THE LITERATURE
OF
LIBRARIANSHIP
LS 501: Introduction to
Library & Information Studies
c. Summer 2006; Updated 2008
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BUT FIRST………………

Some handy-dandy tips
 Definitions
 Googling
 URLs
 Domain names
 Backtracking
 Search engines & Subject guides
 Pathfinders
 Evaluating websites
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Finding Definitions and Understanding
Terminology


ODLIS http://lu.com/odlis/
Googling definitions
 www.google.com
 Enter definition “word or phrase”
 Google options
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My name is URL ………………….

URL = Universal Resource Locator = an Internet World Wide Web Address.

Domain name = unique address on the Internet; also referred to as Internet
name or Internet address; domain names are also referred to as Uniform
Resource Locaters or URLs.


Domain Name Servers (DNS): DNS is used to point a domain name to
the server where the actual site is stored. The name server details are
provided by the web hosting providers. eg:.suffixes
IP = Internet Protocol

Because the Internet is based on IP addresses, not domain names,
every Web server requires a Domain Name System (DNS) server to
translate domain names into IP addresses.
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Domain Names

Domain name = a name that identifies one or more IP addresses.
 Tthe domain name microsoft.com represents about a dozen IP addresses.
 Domain names are used in URLs to identify particular Web pages.

For example, in the URL http://www.pcwebopedia.com/index.html, the domain name
is pcwebopedia.com. Every domain name has a suffix that indicates which top level
domain (TLD) it belongs to. There are only a limited number of such domains. For
example:

Every domain name has a suffix that indicates which top level domain name
(TLD) it belongs to. There are only a limited number of such domains.
 gov - Government agencies
 edu - Educational institutions
 org - Organizations (nonprofit)
 mil - Military
 com - commercial business
 net - Network organizations
 ca - Canada ; uk = United Kingdom ; au = Australia, etc.

See the list of Domain Extensions and the countries they coincide with in the Quick
Reference section of Webopedia.

Also see Registering a Domain Name in the Did You Know section of Webopedia.
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BACKTRACKING THE URL

Why backtrack?
 To locate root source
 To locate information about the web page and its
authors/producers/sponsors



www.laurenpressley.com/projects/millennials/paper.doc
www.laurenpressley.com/projects
www.laurenpressley.com
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SEARCH ENGINES & SUBJECT GUIDES

Use a Search Engine, which is a machine-generated searching technique that locates words
within webpage titles, addresses, and text. This technique is best used to locate a great deal of
information or "hits" on a particular topic or to locate a specific title that is already known (as in
the title of a webpage, song, article, etc.). Be aware that search engines may locate thousands
or hundreds of thousands of poor choices. For information on search engines and how they
operate, go to the Search Engine Watch site. Google, which arranges hits by relevance, is a
highly recommended search engine.

Use a Subject Guide when you need more assistance. A Subject Guide is usually developed
and maintained by professional librarians or information specialists who organize web sites by
specific subject headings. Because the content is reviewed by some means, there is usually
higher percentage of relevant hits on search terms. Some Subject Guides may be machinegenerated, based on the number of times a term appears in a document. Most college and
public libraries that are online provide recommended subject lists of web resources.

Use a source that includes Review Sites. These sources provide professional reviews to
websites, which means the content has been reviewed and evaluated according to criteria for
good communication on the WWW. These sources are useful in identifying the best and most
reliable resources among millions available. Some Search Engines and Subject Guides have
review or recommended sections. For the best results in a comprehensive search, use more
than one search engine, subject guide, or review source. Each search tool has "help" sections
which provide more detailed information to help improve searching.

http://www.sheltonstate.edu/content2.aspx?PageID=499#rec%20search%20engines
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EXAMPLES OF SUBJECT GUIDES

Toolkit for the Expert Web Searcher (Ensor/LITA)
http://www.ala.org/ala/lita/litaresources/toolkitforexpe
rt/toolkitexpert.htm

Librarians’ Index to the Internet: Websites You Can
Trust (UC/Berkeley) http://lii.org/

UA Libraries Subject Guides
www.lib.ua.edu/subjguides
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PATHFINDERS





A subject bibliography designed to lead the user through the
process of researching a specific topic, or any topic in a given
field or discipline, usually in a systematic, step-by-step way,
making use of the best finding tools the library has to offer.
Pathfinders may be printed or available online. See also: topical
guide. (from ODLIS)
Particularly good for library instruction/orientation in school and
academic libraries
Helps librarians organize their presentations, understand a
subject field, and prepare for students/library users
Common service provided by librarians for their users (and for
each other)
How can we find examples online?
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TYPICAL PATHFINDER (Print & Electronic)

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Guides to the literature
Dictionaries, encylopedias, glossaries
Subject headings, search terms (now keyword searching often
supersedes the need for subject headings) for finding books
Indexes & databases
Important journals in the field
Almanacs & statistical sources
Specialized reference works or topics (e.g., Library of Congress,
history of librarianship, services for young adults)
Other resources (people, places, organizations, etc.)
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LIS PATHFINDERS

Library & Information Science
http://web.lib.usf.edu/ref/ifrank/guides/lis.html

Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/
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Evaluating Websites

See “How to Find Good Information on the Web” on
the Shelton State library website, also linked to your
LS501 syllabus page online.

http://faculty.sheltonstate.edu/%7Edgrimes/howtoev
al.01.html
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Why is it important to know the literature of the
field?






To identify the core beliefs, understandings, history, and content in
the field
To understand the traditions, language, ethics of the field
To identify key authors and titles, historical and current, in the field
To identify resources that point to other publications in the field (e.g.,
guides to the literature, review journals, bibliographies, etc.)
To know when to choose and when to reject publications (or other
resources) in the field
To identify all formats in which resources in the field are published
(both formal and informal)
Understanding the literature of a field is what makes
someone an expert in the field and/or an expert
subject bibliographer/cataloger.
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What is meant by “literature of the field”?





Record of scholarship within a particular field
“Classics”
 Authors
 Publishers/Producers
 Titles
 Languages
Historical vs. cutting edge
Formal vs. informal sources
National & international (languages)
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Types/Sources of Literature of a Field


Formal Sources
 Books (monographs)
 Periodicals & other serials
 Abstracts, indexes and databases
 Reference works
 “Classics” in the field
 Dictionaries, handbooks, encyclopedia, directories, etc.
 Metadata & bibliography
 Associations, societies, agencies, organizations
Informal Sources
 Conference papers, proceedings (“live” and electronic)
 Associations, societies, agencies, organizations
 Blogs?
 Grey literature & the Invisible College (http://www.greynet.org/ )
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What Is Grey Literature?

Material which might not be formally published, such as
institutional reports. It can be difficult to trace, but the MOPS
Unit can help.
http://www.lib.gla.ac.uk/welcome/jargon.shtml

Working documents, pre-prints, research papers, statistical
documents, and other difficult-to-access materials that are not
controlled by commercial publishers. Also spelled Gray
literature.
http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/laoap/glossary.html

Non-conventional literature (NCL, also called ‘grey literature’)
comprises scientific and technical reports, patent documents,
conference papers, internal reports, government documents,
newsletters, factsheets and theses, which are not readily
available through commercial channels. NCL specifically does
not include normal scientific journals, books or popular
publications that are available through traditional commercial
publication channels.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_literature
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How do you find out what the literature of
the field includes? Where do you find it?
Textbooks, reading lists
 Classes (professional education)
 Professional associations
 Indexes & databases (which periodicals are
included)
 Reference works

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How To Find Good Information on the Web

http://www.sheltonstate.edu/Faculty05.aspx?PageID=869
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COMING UP NEXT ………………
 5000
years of library history!
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