Library 150 winter quarter 2005

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Library 150winter quarter 2005

• Reference Book Analysis
• Week three
• The 200s !

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By Linda Thompson Lib. 150
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R291.13 NEW New Larousse Encyclopedia of
Mythology intro by Robert Graves New York,
Putnam,1968, c1959. From the original
translated by Richard Aldington and Delano Ames,
and rev. by a panel of editorial advisers from
the Larousse mythologie generale edited by Felix
Guirand New ed.
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Arrangement

• Subject headings
• Prehistoric myths to Japanese mythology

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Indexing

• Color plates are indexed. There are 600
  illustrations.
• Index is in alpha order.
• In text main references are in bold, captions
  are in italics.

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Scopefor example

• Overview of world mythology
• Creation myths
• Gods, goddesses
• Rituals
• Summary of Moslem mythology

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Currency

• Information is up to date, but as Graves writes
  in the introduction, the interpretation of
  symbols is always being explored and changed.

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Intended Purposes

• Teachers
• Students
• Additional Purposes
• Astronomers
• Astrologers
• Anthropologists
• Curious learners

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Special Features

• It is not clear how the topics were chosen to
  appear. For example, why were Australian
  aboriginal stories not represented?

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Authority

• This series is a long-time well respected line of
  books.
• Robert Graves is one of the most eminent
  authorities in historical fiction and mythology.

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Personal Impressions

• A fascinating book.
• Fun to skim through.
• The information is detailed.
• There is quick access to the information.

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Examples typifying reference uses

• Examples in book
• Who was Zoraoster?
• Did prehistoric man perform funeral rights.
• Information was quick and easy to find. Source
  was unquestionably valid.

• Attempts to find same information on google.
  Time limit 5 min.
• 1. Easy to find. A bit hard to determine
  validity of sites.
• 2. Difficult to find information and hard to
  determine quality of that information

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