice is imparted mainly through case
studies and relevant strategy tips. If students would like further information back end
matter includes notes and references and a resources list for further reading.
U.S. Department of Labor. (2012). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Bureau of Statistics.
Online: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Though also available in print editions, it's hard to resist the ease of use of the free
Occupational Outlook Handbook website. Users can search the handbook directly via a
search box, browse by occupational groups, brows by an A–Z index of job titles or
browse by those jobs that are the highest paying, have the fastest projected growth rates,
or have the most new jobs projected. Options for searching include, identifying 2010
median pay, necessary entry-level education, types of on-the-job training, number of new
jobs projected, or projected growth rate. Each job description includes a summary of
what someone in that job does, their work environment, how to become one, the pay, the
job outlook, other similar occupations and who to contact for further information. Other
available tools on this site include industries at a glance, an inflation calculator,
unemployment rate statistics and maps and much more.
76
Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
Shultze, Q. (2012). Resume 101: a student and recent-grad guide to crafting resumes and cover
letters that land jobs. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
Intended for recent graduates of high school or college, this book is intended to teach
students how to craft powerful resumes and cover letters. Readers are guided step-by-step
through the process of creating a work portfolio, how to get great references, what to do
if your GPA isn't particularly high and much more. The book is organized in a step-bystep manner from "Where to Begin" to "Fine-Tune Your Resume." The final chapter
focuses on circulating your resume and how to build a support network. Eight appendices
provide students with resources from lists of adjectives to use for describing positive
traits to trouble shooting common grammatical error guides and sample resumes and
cover letters. An index is included.
Ducat, Diane. Turning Points: Your Career Decision Making Guide. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River:
Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.
This work for all ages provides a guide to developing networking skills, uncovering job
and internship leads, creating resumes and cover letters, and interviewing effectively. It
guides readers through exploring their strengths and determining how to use these
strengths to most effectively reach their career goals, including making sound educational
decisions for career development. Activities throughout the text encourage students to
actively participate, and the supplemental Instructor's Manual includes assignments
appropriate for placement in an eportfolio, PowerPoints, and a test bank.
Tenabe, G. &. K. (2011). The ultimate scholarship book 2012: billions of dollars in scholarships,
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Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults
This reference work offers information on more than 1.5 million monetary awards,
scholarship and grants to fund higher education, categorized by career goals, intended
majors, public service, talents, athletics, religion, ethnicity, and more. This organization
allows students to browse by their specific qualifications, ensuring efficiency of use.
Each entry includes information on eligibility requirements, how to get more information,
how to obtain an application, web listings, award amounts and application deadlines.
Further information is provided on how to conduct a scholarship search, how to
successfully navigate the application process and how to avoid scams. Indices are
included.
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