Reading now: Describing Electronic, Digital, and Other Media Using AACR and RDA

While there are a number of books that help in resource discovery (aka cataloging / cataloguing), this book has more hands-on and how-to-do in dealing with both AACR2 and (RDA)

Describing Electronic, Digital, and Other Media Using AACR and RDA: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians (How-to-Do-It Manuals), by Mary Beth Weber, Fay Austin, Facet Publishing and Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.; Pap/Cdr edition (2011) Extract:
Catalogers hungry for hard-to-find answers regarding the best way to insure access to diverse new content will find expert solutions in this vital new resource. Streaming video, Internet sites, dual-disc DVDs, blogs and listservs are just some of the rapidly emerging, and often complicated, new resources covered in this current, easy-to-follow manual. Authors Mary Beth Weber and Fay Austin dedicate separate chapters to each non-print and e-resource format, and include corresponding examples to help demonstrate practical implementation of these critical new skills. A companion CD-ROM contains fully-worked out examples, models and illustrations, and acts as an important visual guide to help reinforce key concepts. Practical and user-friendly, this essential guide to 21st century cataloging will teach you to organize your constantly expanding collection of materials with both optimal efficiency and increased discoverability.
What do Reviewers Say:
With a useful CD-ROM for step-by-step help and a companion website that will be updated as necessary. Recommended." --Library Journal, April 2011
"This book is highly recommended for technical services staff struggling with changing cataloguing rules for certain types of nonbook materials." --Technicalities, November/December 2011

Database Searching -- Information Literacy for Library Technicians

Finding "something quickly," in each case, proved to be seriously misleading to their overall comprehension of the subject.

In a very similar way, Google searching leaves remote scholars, outside the research library, in just the situation of the Blind Men of India: it hides the existence and the extent of relevant sources on most topics (by overlooking many relevant sources to begin with, and also by burying the good sources that it does find within massive and incomprehensible retrievals). It also does nothing to show the interconnections of the important parts (assuming that the important can be distinguished, to begin with, from the unimportant). six blind men and an elephant, by ben vershbow ideas from the famous Librarian, Thomas Mann: The Oxford Guide to Library Research. (see also) (Six blind men) is a parable that has crossed between many religious traditions and is part of Jain, Buddhist, Sufi and Hindu lore. Read more

See holy stages and See Also holy rules of Database Searching, in "Inside a searcher's mind: the seven stages of an online search," by Barbara Quint, Online 15.3 (May 1991): p13

Library and Information Science Search Engine (over 208 sites now have been included, including the latest Blogs and Open Access eJournals); Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts™ (LISTA) is available FREE to any library.

Database Searching in Library environ is not the same as Googling. It is not any ways close to a Google search and hence, not the same as Google results.

Database Searching requires some understanding of fundamental concepts (e.g, information seeking behavior or information needs), essential resources (e.g., primary, secondary), search techniques (what to search, where to search, how to search), etc. In short, it is going beyond Google (in order to find relevant, accurate, current, reliable, dependable, and verified content).

Textbooks:

Computers in Libraries (2006), Chapter 8 (OPAC) pages:109-110, 116-110; Chapter 10 (Information Searching) pages: 137-143

Cases in Online Search Strategy by Bruce A. Shuman

Searching Skills Toolkit by Caroline De Brún

The Information Specialist's Guide to Searching and Researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web, by Ernest C. Ackermann

Finding it Online (2004), 'Framing Your Search Strategy,' 73-77

Guide to Becoming Library Technician (2005) 'Developing Search Strategies' 158.

Librarian's Guide to Online Searching, Suzanne S. Bell

The Library Instruction Cookbook, Ryan L. Sittler - see chapter on "The Art of Database Searching by Dawn Eckenrode"

Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: An Introduction,
by Kay Ann Cassell & Uma Hiremath. Chapter on "Finding the Answer: Basic Search Techniques"

Search Patterns: Design for Discovery, by Peter Morville [Summary: This book explores design patterns that apply across the categories of web, e-commerce, enterprise, desktop, mobile, social, and realtime search and discovery. The authors cover topics such as relevance ranking, faceted navigation, multi-touch, and augmented reality together with a practical guide to help us make search better today--Derived from p. [4] of cover.
Contents: Pattern recognition -- The anatomy of a search -- Behavior -- Design patterns -- Engines of discovery -- Tangible futures.]

Issues in Online Database Searching (Database Searching Series), by Carol Tenopir

The Elements of Library Research: What Every Student Needs to Know by Mary W. George

Understanding Information Retrieval Systems: Management, Types, and Standards, by Marcia J. Bates [see chapter on "Information Searching and Search Models by Iris Xie;" sections are on: MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS, TYPES OF INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS and STANDARDS FOR INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS]

Humor and Information Literacy: Practical Techniques for Library Instruction, by
Joshua Vossler, Scott Sheidlower

Magic Search: Getting the Best Results from Your Catalog and Beyond by Rebecca S. Kornegay [showcases how to increase the power of Library of Congress Subject Heading (LCSH) subdivisions to produce astonishing results from your searches.]

The Medical Library Association Essential Guide to Becoming an Expert Searcher (Medical Library Association Guides), Terry Ann Jankowski

Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog, by William Badke

Online Retrieval: A Dialogue of Theory and Practice, by Geraldene Walker

Techniques and Tools, How-To, What-to:

Compare Databases - Academic Database Assessment Tool (ADAT)  (includes: Bibliographic Databases and Fulltext Databases)

Planning a Search Strategy

Seneca's Guidelines on how to find an article

Research Success Tutorial

SELECTING & EVALUATING YOUR SOURCES , (includes: Recognizing a Scholarly Article) Dawson College

Basic and Advanced Operators (Boolean, Truncation, WildCard Chart)

Develop own information literacy skills

Information Literacy and the Contributions of Library Technicians in the Academic Library Dorothy Gagnon and Cyndi Smith, Reference Library Technicians, Georgian College.

Video Tutorial: Evaluating Websites

From the same shelf (Blog):

Podcast of information literacy information from Curtin University of Technology Library and Information Service

Information Literacy (for all) - A useful gateway

Information Literacy Tutorial - Kognito

Finding a journal article is like hunting for a needle in a haystack

What the Information Professionals Read to Keep Up to Date, A list by Professor Karen M. Drabenstott, @ University of Michigan

Evaluating Selected Full-text Databases for Collection Development, by Karen Whisler, Marlene Slough, Nackil Sung and Barbara Cressman, Illinois Periodicals Online, 1998.

Amazing how mission drives an organization

"I was at the ARL "Library Management Skills Institute I: The Manager" session a couple weeks ago, and it was impressed on me how dramatically the values and perspectives of librarians changed depending on their respective organizations' missions.

I work for a library which has clearly articulated a strategic plan, mission, and values which says that service is one of our core principles. This "patron-first" vision frames the way we see things, and it comes straight from our Dean.

It is in this principle of service that our Dean has justified NOT moving toward ARL status as a library. This is a significant change from the previous administration which had placed ARL status as one of the library's priorities... continue reading: Adam Wathen @ The Thinking Library

Library Research Project 101

Things to think about as you approach a research project

@Ann the Librarian

"I’ve been playing around with making a worksheet to use when I’m working with students who are just starting a research project. “Research” in this context refers to library research to find relevant articles, books, documents, etc, about a topic.
So here’s my first draft:

1. What discipline or disciplines am I working in?

2. What type of literature or information do I need?

3. How and where will I search for the information I need?

4. How will I access the information that I find?

5. What keywords or terms will I use to describe my topic?

6. After running a few searches: What results am I getting?

7. What refinements should I make to my search in light of those results?

8. How will I use the results that I’ve found?

9. What am I missing?

FREE TOOLS & Software for Information Managers

FREE TOOLS/Software to Download for use in the Library, at Home or for your own Business @ LibrarySupportStaff.com

PLEASE BE AWARE! I DO NOT ENDORSE & AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SOFTWARE OR ONLINE SERVICES That you may link to from this page!! Use, Download Software or Link to Individual websites at Your Own Risk.

NB. Library Suppport Staff's website has tonnes of stuff on Helpful for On the Job in Libraries