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Research in Library Science

The following is a selected list of resources for starting research in Library Science. For further assistance, contact Leslie Bennett lbennett@uoregon.edu, Music Librarian and temporary Library Science subject specialist.

Starting Your Research

These sources can help you identify a topic for your research. Some provide an overview of a specific issue and suggest other materials which might be useful for your research. Others help you to notice or discover a topic that might be of interest to you.

Annual Reviews

Advances in Librarianship
KNIGHT Z 674 .A4
Annual Review of Information Science and Technology
KNIGHT Z 699 .A1 A65 (also online, 2002-present)
Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information
REF KNIGHT Z 731 .A47

Subject Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias for library science are located in KNIGHT REFERENCE in the Z section. They provide essays or articles and a bibliography. A few titles include:

Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science
REF KNIGHT Z1006 .E57
International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science
REF KNIGHT Z1006 .I57
World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services
REF KNIGHT Z1006 .W67

Other Useful Sources

American Library Directory
REF KNIGHT Z731 .A53
Dictionary of American Library Biography
KNIGHT Z720.A4 D5
Dictionary of Information Science and Technology
KNIGHT Z1006 .W35
Encyclopedia of Library History
KNIGHT Z721 .E54
Harrod's Librarians' Glossary of Terms Used in Librarianship Documentation and the Book Crafts, and Reference Book
REF KNIGHT Z1006 .H32
The Librarian's Thesaurus
REF KNIGHT Z1006 .S595
Library & Information Studies: Directory of Institutions Offering Accredited Master's Programs
REF KNIGHT Z668 .L49 (but see ALA Web Site for most up-to-date directory)

Journals

Browse through the table of contents of current library science journals, located in the Current Periodicals Reading Room, second floor or Knight Library. Most library science journals will be in the Z662-Z1000 section, with the exception of those that are aimed at specialized librarians, such as music librarians (in the Music Services Department at ML27 .U5 M695 and ML5 .F66); art librarians (in the AAA Library at Z675); and law librarians (in the Law Library at K12.)

Finding Articles

To look for articles in journals, newspapers, or magazines, you will need to start with an index, which will allow you to search by author subject, or a few keywords which describe your topic. For general strategies for finding article, see Looking for Articles in Journals and Magazines.

Library Literature
This is an essential resource for research in library and information science. Library Literature indexes over 360 library and information science journals, books, conference proceedings and dissertations, predominantly from the U.S. but with some international literature included. Citations are included from 1980 to the present. The database is updated monthly.
Academic Search Premier
An excellent source of articles, book reviews, chapters, and more on topics related to library and information science. Academic Search Premier indexes over 125 journals in library and information science, and makes many of the article available as full text. The database is continuously updated.
Subject Index to Literature on Electronic Sources of Information
This index and the accompanying "Electronic Sources of Information: A Bibliography" deal with all aspects of electronic publishing and include print and non-print materials, periodical articles monographs, and individual chapters in collected works. Both the index and the bibliography are continuously updated.
Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA)
KNIGHT Z671 .L58, 1969-1996
Indexes and abstracts over 500 journals in traditional library science and information science. LISA is published in London by the Library Association and has a strong international focus.
ERIC
ERIC includes more than 850,000 citations to articles published in education journals and to ERIC documents, which include curriculum materials, reports, standards, and other unpublished materials in education. Some practical "how we did it" information on library science is included. ERIC indexes materials from 1966 to the present and is updated monthly.

Finding Books

For general strategies on locating books and journals in the UO Libraries and beyond, see Looking for Books and Journals.

UO Libraries Online Catalog
Start here to find books, videos, and more by topic, title or author. You can also identify journals and magazines owned by the UO Library. To find journal articles on your topic, use the databases listed in the section above.
Summit Catalog
The Summit Catalog allows you to search the collections of more than 30 libraries in Oregon and Washington, then request available items from those libraries for delivery to the UO library of your choice; delivery takes 3 working days. This service is available only for books and videos. For journal articles, you'll need to fill out an interlibrary loan form.
WorldCat
Worldcat provides access to library catalogs from around the world. The database contains bibliographic records describing books journals, maps, musical scores, manuscripts, and more. Items can be requested using the "ILL" button available in Worldcat.

Web Resources

CRISTAL-ED
Coalition on Reinventing Information Science, Technology and Library Education; offers an email discussion list that focuses on one topic at a time
Citing Sources in Research Papers
Includes guidelines and examples for APA, MLA, and Chicago Humanities Style, as well as information on citing electronic sources.
Critical Evaluation of Information Sources
A handy guide that provides clues on what to look for in information sources to establish authority, objectivity, and quality.
Current Cites
"An annotated bibliography of selected articles, books, and digital documents on information technology." Sign up for the mailing list and receive monthly updates via email.
Internet Library for Librarians
"A portal designed for librarians to locate Internet resources related to their profession. A popular information resource site for librarians since 1994."
Library Weblogs
Find library-related weblogs from around the world to feed your interests and keep you informed about what's going on in the world of libraries and information technology.
LibrarySpot
A free virtual library resource center created "to break through the information overload of the Web and bring the best library and reference sites together with insightful editorial in one user-friendly spot. Sites featured on LibrarySpot.com are hand-selected and reviewed by our editorial team for their exceptional quality, content and utility."
LIScareer.com
Career development resources for librarians, with a wide range of topics relating to the profession: networking, mentoring, leadership and publishing in addition to information on job hunting.
LISNews
"A collaborative weblog [aka blog] devoted to current events and news in the world of Library and Information Science." Updated continuously. Grab an account and join in the fun, or just read what others are contributing.
National libraries of the world
Listing of national library web pages, maintained by IFLA.
Searching the Web
A guide to selecting and using search engines, including scholarly search engines, directories, metasearch engines, "hidden" search engines, and image search engines.

People and Organizations

American Library Association
Association of Research Libraries
Center for Research Libraries
International Federation of Library Associations
Music Library Association
Oregon Library Association
Pacific Northwest Library Association
Special Libraries Association
Maintained by:Leslie Bennett, lbennett@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 03/05/2007