Choosing Reference Works in the Meade Memorial Library

1
Choosing Reference Works in the Meade Memorial
Library

• What is a Reference Work?
• Deciding What You Need
• A Glossary of Types of Reference Works
• Asking for Help
• Web Version of this Tutorial

2
What is a Reference Work?

• Broad Definition
• Any material which is used to obtain
  authoritative information.
• Reference works
• usually are not read from cover to cover,
• but are consulted for definite items of
  information.

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What is a Reference Work?

• In the Meade Memorial Library, its a book
  shelved in the Reference Room, for use only in
  the Library.

• See the Glossary for types of reference works.
• Reference works of all kinds are tools for
  researchers. As with any tool, ease of use will
  come with practice. So, lets go!

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Deciding What You Need Using the Right Tools

• You wouldnt try to build a house with scissors,
  glue and a hole-punch. A measuring tape, saw and
  a hammer are tools better suited to the task.

• What you want to end up with when you finish
  will determine which tools you use.
• Ask yourself, What do I want to know?

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Deciding What You Need Using the Right Tools

• Write a thesis statement that states your
  research topic and its aspects.
• The thesis statement tells briefly what you
  believe to be true about a topic, or what should
  be done to resolve an issue.
• You may have to rewrite
• it after you discover more
• about your topic or issue.

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Deciding What You Need Using the Right Tools

• You need to find out whether or not you can
  support your thesis statement.

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Deciding What You Need What kind of information
could support your thesis?

• Fill in the blank
• If I knew ________________, then I could support
  my thesis.
• This will tell you which tool to use.

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Deciding What You Need Six Key Questions to Ask

• Is it a passage of Bible text itself that I am
  trying to understand?
• Am I trying to determine the meaning of a word in
  its original language?
• Is it a theological topic I am curious about?

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Deciding What You Need Six Key Questions to Ask

• Is it a historical or cultural event?
• Is it a geographical question?
• Is it biographical?

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Is it a passage of Bible text itself that I am
trying to understand?

• Go to the Glossary
• The kind of reference work most likely to deal
  with the meaning of a particular passage of a
  Bible book is a ________________________.

If you said, COMMENTARY, you are correct.
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Am I trying to determine the meaning of a word in
its original language?

• Go to the Glossary
• The kind of reference work most likely to deal
  with the meaning of a word in its original
  language is a ________________________.

If you said, LEXICON, WORDBOOK or
CONCORDANCE, you are correct.
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Is it a theological topic I am curious about?

• Go to the Glossary
• The kind of reference work most likely to deal
  with how theologians have understood a Biblical
  teaching is a ________________________.

If you said, SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY or
HANDBOOK, you are correct.
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Is it a historical or cultural event?

• Go to the Glossary
• The kind of reference work most likely to give
  background information on a period of time is a
  ________________________.

If you said, BIBLE DICTIONARY or
COMMENTARY, you are correct.
14
Is it a geographical question?

• Go to the Glossary
• The kind of reference work most likely to give
  information on a place and its people is a
  ________________________.

If you said, ATLAS, you are correct.
15
Is it biographical?

• Go to the Glossary
• The kind of reference work most likely to give
  information on a person in the Bible is a
  ________________________.

If you said, BIBLE DICTIONARY, you are
correct.
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Is it biographical?

• Go to the Glossary
• The kind of reference work most likely to give
  information on a person NOT mentioned in the
  Bible is a ________________________.

If you said, BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY, you are
correct.
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Deciding What You Need All Reference Works are
Not Created Equal

• Factors in Evaluating Information
• Authorship
• Who wrote it?
• Publisher
• Who made the material available to you?
• Objectivity
• Were they objective in their analysis of a
  problem or issue, or is there an expression of
  bias in what you found?

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Deciding What You Need All Reference Works are
Not Created Equal

• More Factors in Evaluating Information
• Currency
• How current is what you found
• and how current does it need to be?
• Referral to other sources
• Does the source you are evaluating refer you to
  other sources either in print or on the web?
• Verifiability
• Are results that you are presented with able to
  be verified elsewhere either in print or on the
  web?

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Deciding What You Need All Reference Works are
Not Created Equal

• A handy guide for evaluating sources

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GlossaryTypes of Reference Works in the Meade
Memorial Library

• Atlas
• A bound collection of maps often including
  charts, tables, and illustrations.
• Bible Dictionary
• A book or set of books containing articles on
  various topics, usually in alphabetical order,
  covering various or specific aspects of knowledge
  (may also be referred to as an encyclopedia).

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GlossaryTypes of Reference Works in the Meade
Memorial Library

• Biographical Dictionary
• A book or set of books that provides accounts of
  the lives of notable men and women from ancient
  times to the present day. (A Web example can be
  found at http//www.s9.com/biography/.)
• Commentary
• A series of comments, explanations, or
  annotations on books of the Bible. The best
  commentaries will often begin by discussing
  higher critical issues.

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GlossaryTypes of Reference Works in the Meade
Memorial Library

• Concordance
• An alphabetical index of the words of the Bible,
  with reference to the passage in which each
  occurs and usually to some part of the context.
  Often the English words are keyed to their
  original language counterparts.
• Handbook
• A scholarly book on a specific subject, often
  consisting of separate essays or articles.

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GlossaryTypes of Reference Works in the Meade
Memorial Library

• Lexicon
• A wordbook or dictionary of a particular language
  indicating the meaning of words and of idiomatic
  combinations of words.
• Systematic Theology
• A book that attempts to relate the various
  portions of the Bible to one another in an effort
  to formulate its topical teachings (doctrines)
  into a harmonious, consistent whole.

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GlossaryTypes of Reference Works in the Meade
Memorial Library

• Wordbook
• A book of words found in the Old and/or New
  Testament books, usually with definitions, and
  explanations.
• Return to Question 1.
• Return to Question 2.
• Return to Question 3.
• Return to Question 4.
• Return to Question 5.
• Return to Question 6.

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Asking for Help

• A Christian College library is a unique
  storehouse of information.
• In the beginning everyone needs time to find
  his/her way around.
• The reference librarians are eager to assist
  students and faculty.
• I dont know what I dont know is true for
  every searcher. We all start at the same place.
  
• Ask for help!
• You may also email questions to the Director of
  Library Services library_at_christianlifecollege.edu

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Asking for Help

• Dont be bashful we like questions
• Attend our Library training sessions
• Investigate Dewey Decimal Classification and
  other library tutorials
• A Story About the Dewey Decimal System of
  Classification
• Let's Do Dewey
• A Library Research Tutorial

• Relax and Enjoy a Great Book!