History 52 Role of Women in U.S. Library Information Competency Dr. Ellen Joiner Fall 2011

Library Basics  Logging in to computers – instructions on workstations in the library lab.  Books – most check out for 2 weeks. You need student ID to check out materials.  Reference books – cannot be checked out.  Reserve books – most are for building use for only two hours unless the instructor allows the material to be checked out.  Periodicals – most print magazines & journals can be checked out for two days. Electronic databases and indexes contain many full-text articles. LAHC Library

Today we will cover the following issues  Developing a search strategy  Selecting information sources  Choosing the right format to retrieve the information  Accessing the Online Book Catalog & the Electronic Databases  Evaluating Information Sources  Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources LAHC Library

Developing a Search Strategy  State your topic in the form of a question  For Example: –What were the rights of women in the 19 th century?  Determine keywords in your question, vocabulary, unique spellings, synonyms –What were the rights of women in the 19 th century? Rights Women 19 th century

Developing a Search Strategy (cont’d) –Using Boolean Operators to connect terms  AND – Narrows a search. A record must have all the terms in citation –Example: “women AND education”  OR – Broadens a search. Either term may appear in the citation –Example: “homemaker OR housewife”  NOT – Narrows a search by excluding articles containing the second search term –Example:”women engineering NOT computer engineering” LAHC Library

Selecting Information Sources Types Primary vs. Secondary Sources Please see (handout 1 for definition and examples. LAHC Library

Select Information Sources Types (cont’d) It is important to understand the difference between a "magazine" and a "scholarly journal". It can sometimes be difficult to make the distinction but here are several clues to help you with that process: Journals Magazines  ScholarlyPopular (News)  BibliographiesNo bibliographies  AbstractsAdvertisements  Intended for a specific Intended for a general audienceaudience  RefereedNon - refereed articles  Very plain, no photosColorful and flashy  Target audienceGeneral audience  Long articlesShort articles LAHC Library

Choosing the right format to retrieve the information  Online Catalog (  Electronic Databases – Academic OneFile, Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL)  Selected Reference Works (please see handout 2)  Internet – and LAHC Library

Accessing the Online Book Catalog & the Electronic Databases 1. From Campus Connect to the LAHC Library Homepage The Online Book Catalog and Electronic Databases are available to students, faculty and staff from campus computers without a password 2. From Home Connect to the LAHC Library Homepage You need a password LAHC Library

Evaluating Information Sources 1. Are they up-to-date? Check date of publication 2. Is the author credible? Check the author’s credentials 3. Is the content objective? 4. Is it useful? 5. Is it well written? LAHC Library

Quoting & Paraphrasing Sources  Citation Links  RES5e_ch10_s html RES5e_ch10_s html  cumentation.html cumentation.html  Copyright Link  LAHC Library

Distinguishing between Primary and Secondary Sources  Primary Sources –Material written or produced in the actual time being investigated. This implies that the researcher cannot go further back to any existing sources for this source. –Examples: Diaries, journals, speeches, interviews, letters, memos, manuscripts, memoirs, autobiographies, government records, records of organizations Published materials (books and journal/newspaper articles) written at the time about a particular event Documentary: photographs, audio recordings, movies or videos Public opinion polls, field notes, scientific experiments, artifacts Reprinted primary sources Maps, oral histories postcards, court records, paintings, sculptures, consumer surveys, patents, schematic drawings, technical reports, personal accounts, jewelry, private papers, deeds, wills, proceedings, census data (Primary vs. Secondary Sources)

LAHC Library Distinguishing between Primary and Secondary Sources  Secondary Sources –Records generated by an event but written by non-participants in the event. Based on or derived from primary sources, but they have been interpreted or analyzed. –Examples Encyclopedias, chronologies, fact books Biographies, monographs, dissertations General histories Most journal articles (except those written at the time) Most published books (except those published at the time, reprints of primary sources, or autobiographies) (Primary vs. Secondary Sources)

(Wells-Barnett. Ida Bell)

LAHC Library

Determining Main Ideas of a Source  What is Ida Wells’ main objective in these documents?  Write a brief version of the letters in your own words.

LAHC Library Issues for further research  When were women granted the right to vote?  When were African-Americans granted the right to vote?  How many African-Americans were registered Republicans in 1928?  What was Herbert Hoover’s position on racial equality?

LAHC Library Analyzing Sources  Evaluating reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, point of view, bias. –Acquaint yourself with background information. Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History –Wells, Ida; Barnett, Claude; Suffrage, Republican Party Corroborate facts with external sources. –Recognizing prejudice, deception, manipulation.

LAHC Library Making Conclusions  Does the inclusion of these sources support your thesis statement?  Would you revise your thesis statement based on the information provided by these sources?  What knowledge have you gained by reading, interpreting, and researching your primary source?

LAHC Library Bibliography  Primary vs. Secondary Sources. Oct Grossmont College Library. 10 Oct  ion/flyers&handouts/primary_vs_secondary.pdf ion/flyers&handouts/primary_vs_secondary.pdf  Wells-Barnett, Ida Bell. Letter to Claude Barnett Claude A. Barnett Papers, Chicago Historical Society

LAHC Library Other Resources  Harbor College Library Home Page  American Memory Collections (Library of Congress) American Memory Collections  Jane Addams Primary Sources –Hull House and Its DocumentsHull House and Its Documents –Urban Experience in Chicago: Hull-House and its Neighborhoods, Urban Experience in Chicago: Hull-House and its Neighborhoods, – ge/suffrage02.htmlhttp:// ge/suffrage02.html – progressivism/6-civilrights/2-women/index.htmlhttp:// progressivism/6-civilrights/2-women/index.html

Chicago Style Documentation  The Purdue Owl Webpage  /717/02/ /717/02/  Diana Hacker Webpage  RES5e_ch10_s html RES5e_ch10_s html LAHC Library

List of Names of Notable American Women:  Sojourner Truth  Amelia Earhart  Billie Jean King  Sandra Day O'Connor  Jane Addams  Susan B. Anthony  Ida B. Wells  Jane Cunningham Croly LAHC Library