Let me decide whether I want the help of a reference librarian to power my results. It is important to state at the outset that “Critical Thinking” by “Doc” Sheldon Campbell is intentionally not a “how to” book.
Frankly, your layperson interested in this material is better off going to a reference librarian. And a reference librarian is better off probably tapping into non-Google tools to search this material.
As a librarian, I'm thrilled that the potential for people to make better use of their libraries could be made possible by Google's Library Program. Is Google going to use Libary of Congress Subject Headings or develop their own controlled...
In June, legendary librarian and reference reviewer, Peter Jacso, published a review of Google Scholar and had some very positive comments about CiteSeer. Years before Google Scholar was launched, Professor Lee Giles, from Penn State University was...
The Internet Public Library also comes with an "Ask A Question" service, supported by students in graduate library science and information classes, by professional librarian volunteers and by IPL contributors.
Note: In many situations the "good samaritan" Lanzone writes about might be the subject expert (via an AskA service or a librarian (via a virtual reference service). Btw, Australia also has a national virtutal reference service named Ask Us.
Yes, the world of the library and the professional librarian extend beyond the four walls of the library building. In many cases these services are available from libraries large and small and allow you to chat live with a librarian in many cases...
Again, it's the librarian in me talking here but it's one thing to get an answer (something) but it's also crucial where (the source) of that answer. Answers.com will apply Brainboost's answer extraction techniques not only to the Web at large, as...
My librarian colleague and friend, Shirl Kennedy, is a major contributor to the site. It's been updated just about everyday for more than four years (even from a cruise ship in the Caribbean) with search news, library news (some of which might be...
I learned what this power search interface can do when a news librarian asked for a solid list of movies filmed in Denver. The Internet Movie Database is a standard and respected reference database for film and TV information, but for film, TV and...
I learned about this interface when a news librarian asked on a listserv I monitor to come up with a solid list of movies filmed in Denver. Sure, I could have gone to Yahoo, MSN, or Google and started searching and searching but they aren't the...
US Library of Congress: Ask a Librarian Email your research questions or chat online with a Library of Congress reference librarian. Collaborative Live Reference Services Not an answer service but a guide to live reference/answer services worldwide.
On Search, Students, and Libraries - As a librarian I was happy to read Jim Hedger's post, "Hey Yahoo, Google and MSN - School Kids Use Search Engines Too" where he discusses that the large web engines should do more to explain there tools and...
As a librarian I was happy to read Jim Hedger's post, Hey Yahoo, Google and MSN - School Kids Use Search Engines Too: where he discusses that the large web engines should do more to explain/ teach their tools and services to students.
Yes, in the web age, the world of the library and the skills of the librarian extend well beyond the four walls of the traditional library building. Full Text Databases That are Just a Click or Two Away - I'm always mentioning the specialized...
Yes, in the web age, the world of the library and the skills of the librarian extend well beyond the four walls of the traditional library building. I'm always mentioning the specialized databases often containing the full text of articles...
While preparing a review of Google Scholar (it should be available soon), librarian and legendary reference reviewer Peter Jacso has built a resource that allows you to compare Google Scholar results with various native search databases.
You can expect him to revisit this new Yahoo initiative when he's back from the Internet Librarian conference, where the partnership was also unveiled. Books and The Virtual Reference. Via the Yahoo Search Blog, news that a special version of the...
When it comes to research, this is what author and librarian Tom Mann calls the principle of least effort. Maybe one day some search tool(s) will offer an interactive computer-based type of "reference interview.
Many libraries around the world offer "virtual reference desk" services where you can chat with a trained librarian. For example, Australia has a virtual reference service available to any resident via the web.
