Library Exercise
Korpi

The library exercise has four purposes:

• To assist students in learning various databases and research strategies

• To assist students in learning how to compile a bibliography

• To assist students in gaining computer, technical, and textual research skills, and

• As a secondary function, to start finding sources for your paper.

The exercise is essentially a library and bibliography learning exercise: you go through the first part of the assignment to learn several different sources for research material, then you should move to the second part of the assignment that asks you to find different types of sources. The grade is assigned based on fulfilling the assignment requirements, not on the accuracy of the bibliographic entries, though some credit can be lost if the entry is missing certain components.

Assignment Hints

• You are reporting on the RESULTS of your search tasks, not the viability of the source toward your research.

• If you search using a term related to your paper topic, and you find a viable source that meets the criteria of the assignment, USE IT!!

• Remember, as you find sources, that the examples given in The Bedford Handbook, Writing from Sources, or various handouts are MODELS. You may find some elements missing when you look for bibliographic material. If you find material missing, simply note this after the entry (on a separate line before the next entry), and then I will note if this is okay or whether you need to make some editorial emendation.

• The research librarians can help you find search materials, but I have asked them to not provide assistance for compiling the bibliography beyond providing handouts.

Assignment Parts

The assignment’s bibliography should be presented in the same order as these steps. Each entry must be unique—you cannot use one entry for more than one category—I expect 23 entries, a statistic found using the Federal Statistics with URL, and the list of libraries from ORULS. Do NOT number the entries.  Double spacing required on the entire assignment.  Single-spaced assignments will be graded but NOT corrected.

1.  Use InfoTrac to find two different full-text articles.  Try to find peer-reviewed at first, then settle for others if these cannot be found. Remember that you must denote both InfoTrac and the exact database (either Academic ASAP or Health Reference Center) within InfoTrac in the bibliographic entries (failure to note the exact database within InfoTrac causes a loss of 2 points; failure to give any database info at all causes a loss of all 4 points).

2.  Use ProQuest to find two different full-text articles. Try to find peer-reviewed at first, then settle for others if these cannot be found. Remember that you must denote ProQuest (failure to give any database info at all causes a loss of all 4 points).

3.  Use Google to find two different web sites on your topic and give full and proper bibliographic entries for these sites.  You will NOT include Google in any entry—use what you find on the site that you go to.

4.  Use the CQ Researcher to find a single piece of research material on your topic.  Translate this into a proper bibliographic entry.  The entry would be handled as a licensed database.

5.  On my web site are links to two different governmental databases:  Library of Congress American Memory and Thomas Legislative.  Find one piece of material from each of these web sites, and write appropriate bibliographic entries for each.  Each of these entries will be dealing with some element that has been reprinted on the web (just as InfoTrac and ProQuest are).  Failure to provide electronic information will result in loss of all 4 points.

6.  Use the Federal Statistics to find some interesting statistic related to your topic.  Report the statistic, and then provide a URL (or web address) for that statistics’ location (failure to provide a URL causes the loss of all 4 points).

7.  Choose two of the PERIODICALS INDEXES (except for WorldCat) provided by our library. Do a search within the database chosen, and write an entry for each article or other item that you find. Add the database information at the end (as with InfoTrac and ProQuest). Be sure to denote whether the database provides a citation or an abstract if the full text or a web link is not available (failure to give any database info at all causes a loss of all 4 points).

8.  Use UMI Digital Dissertations to find a scholarly dissertation on your subject (or something really close to your subject) and translate the information into a proper entry for either a dissertation abstract or a copy of the dissertation.  DO NOT worry about adding electronic info to this one (if you use one on your paper, then you will do so).

9.  Using the WorldCat database available from our library website, find (a) an audio source, (b) a video source, and (c) some other source type that is not a book or a periodical (as defined in class) related to your subject.  Put these entries in appropriate format for the type that they are.  DO NOT WORRY ABOUT LISTING WORLDCAT INFO HERE.

10.  Using a title from a PERIODICAL you have found (NOT the article inside the periodical), use the ORULS database to find up to three libraries in the Oregon-Washington area that has the periodical listed within the entry chosen. This entry WILL NOT be a bibliographic entry: simply list the periodical title and up to three libraries where it is available. If the number is less than three (even zero), note that. I will recheck all zero listings (points will NOT be given if I find that you have done this incorrectly).

11.  Find three different books (one from each library) on your subject at the University of Washington Library, Portland State University, and Cannell Library. Write proper bibliographic entries for these three books.  Do NOT note the library name at the end of the citation; treat these like you have the book.

YOU WILL FIND IT EASIER TO ATTEMPT THESE AFTER WE VISIT THE LIBRARY:

12.  DEFINITELY DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ONE UNTIL AFTER WE GO TO THE LIBRARY.  You must use the New York Times Index on Microfiche to find one source.  The entry must be translated from the index format to a bibliographic entry and must be for a specific article, not for a piece of fiche.  You should take a photocopy of the page the article is on to show that you have tried the microfilm machine and attach this to your assignment.  No photocopy, no credit.

13.  You must properly translate an article citation from two different print indices (one from each index, not two from the same one—different indexes must be used, not different volumes of the same one). Properly translate the information into a bibliographic entry using the keys located at the beginning of the indices. You should take a photocopy of the page from the INDEX where the article is listed, circle the article entry that you translated, and attach this to your assignment. The index information is not included in the bibliographic entry.  No photocopy, no credit. 

14.  Find two different specialized encyclopedias, reference works, or other books in Cannell’s reference sections. Provide proper entries for articles within these works OR entire works, if that is more viable (for articles, use Bedford MLA entry #12; for books, use 4, 5, or 11, which ever is most appropriate).

Grading

You are graded on meeting the criteria above. I will assume that you are using MLA style unless you otherwise specify. I will not lecture on this previous to the assignment being due—I want you to attempt to write one on your own. On a normal bibliography, you would alphabetize; here, HOWEVER, for this assignment ONLY, I want you to present the information in the exact order listed above. You will be creating a bibliography of 23 entries, 1 statistic with accompanying URL (Federal Statistics), and 1 periodical title followed by up to three library names (ORULS). Each item is worth up to 4 points. See parenthetical statements within the criteria for partial credit possibilities. I will give justification for my reasons if I withhold points. A standard ten-point scale without plusses or minuses is used on this assignment. Assignments accepted in the grace period have a cap at B; assignments over a week late are not accepted, and students will be asked to withdraw for lack of progress.

Due date: