Running head: REFERENCE SOURCE

Reference Source Project

Elise Aiello
University of South Florida

REFERENCE SOURCE

Aiello 2

Source 1: Grzimeks Animal Life Encyclopedia

Citation:

Hutchins, M., Evans, A., Jackson, J.A., Kleiman, D.G., Murphy, J.B.,
Thoney, D.A.,

et al, eds. (2003). Grzimeks animal life

encyclopedia. 2nd ed. 17 vols. Detroit: Gale.

Authority:
Named after its original editor in chief, famed zoologist Bernhard
Grzimek, Grzimeks Animal Life Encyclopedia earned a
reputation as the most comprehensive and authoritative
information source on animals (Berry, 2003, p. 76). According to
the official description on the Gale Cengage Learning website,
Gale elisted prominent advisors and contributors from the
international scientific community to incorporate recent
developments in the animal world. (Gale).
Dates Covered

Chronologically speaking, Grzimeks covers a huge scope of time,

ranging from prehistoric animals to current developments in the
animal kingdom.

Scope and Purpose

The purpose of Grzimeks is to provide a major point of
reference for researchers and students studying the animal
kingdom (Gale). The 2004 print edition and electronic edition
are both updates of the original, which covers all facets of the
animal kingdom, from Lower Metazoans to Mammals.
Organization

Very easy to use and well organized. There are 17 volumes that
comprise the encyclopedia (the last being the cumulative index).

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Each volume is organized by taxonomy. For example, Volume 1 is

dedicated to lower metazoans, Volume 2 to Protostomes, Volume
3 to insects, etc. With the online version, the user can simply use
the search box to find information or seek information by clicking
the link to each volume. In addition, there is an advanced search
option where the use can use Boolean operators and combine
search terms. There is also an alphabetical index.

Pricing
According to the Gale Cengage website, the 17 volume set is
$2,764.00.
Evaluation
Grzimeks Animal Life Encyclopedia should be a mainstay
in any reference collection. One of the main reasons why it
should be featured in a reference collection is its broad appeal.
According to Mary Ellen Quinns 2009 Booklist review, the site
can be used by researchers at many levels in high-school, public,
and academic libraries (53). Any reference source that can be
utilized by a wide variety of people is clearly a smart investment.
With over 5,000 color illustrations, 3,500 maps, and 3,500 new
color photographs, Grzimeks provides a wealth of information
for the cost. The electronic edition is very interactive, with links
to other useful websites, translations, and Readspeaker
technology.

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Both print and electronic incarnations of Grzimeks are very

easy to use, but impressive in scope. The authority, scope, and
accessibility of this resource render it an essential component to
an effective reference collection.
Source 2: Encyclopedia of World Biography: Print and
Electronic
(Electronic part of Biography in Context)
Citation:

Print:
o Bourgoin, S.M, Byers, P.K., & Walker, N.E. (1998).
Encyclopedia of world biography (2nd ed., 17 vols. Detroit,

MI: Gale Research.

Electronic:
o Encyclopedia of world biography. (2013). In Biography in
context. Retrieved from
http://ic.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/ic/bic1/home.

Authority:

Now more than ever, the revised edition of The Encyclopedia of

World Biography is an essential reference source. Originally
published in 1973 by McGraw Hill, this 17-vol. authoritative set is
entirely revised and updatedthe first complete revision in 25
years (Gale). According to a Booklist review, the new entries
give the reader and exhaustive source for the biographies of
people who, for their contributions to human culture and society,

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have reputations that stand the test of time (Booklist, 1998, p.

1542).
Dates Covered

The Encyclopedia of World Biography covers all time periods in

human history. The electronic version is updated daily and the

print annually by supplements.

Scope and Purpose
The print version of The Encyclopedia of World Biography
contains biographies of more than 7,000 individuals, and the
electronic version features more than 600,000 biographies. The
encyclopedia strives to serve as a well-rounded biographic
reference source.

Organization
The print encyclopedia is arranged alphabetically by the
subjects last name. Each entry contains a detailed biography,
photos and/or illustrations, and an additional reading list. There
is also an extensive index that features each subject and lists it
with accompanying years of birth and death. There are also
subject headings in the index. The electronic version features the
same information for each entry, and this version allows the user
to conduct an advanced search, or simply browse relevant
biographies.

Pricing
According to the Gale Catalog, the entire 17 volume set is
$1,876.00
Evaluation

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Any thorough and useful reference collection should have an

exhaustive

biographical

resource.

The

Encyclopedia

of

World

Biography is a shrewd investment to make as the electronic version is

constantly updated, it is authoritative, and covers such a broad scope
of subjects. This is another resource with broad appeal, especially to
younger students: This database will help teacher librarians ensure
that subjects are available, up-to-date, and interesting to students
(Applegate, 2012, 94). As Common Core standards are taking hold in
more schools, libraries are going to have to ensure that their nonfiction
and reference collections are adequate to meet their users needs.
Encyclopedia of World Biography will satisfy a great deal of these
needs. Encyclopedia of World Biography is a worthy addition to most
reference collections. It is especially useful for public, high-school, and
undergraduate libraries, and is highly recommended to those libraries
that already have the first edition (Booklist, 1998, 1542).

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Source 3: Book Review Index Online Plus

Citation:

Gale Cengage Learning. Book review index online plus. 2013.

Retrieved from
http://www.gale.cengage.com/servlet/ItemDetailServlet?
region=9&imprint=000&titleCode=BRIOP&type=4&id=223534.
Authority:

Gale Cengage Learning, a reputable information resource for

libraries and schools is the host and vendor of Book Review
Index Online Plus. This index provides subscribed users access to
full text reviews from other sources.
Dates Covered:

1983-present.
Scope and Purpose:

Book Review Index Online Plus features over 5 million review

citations, more than 634,000 full-text reviews from InfoTrac
OneFile and InfoTrac Expanded Academic, as well as full text via
links to library holdings. Access to full-text reviews allows users
to conduct research in numerous disciplines, including literature,
history, education, psychology, and more (Gale, 2013).
Organization

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The interface for Book Review Index Online Plus is very basic,
straightforward, and no frills. There is a title guide, author guide,
journal search, and advanced search guide.
Pricing

According to a 2012 Library Journal review, an annual

subscription to Book Review Index Online Plus starts at $573
(Golderman & Connolly, 2012).
Evaluation

Since readers advisory services do fall under the umbrella of a

public librarians duties, it is essential that every public library
has access to a reliable and thorough book review database.
Book Review Index Online Plus is a smart investment to make, as
it is entirely electronic (important as space is increasingly an
issue in libraries) and easy to use. It also is ideal because it offers
access to a great number of full text reviews. As this 2012
Library Journal review puts it, the beauty of this resource is that
in its full-text incarnation the distance between the user and the
necessary information shrinks dramatically. In other words, Gale
here makes it worth the effort to seek higher-quality, more
reliable review sources (Golderman & Connolly, 2012).

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Source 4: Facts on File Weekly World News Digest (Electronic)

Citation:

Facts on file world news digest. 2013. Retrieved from

http://www.2facts.com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/wnd_home_feature.asp
x.
Authority:

Facts on File is an award winning publisher of print and online

reference materials for the school and library market (Facts on
File, 2013). It also has More than 65 years of service to
librarians backing our editorial content and decisions (Facts on
file, 2013).
Dates Covered:

1940-present.

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Scope and Purpose:

According to the website, Facts on File brings together and
enhances nearly seven decades of news from the renowned
Facts on File World News Digest in print and specializes in key
subject areas such as history, science, geography, literature,

geography and health. (Facts on file, 2013).

Organization:
The search options are divided into three main categories which
are tabs at the top of the page: Encyclopedia, Almanac, and
Curriculum Tools. Under the Almanac tab there is a Find it Fast
section which features subjects such as Science & Technology,
U.S. States, Calendar, Astronomy, and Nations of the
World. Advanced searches can be performed as well.

Evaluation
Another essential component to a well-rounded and useful
reference collection is a current events or news index. Facts on
File Weekly World News Digest is updated weekly and contains
more than 1 million internal hyperlinks and convenient new
features such as tabbed search resultsthis publication is
unrivaled for its depth, breadth, and accuracy (Facts on file,
2013). This database is easy-to-use, thorough, and appropriate
for a diverse group of library users. With its frequently updated
material, it is a very smart subscription choice a library should
invest in.

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Source 5: Occupational Outlook Handbook

Citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor (Eds.).

Occupational outlook handbook (2012-2013 ed.). Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Authority

Any official government source is generally of the highest level of

reputability, and this is the official United States Department of

Labors Occupational Outlook website.

Dates Covered
The information featured in the Occupational Outlook Handbook
is updated annually.

Scope and Purpose

The purpose if the Occupational Outlook Handbook is to provide
career information. According to the Handbook, the profiles

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cover hundreds of occupations and describe What They Do,

Work Environment, How to Become One, Pay, and more (BLS,
2013).

Organization
The website allows you to perform a general keyword search, or
search occupations by pay, education, growth rate, number of
new jobs, education, and on-the-job training. There is also an A-Z

index as well as a list of groups of related occupations.

Pricing
Free
Evaluation
The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a wonderful resource for
librarians, especially in an uneasy job market with high levels of
unemployment. The Occupational Outlook Handbook is thorough,
providing a wealth of statistical information of hundreds of
different careers. It is easy to use and well-organized. The
electronic version is the idea choice to utilize, as a library would
have to replace the print version every year. A review in CHOICE
said, the Handbook continues to be an indispensable source of
free career information in the US, and the recent redesign makes
the site more accessible and easier to navigate. Students, job
seekers, educators, and workforce development/human
resources professionals all will find it invaluable (Leavitt, 2012).
With that kind of appeal, a library would be remiss not to take
advantage of such a useful and free resource.

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References
Applegate, S. (2012). Biography in context. Library Media Connection,
31(2), 94.

Berry,T.(2003,February1).Grzimek'sanimallifeencyclopedia.Library
Journal,128(2),76.Retrievedfrom
http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE
%7CA97329820&v=2.1&u=tamp44898&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor (Eds.).
Occupational outlook handbook (2012-2013 ed.). Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/.

EncyclopediaofqorldBiography.(1998,May1).Booklist,94(17),1542.
Retrievedfromhttp://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/ps/i.do?
id=GALE
%7CA54174965&v=2.1&u=tamp44898&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w
Gale Cengage Learning. Book review index online plus. 2013. Retrieved
from http://www.gale.cengage.com/servlet/ItemDetailServlet?
region=9&imprint=000&titleCode=BRIOP&type=4&id=223534.
Golderman, G., & Connolly, B. (2012). eReviews. Library Journal,
137(12), 105-109.

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Grzimeks animal life encyclopedia. (2013). Gale Cengage Learning.

Retrieved from
http://www.gale.cengage.com/servlet/BrowseSeriesServlet?
region=9&imprint=000&titleCode=GALE&edition=2.

Leavitt,L.L.(2012,October).OccupationalOutlookHandbook.CHOICE:
CurrentReviewsforAcademicLibraries,50(2),255+.Retrievedfrom
http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE
%7CA305453626&v=2.1&u=tamp44898&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w
Quinn, M. (2009). Grzimek's Animal Life. Booklist, 106(8), 53. Retrieved
from
http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdf
viewer?vid=6&sid=2933d5ad-6cda-4ca7-bb79-200d4a7e40df
%40sessionmgr111&hid=110.