Ready Reference Sources

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Ready Reference Sources

• Session 13
• Library 101
• Prof. Sheila Seaman
• October 7, 1998

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First a quick word about MLA

• Continuous pagination means that volume 1 has
  pages 1-96, volume 2 has pages 97-103, volume 3
  has pages 104-200, etc...
  
• And, as for indentation, rule of thumb for the
  type of material we are citing, indent everything
  after the first line.ex.
  
• Scotto, Peter. Censorship, Reading, and
  Interpretation A Case Study from the Soviet
  Union. PMLA 109 (1994) 61- 70.

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Almanacs

• Information Please
• World Almanac

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Usage

• One-stop for brief, concise, current
  information.
  
• Good for basic statistics.
• Imperative that you use the index!
• If you dont have anything else... this is pretty
  essential.

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Examples of information

• What is the time difference between here and
  London?
  
• Who won the NCAA championship in 1994?

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Local Information

• Directories of Charleston

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Charleston

• Charleston City Directory (Polk Directory) or
  (CrissCross)
  
• Information for Guides of Historic Chas.
• Trident Area Business Directory

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City Directory

• Lists phone numbers by address
• Lists addresses by phone number
• Lists phone number and address by name.
• Often lists phone numbers left out of the regular
  phone directory (oops.. there goes your
  privacy!!!)

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Information for Guides

• Covers the historic district.
• Good for knowing Charleston past and present.
• Tells who lives/lived in what house when.

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Trident Business Directory

• Lists phone numbers and addresses for businesses
  in the Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester County
  areas.

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Statistical Sources
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Statistical Sources

• Statistical Abstract of the United States.
• South Carolina Statistical Abstract

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Statistical Abstracts

• Provide a wide range of statistics from a variety
  of government sources.
  
• The index in the Statistical Abstract of the US
  lists table numbers not page numbers.
  
• SC statistical ab. provides decent coverage for
  the state using both State and Fed. sources.

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Government Manuals/Directories

• United States Government Manual
• Washington Information Directory
• South Carolina Legislative Manual
• Zip Code Directory

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US Government Manual

• Good source for finding names, addresses, and
  organizational charts within the US government.
  
• for ex. Chain of command within the Navy.

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Washington Info. Directory

• Same as the US Government Manual, but better.
• Easier to use.
• Not produced by the government.

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South Carolina Legislative Manual

• Similar to the Washington Directory but only
  covers SC.
  
• It is small but thick, rich with information.

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Zip Code Directory

• You guessed it!! It covers zip codes.

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College Directories

• The College Blue Book
• Petersons Guide to Four Year Colleges.
• Petersons Guide to Two Year Colleges.

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College Blue Book

• Lists basic info. about 2 4 year colleges.
• Addresses
• Phone, Fax numbers
• local information
• Tuition, etc...
• Multivolume set

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Petersons Guide

• Same type of info as Blue Book
• All in one huge volume
• Comes out annually

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Style Manuals

• MLA
• Turabian
• Chicago Manual of Style
• APA

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Other Sources in Ready Ref.

• Guides to Literary Criticism
• Scholarship Directories
• Serials Directories
• Language Dictionaries
• Thesauri
• Encyclopedia of Associations

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Theres your basic Ready Ref!

• On to the best part..
• Your very own annotated bibliography!