Reference Book Analysis 900s

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Reference Book Analysis 900s

• Library 150
• Winter 2005
• By
• Teresa L. Wilkinson

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WebstersAmericanBiographies

• REF
• 920
• WEB

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Bibliographic citation

• Van Doren, Charles, and Robert
• McHenry, ed. Websters American
• Biographies.1st ed. Springfield
• Merriam-Webster, 1984.

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Arrangement

• Arranged alphabetically by subjects last name

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Indexing

• Contains two indexes
• Geographical Index (by state country)
• Careers and Profession Index lists subjects
  alphabetically by occupation.

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Scope

• 3082 subject entries
• Covers significant Americans living or deceased.
• Includes poets, chemists, explorers, writers,
  sports figures, military heroes, Hollywood stars,
  and historical figures.

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Currency

• First published in 1975. This book is current for
  some subjects who were no longer living at the
  time published. It is not current for anyone
  still living after this publishing date.

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Intended Purpose

• General use and interest

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Physical Format

• Hard cover
• 1233 pages
• 1.8 X 6.8 X 9.5
• 2.7 pounds

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Authority or credentials of issuing body

• Robert Dale McHenry (born April 30, 1945) is the
  editor of a number of mainly biographical works
  and was Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of the
  Encyclopedia Britannica from 1992-1997. He
  studied at Northwestern University and University
  of Michigan. He is critical of Wikipedia. From
  www.wikipedia.com

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Authority or credentials of issuing body

• Charles Van Doren (born February 12, 1926) earned
  a B.A. degree in English literature from St.
  Johns College in Annapolis, Maryland. He went on
  to obtain a masters degree in astrophysics and a
  doctorate in English, both at Columbia
  University. He was an assistant professor at
  Columbia University. In his later years Van Doren
  became an editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica
  and author of several books. A History of
  Knowledge is probably his most famous book. He is
  also famous for cheating as a contestant on the
  game show Twenty-one. The producers gave him the
  questions and the answers to boost the ratings.
  www.wikipedia.com

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Authority or credentials of issuing body

• Merriman-Webster are very respected publishers of
  dictionaries and thesauruses.

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Personal impression

• The Websters American Biographies is a great
  book, a quick and convenient reference. However,
  it is quite dated. If the Internet is available,
  you can probably access more current information
  there.

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Examples typifying reference use

• What influence did President Ronald Reagan have
  on the Cold War?
• Who is Red Jacket?
• I have to do a report on someone famous from
  Washington State, who are some significant people
  to choose from?

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Results from Websters American Biographies

• Because of being published in 1984, the entry
  from Websters American Biographies concludes
  with Reagans first term, and does not mention
  his strategy with regard to the Cold War which
  ultimately led to down fall of the Soviet Union.
• 2. He was an Indian Leader. His real name was
  Otetiani, changed to Sagoyewatha on his elevation
  to chief. He was from the Seneca tribe. He
  fought for the British during the Revolutionary
  War. Then he became an advocate of peace with the
  Americans. He tried to keep Indians and whites
  separate.
• From the geographical index under Washington
  subjects included are
• Water Houser Brattain, Chester Floyd
  Carlson, Bing Crosby, Pierre Jane De Smet,
  Frederick Schiller Faust, Morris cole Graves,
  Gypsy Rose Lee, Mary Therese mcCarthy, John
  McLoughlin, Vernon Louis Parrington, Theodore
  Roethke, Smohalla, Robert, Stroud, David
  Thompson, Mark Tobey, Marcus Whitman, and Minoru
  Yamaski.

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Results from World Wide Web

• Yahoo search Ronald Reagan and Cold War results
  in 960,000 hits. The first from
  www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/profiles/reaga
  n.com
• credits Reagan for the end of the Cold War.
• The second from www.umcommonknowledge.org
  debates Reagans contribution and suggests the
  Soviet Union would have fallen in time,
  regardless of Reagan.
• The third at www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/
  10/eveningnews/main622398.html also credits
  Reagan for his contribution to the end of the
  Cold War.
• Yahoo search biographies and Red Jacket.
  Yields 89,200 hits.
• Lots of great results from
  www.infoplease.com , www.factmonster.com, and
  www.famousamericans.net

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Results from World Wide Web continued

• Yahoo search biographies and Washington State
  results in 1,280,000 hits.
• 1. www.50states.com/washington provides
  33 names
• 2. www.inforplease.com provides 46 names
  of famous
• Washingtonians.
• Results It seemed any information found in
  the Websters American Biographies, could also be
  found quite easily on the web. The World Wide Web
  provided the most current information.

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The End

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