LIS 521 – Spring 2001
Name:Emily Cook
Final Quiz
Respond with appropriate answers from items included in the nine categories of resources we
have considered this quarter, or otherwise as appropriate. Do not forget to include your name. I
will broadcast a copy of the quiz via e-mail to facilitate an electronic response if that is your
preference, and reference interview questions may be submitted to your “customer” via e-mail as
well. Your instructor would like to have the quiz by Wednesday, June 6. If you can’t get it in by
then, please let the instructor know about your situation [thanks!] Each problem is worth nine
points. The essay question is worth 10 points. The reference questions have been suggested by
queries drawn from the Stumpers listserv (with the exception of # 8, which I recently answered
for one of my kids) . As such, the answers sometimes may be more challenging than what you
have experienced in earlier quizzes. My advice: don’t spend a great deal of time searching for
part b) answers.
1.
A cultural studies student is writing a paper about the text of the song “Driving Through
Mythical America”. One of the lyrics is “Bogart said even the dead can talk”. She is trying to
determine if Bogart actually did say that, and if so, what movie it is from. An enterprising
researcher, she has contacted one of the composers, but now she’s stuck. This is the way she
describes her dilemma.
“OK. Now I've asked Clive about Bogart and "even the dead can talk". He said it was
from a 1960 movie called 'Murder, Incorporated' directed by the amazingly named
Bretaigne Windust. Now that would be fine except that, according to Halliwell's Film
Guide at any rate, Bogart wasn't in it. There's another inconsistency: the movie wasn't
directed by Mr. Windust, at least not according to Halliwell.”
1a.
What would you suggest your information seeker do to verify the Halliwell information?
[7 points]
Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com
1.b.
What is the explanation of the conflicting information? [2 points]
I think the Halliwell’s information refers to the 1995 film Murder Incorporated, in which
neither Windust nor Bogart had any part. I suspect Clive was referring to the 1951 film
The Enforcer, directed by Windust and starring Bogart. The confusion arises from the
fact that The Enforcer is also known as Murder Inc.
2.
One of your customers is trying to find the title of a book she read long ago with her
daughter. This is what she has told you.
“The book was about a young boy who lived in the trees in a fantasy world. The
people were unaware of another group living underground in tunnels below the
trees. I think the title had something to do with ‘green
sky’. There was a computer game modeled on the story which my daughter and I
used to play on an Apple IIe computer. I don't remember much more, but my
nostalgic daughter (after being away at college for her first year) has been
thinking of special things we shared together when she was young, and would
love to find a copy of the book.”
2.a.
What source would you suggest she use to pursue her search? [7 points]
Amazon.com (I selected Amazon above other large book bibliographies like OCLC and
BIP because unlike its counterparts Amazon often provides a content/plot synopsis and
book reviews, which in this case can indicate which “green sky” book is the correct one.)
2.b.
What is the title of the book? [2 points]
I think the customer is seeking a book by Zelpha Snyder Snyder called Until the
Celebration. It is the third book in the Green-Sky series. A book review on Amazon
describes it as a sci-fi book about people who make there home in big trees. That
sounds pretty close to the customers description ”…who lived in trees in a fantasy
world.” The book is currently out of print, so it probably cannot be purchased.
However, many libraries have a copy (about 50 according to OCLC), so it should be
easy to interlibrary loan.
3.
A Korean-American family has been engaged in an off/on discussion over the years
about the United Nations cemetery in Pusan, Korea. One of the family members, now deceased,
has apparently told conflicting stories about the event, which he had attended. Your customer
has decided to try and clarify some of the issues. To accomplish that, she needs to know the date
of the dedication of the cemetery. She also would like to find out whether General MacArthur
was present at the ceremony.
3.a.
What resource would you suggest she consult first? [7 points]
New York Times Index (focusing around 1951, the approximate year ascertained
through the reference interview)
3.b
What are the answers to her questions? [2 points]
Looking through indexes for 10 years surrounding the date supplied in the reference
interview, and working from the terms Cemeteries, Korea, Pusan, United Nations, and
MacArthur, I did not locate anything exactly matching the details provided in the
reference interview. However, I did find something that something that sounds similar.
In the 1950 index, a citation under Cemeteries mentions the dedication of the UN
military cemetery in Wansan, which occurred October 18th 1950. The brief article in the
New York Times did mention dignitaries present, but MacArthur was not among them.
Coincidence?
4.
A customer who is doing sets for a school production of a play by Congreve is trying
to identify a color described as ‘goaling green’ in some notes referring to an early presentation
of the play. She hasn’t been able to uncover any references to such a color and she wonders if a
typographical error may have been made in a transcription of the 18th century notes.
4a.
What source would you suggest she consult in her ongoing quest for an answer to her
problem? [7 points]
Oxford English Dictionary (because the customer wants to understand a word in its
historical context)
4b.
Can you provide a hypothesis about what the color may be? [2 points]
I did not find goaling green, or goaling whatsoever, in the OED. But when I searched
green I noticed that the dictionary does have entries under different types of green, like
sea-green. So I entered the truncated search g*-green. The results list included the
likes of glass-green, gold-green, and gosling-green. Since the customer thinks there
may be a typographical error in her notes and since the OED shows that gosling green
was in use in the 18th and 19th centuries, I think gosling might be the word from the play
notes. In any event OED defines gosling-green, under gosling, as “a pale yellowish
green.” Examples of usage from the OED include: 1766 GOLDSM. Vic. W. xii, His
waistcoat was of a gosling green. 1807 P. GASS Jrnl. 146 We found the southwest
branch..of a goslin-green colour. 1835 LONGFELLOW Outre-Mer (1851) 285 The nice
little man in gosling-green.
5.
One of your colleagues in the corporation for whom you are the special librarian is
seeking information about a database called NAPRALERT. She would like a description of what
it does and is particularly interested in knowing how she can get access to it.
5.a.
What resource would you check first in pursuit of this request? [7 points]
Gale Directory of Databases
5.b.
How can your colleague gain access to the database? [2 points]
2001 edition – entry 4195 contains a description for NAPARALERT
It is available online via dialup through (3 options):
1. U. of Illinois Chicago, College of Pharmacy -- contact Mary Lou Quinn, Managing
Director at quinnml@uic.edu
2. STN International
3. Compuserve Interactive Services
6.
Your customer is trying to retrieve information about a poem that is about lying to
children. He thinks it is Russian and probably dates from around 1960.
6.a.
To what source would you refer this customer? [7 points]
Columbia Granger’s Index to Poetry
6.b.
Can you identify any promising titles in response to his request? [2 points]
I did not locate anything promising in the poetry index or anywhere else.
7.
A customer thinks that Colin Dexter (author of the Morse mysteries that have appeared
on TV) may have a pseudonym. He thinks it may start with P. He wonders if you can help him
explore this question.
7a.
Where would you suggest he look first? [7 points]
Contemporary Authors
7.b.
Has Dexter used a pseudonym? (If not, do you have any idea how to explain what the “P”
may represent?) [2 points]
Dexter has no pseudonyms per se. However, his name is actually Norman Colin
Dexter. Furthermore, a cross-reference from N.C. Dexter indicates that he’s probably
published under that name as well. On my own I did not find anything that connected
‘P’ to Dexter. So when curiosity got the best of me I did a keyword search on Stumpers
and found that one librarian hypothesized that the ‘P’ connection refers to Michael
Pennington, a narrator for several Morse mysteries. Following that same vein I found
that Patrick Tull also has narrated a number of Morse mysteries, so that may be another
option.
8.
Your instructor’s daughter sent this e-mail last week. “When you get a chance, can you
look for a publication by Reva Polatnik? She wrote an article about reproductive rights among
black women, but I don't have any other information.”
8.a.
Where should he look first? [7 points]
Expanded Academic Index
8.b.
Can you identify any articles that seem likely candidates in response to the question? [2
points]
After searching for Reva Polatnik in a variety of sources to no avail I checked the
spelling of her name, entering Polatnik into Google. I figured that it would probably work
because her name is rather unique. Based on this search I found a M. Rivka Polatnik
who is associated with the Berkeley Center for Working Families and who has written in
the area of Women’s Studies. Given the similarities, I’m pretty sure Reva and Rivka is
the same person. Unfortunately, the articles retrieved on the web are about the
parental involvement of fathers. Using the correct spelling of Polatnik’s name I
searched Expanded Academic, Lexis, Research Library as well as several Women’s
Studies databases, but found nothing. Although I have not been able to locate the type
of article required, there is the option of tracking it down by contacting Polatnik directly,
using her email address (rivkapol@ips.net) that is provided on one of the websites
found through Google
9.
You have a customer who comes to you with the following request.
“Charles Todd uses the term "pele tower" in his novel Legacy of the Dead (c.
2000). It refers to a pile of stones, the ruins of a tower in a pasture in England.
Can anyone tell me where he got this odd phrase?”
9.a.
What source would you suggest he consult first? [7 points]
Oxford English Dictionary
Can you provide any information about the term “pele”? [2 points]
9.b.
Pele (or pele tower) along with pile and peal are obsolete forms of the word peel.
According the OED definition, peel is the general name used by modern writers for the
small towers or fortified dwellings built in the 16th century in the border countries of
England and Scotland for defense against hostile forays. The OED also provides detail
about the architectural design of peels and notes that currently the term is often applied
in cases in which it has no historical support, simply as a synonym for small castle or
tower.
10.
One of your faculty members is trying to identify a modern name for a lake
In Italy called “Lake Gigeus” or "Gigean Lake". He has read references to this lake from the 16th
century, but can find no modern reference in gazetteers, atlases, etc. He wonders if the lake still
exists, or has a different name? Can anyone help with this request?
10a.
What source would you suggest as a first choice? [7 points]
Columbia Gazetteer of the World (because it is the most thorough listing of place
names, and it also contains former place names.)
10b.
Can you provide any information that might be helpful to the professor (hint: this had not
been answered in a completely satisfactory way on the stumpers list when I last checked)
[2 points]
The answer is not located in the Columbia Gazetteer. Looking through various other
atlases I did locate a couple other Gigean’s, one is in Bulgaria and another is a city in
Southern France. Since no current geographical materials have been successful for the
professor, I suggest that he consult some 16th century maps of Italy to verify the
existence and identify the location of this mysterious lake. Then he can compare the
older maps with its modern counterpart to see if the modern location of the lake (or
where the lake used to be) can be determined.
===============================================================
Note:
 Stumpers – may include misspellings etc. provided by the customer

Not every problem can necessarily be answered by items on list. At least one problem
invites a web response as a 1st choice

Some of the questions ask for specific answers. I haven’t verified all the responses yet –
It is possible that there is no answer available, though that’s is not my current
expectation. If I can’t find an answer, I will not expect you to be able to. If you find an
answer that I haven’t been able to find – extra credit!

If you detect ambiguities, ask customer for clarification
Essay Question
MOTHER GOOSE in the library! Briefly discuss at least one practical lesson that can be drawn
from each of the following nursery rhymes for a librarian working with general information
needs. See if you can make a connection to information in electronic form in at least one problem
set -- no penalty if you don't see any. (10 points)
1. For every evil under the sun
There is a remedy or there is none.
If there be one seek till you find it;
If there be none, never mind it.
#1. This nursery rhyme demonstrates one of the reference commandments: reference
librarians should strive for perfection, but keep in mind that no one is perfect. The job of
the reference librarian is to know how to locate information, or at least how to go about
searching for the information. Persistence is required for difficult questions, but so it the
ability to know when to stop looking. In other words it is important that the reference
librarian realize that some questions do not have an answer (or at least one that can be
found), and that at times one will be forced to answer a question by saying “I’m sorry I
cannot find what you are looking for.”
2. March winds and April showers
Bring forth May flowers.
#2 This is a metaphor about the combination of two different things, which results in
something altogether different and spectacular. This has occurred with the migration of
.
print resources into electronic form. Take for example the New York Times Index. The
information for the index has been laboriously amassed over time. The technology for
electronic information retrieval was developed separately over time. However, when the
two were combined the results was the blossoming of a resource with new, spectacular
capabilities, allowing reference librarians to easily conduct exhaustive searches,
searches combining terms and spanning years instead of repeating the same search in
volume after volume. Understanding the positive results of the combination of
technology with reference resources, that have historically been difficult to wade
through, is an especially important lesson for reference librarians who are apprehensive
about the increased use of technology in libraries.
3. Goosey, goosey, gander,
Whither dost thou wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
And in my lady's chamber.
#3 This nursery rhyme presents the image of someone wandering from place to place,
presumable looking for something, not finding it, and then continuing to wander. As
such, the nursery rhyme demonstrates another one the reference commandments: the
librarian is never the patron’s first choice for satisfying an information need. Patrons
seek to meet their needs in various ways before coming to the library, only approaching
the reference librarian as a last resort – when they are unsuccessful locating the
information they require or when they need to ensure the absolute reliability of the
information they seek.
4. Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.
Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
Nine days old.
#4 Information is available in different formats (hot, cold, 9 days old). For example a
general overview of a topic is available in an encyclopedia article whereas information
pertaining to current trends are more likely to be contained in a yearbook. Likewise,
patrons have different information needs and wants (some like it hot, some like it
cold…). One might want the general overview, while another might need information
about trends. Furthermore patron needs might pertain to the characteristics of the
resource within a category itself; a patron might need a general overview that is written
for an educated adult or that has many colorful illustrations. As such, it is the job of the
reference librarian to identify the different information formats available and to identify
what the patron needs and to match the two together.
5. "I am a gold lock."
"I am a gold key."
"I am a silver lock."
"I am a silver key."
"I am a brass lock."
"I am a brass key."
"I am a don lock."
"I am a don key."
#5 Different types of information are accessible in different ways. In other words, there
are various surrogates for accessing, or unlocking, different types of information. Thus
when the reference librarian is trying to meet a general information need s/he needs to
consider what type of surrogate (key) will open the way to the information desired. Thus
when seeking the kind of information in an article it makes most sense to use the article
key – an index!
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Susan Ludington
LIS 521
Final Exam
June 6, 2001
Respond with appropriate answers from items included in the nine categories of resources we
have considered this quarter, or otherwise as appropriate. Do not forget to include your name. I
will broadcast a copy of the quiz via e-mail to facilitate an electronic response if that is your
preference, and reference interview questions may be submitted to your “customer” via e-mail as
well. Your instructor would like to have the quiz by Wednesday, June 6. If you can’t get it in by
then, please let the instructor know about your situation [thanks!] Each problem is worth nine
points. The essay question is worth 10 points. The reference questions have been suggested by
queries drawn from the Stumpers listserv (with the exception of # 8, which I recently answered
for one of my kids) . As such, the answers sometimes may be more challenging than what you
have experienced in earlier quizzes. My advice: don’t spend a great deal of time searching for
part b) answers.
1. A cultural studies student is writing a paper about the text of the song “Driving Through
Mythical America”. One of the lyrics is “Bogart said even the dead can talk”. She is trying to
determine if Bogart actually did say that, and if so, what movie it is from. An enterprising
researcher, she has contacted one of the composers, but now she’s stuck. This is the way she
describes her dilemma:
“OK. Now I've asked Clive about Bogart and "even the dead can talk". He said it was from a
1960 movie called 'Murder, Incorporated' directed by the amazingly named Bretaigne Windust.
Now that would be fine except that, according to Halliwell's Film Guide at any rate, Bogart
wasn't in it. There's another inconsistency: the movie wasn't directed by Mr. Windust, at least
not according to Halliwell.”
1a. What would you suggest your information seeker do to verify the Halliwell information? [7
points]
This puzzler can be clarified by searching the IMDB under the name of the
director, Bretaigne Windust.
1b. What is the explanation of the conflicting information? [2 points]
When a search is performed on the film "Murder, Incorporated," it's learned that
this movie was made in 1995; obviously Humphrey Bogart could not have starred
in it, nor was Windust the director. By searching under Windust's entry, one can
look at his filmography, specifically the list of movies he directed. One of these
movies is written as:
Enforcer, The (1951)
...aka Murder, Inc. (1951) (UK)
A further search on this film, "The Enforcer", shows that Humphrey Bogart did
play the starring role as the character, Martin Ferguson. The movie, when
released in Britain, was apparently called "Murder, Inc.," which explains the mixup with the movie identified as "Murder, Incorporated."
2. One of your customers is trying to find the title of a book she read long ago with her daughter.
This is what she has told you:
“The book was about a young boy who lived in the trees in a fantasy world. The people were
unaware of another group living underground in tunnels below the trees. I think the title had
something to do with 'green sky’. There was a computer game modeled on the story which my
daughter and I used to play on an Apple IIe computer. I don't remember much more, but my
nostalgic daughter (after being away at college for her first year) has been thinking of special
things we shared together when she was young, and would love to find a copy of the book.”
2a. What source would you suggest she use to pursue her search? [7 points]
My first inclination was to search the Children's Catalog, which allows the user to
browse a subject indext; this, however, did not produce anything when searching
under terms like "tunnels," "trees," or "green sky." I decided this search called
for Google! I entered the search terms "trees," "tunnels," "underground," and
"green sky." I immediately retrieved a link to a site titled "BELOW THE ROOT: A
Classic Software Fantasy based on The Green-Sky Trilogy by Zilpha Keatley
Snyder WINDHAM CLASSICS (TM)." With this information, I then turned to
Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults. Looking in the subject index
under "green tree," I find an entry Green-TreeTrilogy. Turning to the referenced
page associated with the title, I was taken to a page where the title of the first
book in this series was listed and its story was summarized, verifying that the
answer was correct.
2b. What is the title of the book? [2 points]
The series title is called Green-Tree Trilogy, which comprises three books:
- "Below the Root" (1976) which is the name of the book that tells the tale
of the boy
who lives in the trees with his family; this is the work
that the computer
game is based on
- "And All Between" (1976)
- "Until the Celebration" (1977)
3. A Korean-American family has been engaged in an off/on discussion over the years about the
United Nations cemetery in Pusan, Korea. One of the family members, now deceased, has
apparently told conflicting stories about the event, which he had attended. Your customer has
decided to try and clarify some of the issues. To accomplish that, she needs to know the date of
the dedication of the cemetery. She also would like to find out whether General MacArthur was
present at the ceremony.
3.a.What resource would you suggest she consult first? [7 points]
Again, my first selection, the World Almanac and Book of Facts, failed to answer
the question. I also searched the Statistical Yearbook, which did not provide
information about cemetary dedications; next was Facts on File, but since I did
not know the dates of the event, it too proved to be futile. I ended with a search
in Google, once again, using the search terms "Pusan" "dedication" and
"memorial cemetary." This led me to a site called "Life in Korea," which
presented a description of the place, including the date of the cemetary's
dedication ceremony.
3.b What are the answers to her questions? [2 points]
The date of the ceremony's dedication was on April 5, 1951. The closest that I
could find anything regarding MacArthur's possible attendance at the ceremony
was referenced from a National Archives and Records Administration summary of
an audio recording. It mentioned that sometime before the 11th of April in 1951,
President Truman dismissed General MacArthur when it became "evident that
General MacArthur did not agree with (keeping the Korean conflict limited)."
After checking in the New York Times Index and the Facts on File (now that I had
a date to work with), I was still unable to state definitively that the general was not
there, but I would venture to guess that he wasn’t.
4. A customer who is doing sets for a school production of a play by Congreve is trying to
identify a color described as ‘goaling green’ in some notes referring to an early presentation of
the play. She hasn’t been able to uncover any references to such a color and she wonders if a
typographical error may have been made in a transcription of the 18th century notes.
4a.What source would you suggest she consult in her ongoing quest for an answer to her
problem? [7 points]
I initially started with a search in the Oxford English Dictionary, under the word
"goaling," which was not entered as a term. Because the question indicated
there might be a typographical error, I tried to imagine the different spellings of
the word that might have accounted for the confusion. I tried "goeling,"
"gooling," and "groling." I eventually stumbled on the word "gosling," used in
the phrase "gosling green."
4b. Can you provide a hypothesis about what the color may be? [2 points]
According to the OED, "gosling green" is "a pale yellowish green."
5. One of your colleagues in the corporation for whom you are the special librarian is seeking
information about a database called NAPRALERT. She would like a description of what it does
and is particularly interested in knowing how she can get access to it.
5a. What resource would you check first in pursuit of this request? [7 points]
I knew this one would be answered readily in the Gale Directory of Databases;
searching the index, I found the entry for NAPRALERT. After cross-referencing to
the page that described this database, I was able to solicit the needed
information.
5b. How can your colleague gain access to the database? [2 points]
The international bibliographic database, which covers subjects as natural
products, biological testing, and chemical constituents of plants, animals and
microbes, is supplied by the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of
Pharmacy. "Charges include a flat rate of $.75 per citation and a $25 access fee
for non-subscribers. Search results are provided on computer printouts and
diskette, or delivered via e-mail as ASCII files." This suggests that the database
may be subscribed to as a whole, or may be searched on a case-by-case basis,
utilizing the services of the college.
6. Your customer is trying to retrieve information about a poem that is about lying to children.
He thinks it is Russian and probably dates from around 1960.
6a. To what source would you refer this customer? [7 points]
My first choice would be to examine the Granger's Index to Poetry.
6b. Can you identify any promising titles in response to his request? [2 points]
I chose to look at the 1973 edition of the Index, as I thought it would cover most
everything from the 1960’s. The source has a subject index, so I turned to the
section on “Lies and Lying,” looking for an author with a Russian name of sorts.
The only thing that came remotely close was something titled "The Lie" written by
Howard Nemerov. I went to the cited collection, The New York Times Book of
Verse, to read the poem in full; it was about the ramifications of lying, but not
necessarily about lying to children.
7. A customer thinks that Colin Dexter (author of the Morse mysteries that have appeared on
TV) may have a pseudonym. He thinks it may start with P. He wonders if you can help him
explore this question.
7a. Where would you suggest he look first? [7 points]
For this question, I automatically turned to Contemporary Authors. The
cumulative index directed me to a volume in the Contemporary Authors New
Revised edition. This source, along with the Gale Dictionary of Literary
Biography, gave me the most complete information about his writings. Not
seeing any mention of a pseudonym, I continued searching, employing the OCLC
database. The listings associated with Dexter provided me with what I suspected
to be the answer to the pseudonym query.
7b. Has Dexter used a pseudonym? (If not, do you have any idea how to explain what the “P”
may represent?) [2 points]
From the variety of sources I consulted (including several reference works
devoted to the pseudonyms of authors), it does not appear that Dexter has ever
used a pseudonym. The most convincing explanation for what the "P" may
represent, coming from information determined using OCLC, resides in the name
of the performer who has narrated many of the Morse mysteries for the audio
version of the books. His name is Michael Pennington.
8. Your instructor’s daughter sent this e-mail last week. “When you get a chance, can you look
for a publication by Reva Polatnik? She wrote an article about reproductive rights among black
women, but I don't have any other information.”
8a. Where should he look first? [7 points]
My initial choice was to search the Expanded Academic Index, searching with
terms as “reproductive rights” and “black women.” This produced no results for
articles by ‘Polatnik.’ I then once again submitted the name “Polatnik, R” using
the reliable Google search. One indirect reference came up for an article in which
the bibliography revealed a cited article by Polatnik; however, it was interesting
to be asked by Google, “Did you mean ‘Polatnick’? This suggested the spelling
of the name was incorrect in the query (and in the article’s citation), so I
proceeded to do some further searches on the correct spelling of the author’s
name, using Expanded Academic Index, a CD-ROM database called
Contemporary Women's Issues (discovered through UW Libraries catalog), and
then again Google. All provided me with some articles, a few which relate to the
topic.
8b. Can you identify any articles that seem likely candidates in response to the question? [2
points]
The best articles that respond to the topic seem to be:
- "Diversity in Women's Liberation Ideology: How a Black and White Group
in the 1960's
Viewed Motherhood" (1996)
- "The Conversation Begins - Mothers and Daughters Talk About Living
Feminism (1997)
9. You have a customer who comes to you with the following request.
“Charles Todd uses the term "pele tower" in his novel Legacy of the Dead (c. 2000). It refers to a
pile of stones, the ruins of a tower in a pasture in England. Can anyone tell me where he got this
odd phrase?”
9a. What source would you suggest he consult first? [7 points]
Being familiar with word history type dictionaries, I thought a good place to start
would be The Origins of English Words.
9b. Can you provide any information about the term “pele”? [2 points]
According to this source, the word 'pele' refers to a "high place, especially one
that is fortified." I didn't think this was enough information, so I (I'm sorry, once
again) turned to Google. A number of hits were retrieved, with one of the best
explanations coming from a British website
[http://www.btinternet.com/~lake.district/pele.htm] describing the Lake District in
England. A whole section about 'pele towers' details how these defensive
structures were built in the north of England sometime in the 14th-15th centuries.
"They were small stone buildings with walls from 3 to 10 feet thick, square or
oblong in shape...Designed to withstand short sieges, they usually consisted of
three storeys (sic) - a tunnel-vaulted ground floor which had no windows which
was used as a storage area, and which could accomodate animals...The
battlemented roof was normally flat for look-out purposes, and to allow arrows to
be fired at raiders, and missiles hurled down on unwanted visitors."
10. One of your faculty members is trying to identify a modern name for a lake in Italy called
"Lake Gigeus" or the "Gigean Lake". He has read references to this lake from the 16th century,
but can find no modern reference in gazetteers, atlases, etc. He wonders if the lake still exists, or
has a different name? Can anyone help with this request?
10a. What source would you suggest as a first choice? [7 points]
I would be inclined to start with the Columbia Gazetteer of the World.
10b. Can you provide any information that might be helpful to the professor (hint: this had not
been answered in a completely satisfactory way on the stumpers list when I last checked) [2
points]
The Gazetteer didn't list either of the two terms (in any combination), so I next
tried the Times Atlas of the World. The only additional information I can offer
comes from this: it was learned that Gigean is a town in the south of France, and
it is located near the Mediterranean Sea, so perhaps there could have been a
body of water in that region at one time. Because the question said the lake was
in Itlay, however, I decided to visit the UW geographic resources, including the
Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names, to see if anything would match with that
country. Unfortunately I couldn't uncover any other information that shed any
light on the query.
==============================================================
note:
 Stumpers - may include misspellings etc. provided by the customer



Not every problem can necessarily be answered by items on list. At least one problem
invites a web response as a 1st choice
Some of the questions ask for specific answers. I haven’t verified all the responses yet - It
is possible that there is no answer available, though that’s is not my current expectation.
If I can’t find an answer, I will not expect you to be able to. If you find an answer that I
haven’t been able to find - extra credit!
If you detect ambiguities, ask customer for clarification
Essay Question
MOTHER GOOSE in the library! Briefly discuss at least one practical lesson that can be drawn
from each of the following nursery rhymes for a librarian working with general information
needs. See if you can make a connection to information in electronic form in at least one problem
set -- no penalty if you don't see any. (10 points)
1. For every evil under the sun
There is a remedy or there is none.
If there be one seek till you find it;
If there be none, never mind it.
It seems this rhyme is reflecting the nature of reference resources in that, for
every example of a patron question, there is likely a particular source that will
adequately respond to the query. By knowing the variety of resource types,
including their content and structure, and by understanding distinctly what the
user is asking, the reference librarian can select from the references at hand,
choosing the best one that will hopefully satisfy the patron's needs.
2. March winds and April showers
Bring forth May flowers.
The primary concept that I gather from this rhyme seems to relate to the cycle of
information, in such that the process of one action contributes to the next, which,
in turn, builds on that to produce something else. Information moves in a
somewhat linear fashion (though, of course, much overlapping and backstepping occurs) toward an end of some kind; the circle doesn't really ever end,
like the seasons: they transcend into something different, perhaps similar to the
original, but with additions, changes and growth.
3. Goosey, goosey, gander,
Whither dost thou wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
And in my lady's chamber.
This rhyme, in part, seems to parallel the recommended behavior of a reference
librarian: "never a sitter nor a pointer be." Essentially, this means that the most
helpful and most admired librarian will do more than just dispense with an
answer to a patron's question; she will actually get up out of her chair and
become mobile throughout the building, directing the searcher to the location of
the appropriate source. In doing this, the librarian is making every effort to verify
that the suggested reference choice is actually present and useful to the patron.
4. Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.
Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
Nine days old.
I believe this rhyme, in our context, suggests that every patron has varying needs
and responds to services and answers for those needs in different ways. For
example, one inquirer may be looking for just a simple direction toward a general
area in the library that he can browse to perhaps clarify his interest; he, in fact, is
not looking for a thorough description of a certain topic but rather an overview
from which he can determine his angle. For another patron, the need may be one
that requires the librarian to accompany the person to the shelves, involve
himself in a discussion with the questioner to get a more exact understanding of
the needs, and follow up with the individual to ask whether the information
received was helpful. It takes a conscientious and open-minded librarian to
realize that user needs cannot all be answered in the same manner, and that, to
answer a query effectively, he must try to zero in on the real need and anticipate
the preferred manner in which the patron will receive information to help with that
need.
5. "I am a gold lock."
"I am a gold key."
"I am a silver lock."
"I am a silver key."
"I am a brass lock."
"I am a brass key."
"I am a don lock."
"I am a don key."
This rhyme represents the patterning of reference questions, and the lack of
such: Some librarians may have a tendency to believe they "know where a patron
is going" with a question, and they attempt to answer with what they presume will
be useful to the inquirer. Often, though, patrons may not be asking that assumed
question at all, but something completely different. It serves the librarian well to
listen carefully to the whole part of the query, not to make assumptions about
what they think the patron is going to say, and react with the best possible
solution for that individual question.
//////////////////////////////////////////////
Joan Reberger
LIS 521
Final quiz
6-7-01
1a. Internet Movie Database.
1b. Bogart was in a 1951 film titles “The Enforcer” that was released as “Murder, Inc.” in
England. Bogart died in 1957 so the date can be ignored, and Clive must be British.
2a. KCLS catalog
2b. A good possibility is Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s Green Sky series of 3 volumes, Below the
Root, Until the
Celebration, And All Between. Boy’s name is Raamo.
3a. google- “pusan korea” Macarthur cemetery
3b. Cemetery dedicated in January 1951, Macarthur not relieved of command till April
1951, so possible.
4a. Having looked in many places, the only default suggestion is the internet. Google –
“restoration theater” and green gave some links to look through.
4b. The closest I got was references to green molding, in which the green is not a color
but has the sense of unused or unripened cast.
5a. google- napralert
5b. http://stneasy.cas.org fee-based database, has free demo (this demo will take some
time and expertise on the subject to determine usefulness).
6a. Columbia Granger’s Index to Poetry 10th edition.
6b. “How Lies Grow” by Maxine Chernoff in the book Leap Year Day.
The first line is something like…the first time I lied to my baby…
7a. Contemporary Authors (online)
7b. It is doubtful that Colin Dexter has used a pseudonym. However, he has published
under N.C. Dexter, his real initials. His first name is really Norman.
8a. google-list revealed a RIVKA Polatnik, part of a Feminist Mothers and their Allies
Taskforce website - http://www.nwsa.org/fmta.htm. Her email- rivkapol@ips.net.
8b. No.
9a. OED
9b. pele-tower, a minor fortified building, is another form of the word peel, an
independent fort or defensible position. Charles Todd could have picked up this term
from the National Trust Guide perusing for castle information, or from touring the
border of England and Scotland.
10a. Guide to Reference Books (Balay) to look for an historical atlas of Italy that goes
into enough detail to have more than political changes only.
10b. No.
Essay Questions
1. For all the information needs under the sun, some have answers and some may have none.
Therefore, search well, search thoroughly, and if nothing can be found, then let it go and do not
trouble yourself over it.
2. However, searching well and thoroughly, no matter how difficult or challenging the task, often
brings success. Do not allow setbacks to halt your hunt.
3. Those search engines, they will wander the web, going everywhere, even finding ladies
underwear. Google is the goose, and it goes all over the house, bringing back surprising things!
4. Make no judgment calls on people’s information needs because after all, some like it hot, some
like it cold, even though I find it disgusting, some like it in the pot nine days old. Serve the
porridge and avoid pejoratives.
5. Our intelligence works on pattern recognition, and assumptions are often made unconsciously.
But watch out, assumptions can make an ass out of you.
For #3
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=history/KoreaWar/Pilgrimage/unmem
for date of dedication
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind00/c1/tt01-01.htm for date of firing