This is the second attempt to find information using multiple resources. This time around the databases will be LibraryLiterature and BIP(Books In Print). To start with, we use the original patron's request:
"I'm building a new collection for an academic library at a university for undergraduate students, where can I find materials on planets and exoplanets to create this collection?" From this we take three main points also known as the facets. These facets are bold above: "academic library", "materials", and "planets and exoplanets". Let's start with the first databaste:
LibraryLiterature.
When finding subject headings for "planets and exoplanets" I had to think a little differently than the other search databases. I couldn't find much under "planets", "exoplanets" or "extrasolar planets". My results were from a breakdown from searching "physics". By searching under something more general you can breakdown to more specific fields. For finding subject headings for "materials" or "collection" I didn't find the right results. Under searching "book" I retrieved "book selection" and then "collection development". Searching under "reading" I got "astronauts/reading" and "books". Just like the others, searching with "academic library" didn't get me far. Nor did "university library". Under "undergraduate student" I gathered "College and university libraries/Services to undergraduate students". So far this database seems different from the others in terms of finding thesaurus terms and seems more difficult.
The next step is to plug these results into Boolean logic as so:
SS1: "subject"(Astrophysics
OR science and technology
OR astronomy
OR physics
OR space sciences)
AND (Book
OR book selection
OR collection development
OR reading
OR astronauts/reading)
AND (Undergraduate student
OR college and university library
OR services to undergraduate students).
And...Oh my stars! No results! I need to really rework this equation. Trying to imagine what information I can find, I need to focus on what it will look like.
What words would I use as titles? I'm going to eliminate "science and technology", "astronauts/reading", and "services to undergraduate students". Then I will add "planets", "solar system", "information", "materials", and "library". Also, I want to separate "college and university library" into "college library" and "university library".
SS2: "subject"(Astrophysics
OR astronomy
OR physics
OR space sciences
OR planet
OR solar system)
AND (Book
OR book selection
OR collection development
OR reading
OR information
OR materials)
AND (Undergraduate student
OR college library
OR university library
OR library). This search brings 11 results and they are not what I am looking for. As you can see from the results this are not on target. Although, #7 sounds interesting, Butkovich's
Reshelving study of review literature in the physical sciences.
More basic terms need to be plugged in.
SS3 will read: "subject"(Astrophysics
OR astronomy
OR physics
OR science
OR solar system)
AND (Book
OR collection development
OR read
OR information
OR material)
AND (Undergraduate student
OR college library
OR university library
OR library). This search brought up 2,169 results. I used the "narrow your results" and then clicked "subject" and found a group for "college and university library/collection development". There were several sources to help different kinds of collections but none of them for astrophysics.
Using this new tool I will construct SS4.
SS4: "subject"(Astrophysics
OR physics)
AND (Book
OR read
OR information
OR material)
AND (college library
OR university library
OR university
OR college). Not all databases will be able to contain very specific searches that you may be looking for. This could be an example of one. I only got 5 results but I found this article to help build a collection!
Ebersole, W. (1999). Using online catalogs to evaluate science collections for a group of institutions. Science & Technology Libraries, 18(1), 105-13. Retrieved February 17, 2010, from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.
Here is a direct link to LibaryLiterature's record view. For the LibraryLiterature database I learned to think "big picture" and select larger ideas and then to use the "narrow your search" option. This technique worked better for this database while others you can be specific in the search field to find results. So, now moving on with
BIP(Books In Print).
Looking at the original patron's request we can build our table again:
"I'm building a new collection for an academic library at a university for undergraduate students, where can I find materials on planets and exoplanets to create this collection?"
From searching the QuickSearch under "extrasolar planets" I retrieved so many useful hits! Since my question is about building a new collection I could just look at all these resources. I also need to make a Boolean search so I start finding thesaurus terms and making a chart.
I found many of the same subject headings from "extrasolar planet" like "planet", "science", and "astronomy". From "materials" I got "book", "textbook", "nonfiction" as well as others listed. I found these be looking at the subject headings that relating works have. For "academic library" I couldn't use this technique the same way, so I decide to keep the headings from previous. So next is the Boolean logic equation to key in.
SS1: "subject"(Planets
OR science
OR astronomy
OR solar system
OR earth
OR earth sciences)
AND (Book
OR textbook
OR nonfiction
OR teaching materials)
AND (Academic library
OR college library
OR library
OR college
OR university). I retrieved 2,277 results but they are mainly about libraries and librarians, which is not what my target is. earlier I simply searched the QuickSearch under "extrasolar planet" and found exactly what I needed. That may have been to easiest way. From the equation, I'm taking out everything but "planets", "book", "textbook", and "academic library".
SS2: "subject"(Planets)
AND (Book
OR textbook)
AND (Academic library). No results found!
For SS3 I'm going to use the QuickSearch again.
SS3: "keyword"(Extrasolar planets
and Academic library). This result yeilds 20 results. Nearly all of these can work for the patron(me!).
They fit the description for "extrasolar planets" and relate them to "planets". These results greatly benefit the patron is trying to find different materials to build a collection in an academic library. Some of the results have listed audiences as "adult", "young adult", and "scholarly".
One in particular is:
Mariotti, J. (1999). Planets Outside the Solar System: Theory and Observation. Retrieved February 17, 2010, from Books In Print database.
Here is the link to this archive. I found that BIP was a much easier databse to find materials. It may have been easier for me than ERIC or WorldCat. Although, LibraryLiterature did provide those neat "narrow your search" tools that I found interesting. I noticed other library science students prefer different databases since we are all doing different searches. So far for me, I prefer Books In Print. It is very direct and extensive. For other searchers I feel that ERIC is easy to use but maybe not as resourceful depending on your search.
