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Library Research Models Thomas Mann (Reference Librarian, Main Reading Room, Reference Librarian, Main Reading Room, Library of Congress)

Library Research Models By Thomas Mann (Reference Librarian, Main Reading Room, Reference Librarian, Main Reading Room, Library of Congress)

Summary

Using his own public services experiences and citing widely available print and online sources, Mann explains in detail the various schemes that have been devised so far to make the universe of knowledge records predictable and comprehensible.

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Library Research Models Summary

Library Research Models: A Guide to Classification, Cataloging, and Computers by Thomas Mann (Reference Librarian, Main Reading Room, Reference Librarian, Main Reading Room, Library of Congress)

Most researchers, even with computers, find only a fraction of the sources available to them. As Library of Congress reference librarian Thomas Mann explains, researchers tend to work within one or another mental framework that limits their basic perception of the universe of knowledge available to them. Some, for example, use a subject-disciplinary method which leads them to a specific list of sources on a particular subject. But, Mann points out, while this method allows students and researchers to find more specialized sources, it is also limiting-they may not realize that works of interest to their own subject appear within the literature of many other disciplines. A researcher looking through anthropology journals, for example, might not discover that the MLA International Bibliography provides the best coverage of folklore journals. In Library Research Models, Mann examines the several alternative mental models people use to approach the task of research, and demonstrates new, more effective ways of finding information. Drawing on actual examples gleaned from 15 years' experience in helping thousands of researchers, he not only shows the full range of search options possible, but also illuminates the inevitable tradeoffs and losses of access that occur when researchers limit themselves to a specific method. In two chapters devoted to computers he examines the use of electronic resources and reveals their value in providing access to a wide range of sources as well as their disadvantages: what people are not getting when they rely solely on computer searches; why many sources will probably never be in databases; and what the options are for searching beyond computers. Thomas Mann's A Guide to Library Research Methods was widely praised as a definitive manual of library research. Ronald Gross, author of The Independent Scholar's Handbook called it "the savviest such guide I have ever seen-bracingly irreverent and brimming with wisdom." The perfect companion volume, Library Research Models goes even further to provide a fascinating look at the ways in which we can most efficiently gain access to our vast storehouses of knowledge.

Library Research Models Reviews

'This is an interesting work.' Stuart Hannabuss, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Library Review
'... this book should be read by all who make use of libraries for serious study ... Thomas Mann displays an understanding ... of the devices used in libraries to control stock. There is a useful and illuminating comparison of the traditional library science and workstation models. ... what is presented here is a very interesting, readable and useful examination of what we do in libraries and the reviewer recommends it to the two groups Mann identifies as his prime audience and the academics as well. Further, it should be required reading for those just entering the profession. If the book succeeds in raising awareness of the challenge to what is received wisdom about current catalogue technology it will make a valuable contribution to the literature and the practice of the profession of librarianship.' Rodney M Brunt. Leeds Metropolitan University, Journal of Documentation, vol.50,no.3

About Thomas Mann (Reference Librarian, Main Reading Room, Reference Librarian, Main Reading Room, Library of Congress)

Thomas Mann received his Ph.D. from Loyola University of Chicago and his M.L.S. from Louisiana State University. A former private investigator, he has been a general reference librarian in the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress since 1981. He is the author of A Guide to Library Research Methods.

Additional information

CIN019509395XG
9780195093957
019509395X
Library Research Models: A Guide to Classification, Cataloging, and Computers by Thomas Mann (Reference Librarian, Main Reading Room, Reference Librarian, Main Reading Room, Library of Congress)
Used - Good
Paperback
Oxford University Press Inc
1995-03-16
260
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Library Research Models