Resource Review #6: The Bermuda Triangle of Reference Resources

Just over a month ago, Sue Polanka (authoress of the No Shelf Required blog) posted a Credo Reference press release about the variety of titles they added since the release of their new platform last year, thus "raising the standard for how online reference services should work for libraries." Utilizing suggestions from people interested or subscribed to Credo as well as polling academic representatives i.e. librarians and educators, they chose titles that would best serve their user community and highlight interdisciplinary subjects of interest to researchers. Looking at the list and having occasionally perused Credo Reference, I can understand why they are a driving force in online reference service. They've got it all and so can their subscribers, depending on how much they are willing to shell out for their subscription.

The vast amount of reference materials available through Credo continually overwhelms my imagination because I try to visualize how much physical space those resources would require. As a library student who is focusing on archives and works with textiles, my bias veers towards physical objects despite the directional shift of all three fields towards the digital realm. Though I fully utilize and require access to digital resources, my loyalties remain with tangible objects. They are perceptionally stimulating and viscerally engage my attention and imagination. However, they all need a place and space in which to be stored. Which, if any, libraries or repositories would or could offer Credo's titles in tangible form for their patrons to access? Not only that, but how on earth could one simply browse the material or pinpoint exactly what s/he is looking for? Therein lies the rub of the convenience and advantage to online resources: all you have to do is type in what you're looking for and voila! you're presented with every- and anything relevant to those keywords. After that, just pick and choose which results are most appropriate for your information needs.

I have no doubts that tangible reference resources, archival collections, and textile collections will always have a home and caretakers--I plan to become one. However, information has expanded out beyond a physical state and is being bred in the digital arena. It is now common practice that we all search the vast oceans of online information, being propelled by search engines, being navigated by databases with hopes that they recognize our descriptors to find appropriate matches, and trusting someone will be there or offer suggestions to steer us in the right direction if we stray. And as we explore the great beyond containing virtual information resources, the physical resources from which they came slowly disappear and the brick and mortar repositories fade into the background to exist as a fulcrum between the two worlds...

Resource Review #5: Credo is on the Faceplace

Despite my personal opinions about social networking, I am willing to appreciate the value and usefulness of these Web communiques. Contrary to what I casually mentioned during a brief class presentation about Credo Reference, they do have a presence on Facebook and over 200 fans (vs. friends--I appreciate this non-committal acquaintanceship). In a previous post, I admitted how much I do enjoy a good trivia "session" and I am looking forward to trying the Friday Brainteaser (homework first though).

Credo's Facebook wall is essentially a series of daily trivia questions based on an image or quotation with its fans providing the answers and Credo confirming them. The funny part is that some of Credo's replies mention how quick they were to correctly answer the question, some even going so far as to site the source of their information (this is why reference librarians rock: they are thorough)

Credo's wall represents virtual reference for the masses in the Web 2.0 environment; particularly for an audience of anyone who, like myself, appreciates knowledge and those "I didn't know that" moments. The questions are challenging (for me, at least) and often have that this-day-in-history vibe to them which is a great way to cull recollection and thought provocation from those who view the Credo wall. Good show!

Resource Review #4: More Food for Thought-- A Dash of Twitter

#QOD "Do you know what breakfast cereal is made of? It's made of all those little curly wooden shavings you find in pencil sharpeners!" Dahl

Twitter...what an unusual word and phenomenon. Its Wikipedia definition states it is a "social networking and micro blogging service" that sends out messages, a' la SMS text through a Web interface wherein the participating public can read and reply. Perhaps the reason my interpretation may seem vague or inaccurate is rooted in the fact that I don't "Tweet". It makes me think of a stereotypical Looney Tunes character. In fact, the whole thing smacks of a very narcissistic cartoon character. But, then again, here I am blogging...

So why would a reputable "multi-publisher online reference platform found in libraries all over the world" use Twitter? Is the Credo Reference crew trying to share knowledge, participate in the hippest trends in order to connect with multiple, digital generations, a combination of both, or some other reason? Having read through some of the public and entertainment tweets, I sense a need some people feel to just say whatever goes through their head, but why? Is there value to his? Is it useful? To whom?

However, the Credo Reference Tweets are actually rather fun and informative, albeit in the random way. For example, did you know that October 15th is October Horse Sacrifice? Or that October 16th is World Food Day? How about the month of October being Potato Days? Kudos to Credo for being hip, funny and educational in the Web 2.0 arena of individual advertisement and exposure to make sure we actually learn something.

Resource Review #3: No Gaol Fun For Us

An article posted online in September 2009 mentions "five key reference titles in the UK law, criminal justice, policing and forensic psychology following an agreement with Willan Publishing, the UK-based specialist in law and criminology for students, academics and practitioners" that Credo Reference added to their collection.

I was excited to peruse some of the new titles despite and due to my lack of knowledge about UK law. However, upon entering Credo via UW-Madison's library-database page, none of the titles were included in the reference resources I could search. After searching for about ten minutes, I began to look for some history on Credo (and its formerly-known-as-name xrefer) but, once again, struggled to find the what-I-thought-would-be-basic information. As a library school student, this makes me feel inadequate or slightly ignorant.

So, the assumptions start flying and I'm left wondering if the customization available for Credo subscribers directly relates to the titles they can "have". I'm guessing the costs of those resources were too much to justify adding them as US law students may not utilize international/UK law reference resources all that often. The UW Law Library does have an extensive amount of resources, but titles like those mentioned in the article seem to be great ready-reference titles.

Resource Review #2: And so it begins...

October has arrived and that means a few things to Wisconsin folk and students:

• Autumnal foliage and scents enliven the senses
• Multiple projects and papers are due

That being said, I am in full swing research mode for my literature reviews. One of the big projects involves textiles and their creators. So, I went to the ever-useful Credo Reference and embarked on my first official search today. In the Search box, I typed in the word "textiles". Here's how it broke down:

• 5275 results in All Subjects
• 489 results in Art
• 4 results in Business
• 81 results in Biographies
• 58 results in Dictionaries
• 2842 results in Encyclopedias
• 2 results in Food & Beverages
• 1226 results in Geography
• 3 results in Languages
• 15 results in Law
• 1 result in Literature
• 8 results in Medicine
• 0 results in Music
• 0 results in Philosophy
• 0 results in Psychology
• 0 results in Quotations
• 2 results in Religion
• 436 results in Science
• 2 results in Social Sciences
• 0 results in Technology

I was surprised by some of the results, both positively and negatively, and had a few user comments. First of all, I appreciated that each result provided a sentence with the keyword highlighted (great for establishing context: determining whether or not that resource would be helpful). Secondly, I could narrow my search in the sidebar, which worked wonderfully with the previously mentioned context building strategy. The ways in which a search could be narrowed were by utilizing related entries, related resources, adjacent entries, and book browsing. However, I found it frustrating and tedious that I had to continually use the "back" button to return to the results list upon viewing a result (i.e. there was no "return to results" link).

Additional search options were possible in other databases (via Credo):

• 47,868 results in JSTOR
• 8208 results in PubMed
• 77,144 results in WorldCat
• 2151 results in MadCat

When I did an Image Search with "textiles" I got 582 results, most of which were relative to countries that produce textiles (their flag and geographical location were the images) or pictures of textiles (Art reference resources). The Concept Search with "textiles" was, simply put, pretty awesome. Some of the relative concepts are going to be great launch points, so that feature will probably be a place I start for future research, especially with such a broad term like textiles.

Overall, Credo Reference will be extremely useful when I need definitions, context, or history on just about any subject. Yet, I know that I will need to use it in conjunction with at least two other databases (JSTOR and Oxford Art Online). That being said, I have a good feeling my resources will be busting at the seams.