ILS504 - Reference & Information Resources and Services

Group Evaluations / Directories
 [Listings followed by NF indicate my work]

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AcqWeb's Directory of Publishers and Vendors

Citation
AcqWeb's directory of publishers and vendors.  (2004). Retrieved April 12, 2009.

Scope
This is an international directory of websites for publishers and vendors.  It is specifically maintained for library acquisitions, collection development, and serial departments.  It provides access to over 14 thousand email links and www forums.

Currentness
It was last updated about four years ago, on August 18, 2004.

Accuracy
The fact that it is not very current implies that the accuracy is not of the best.  It provides links to other websites that can hold accurate and current information, however this site may provide out-of-date information, such as broken links and companies no longer in business.

Format
Online directory

Arrangement
Users can search through the publisher email address directory, the publisher websites directory by alphabet, by geography, or by subject.  There are also other links to publishers, vendors, and books.  An outline of publisher websites directory by subject is also provided.  Express Access Index Guide

American School Directory

Citation
American school directory. (n.d.) Retrieved April 11, 2009 from
http://asd.com/asd/asdhome.htm

Scope
This is a directory of maps on over 105,000 schools in America.  It provides an online mapping service that includes street, aerial, and topographical maps, and driving directions.
 
Currentness
Their website is updated on a weekly basis throughout the year.

Accuracy
They update by directly contacting schools, so that they can provide the most accurate, up-to-date information available.

Format
Online database that requires monthly or annual subscription

Arrangement
Can perform advanced searches, filling in required information to find desired results.  Entries include school name, address, telephone and fax numbers, county, principal name, and number of students.

Annual Register of Grant Support

Citation
Annual register of grant support. (42nd ed.) (2009). New Providence, N.J.:
Information Today, Inc

Scope
This is a directory and guide of over 3,200 grant-giving organizations.  It provides information on traditional and nontraditional sources.  It also covers academic and scientific research, travel and exchange programs, and awards and prizes in a variety of fields.

Currentness
New editions are published annually

Accuracy
This book is published by Information Today, Inc.  They are known for publishing directories and their company goal is to provide information users and producers with the knowledge and services needed to effectively perform their jobs

Format
Hardcover volume

Arrangement
It is separated into 11 major subjects and 61 subcategories.  Entries include type, purpose, and duration of grant, amount of funding available, information on eligibility requirements and restrictions, application procedures and deadlines, grant size or range, contact infomation, among others.  There are indexes for subject, organization and program, geography, and personnel.

D&B Companies Online

Citation
D&B companies online. (n.d.) Retrieved April 12, 2009 from
http://www.dnb.com/us/

Scope
D&B Companies have been the world's leading source of commercial information on business for 167 years.  Their database contains more than 140 million business records, and 130 million companies.  They have 77 million companies in their database available for risk, supply, sales & marketing, and e-business decisions, and 38 millions inactive companies with historical information for file matching and data cleansing purposes.

Currentness
They collect, aggregate, edit, and verify data from thousands of sources daily.

Accuracy
DUNSRight Quality Process provides customers with quality business information.  It has over 2,000 automated and manual checks to ensure data is accurate, complete, timely, and globally consistent.

Format
Online database        

Arrangement
A search can be performed by entering a company name and selecting the appropriate country and state.  Reports can include company profile, payment trends profile, judgments, suits and liens, bankruptcies, PAYDEX Score, credit limit recommendations, D&B rating, financial statements, payment history details, UCC filings, corporate family tree, credit score summary, free auto-refresh, partial-data warning, and report investigations depending on the report package purchased.

Directory of Research Grants

Citation
Directory of research grants. (2008). Nashville: Schooolhouse Partners.
 
Format
Comes in print and online versions.  The online version is part of Gale Ready Reference Shelf database.

Scope
Provides listing of funding sources for research-related projects, programs, scholarships, fellowships, conferences, and internships.  Lists over 4,100 funding sources.

Arrangement
The main directory is arranged alphabetic by grant program name.  There are three indexes – subject, type, and geographical.  There is also a How To Use page with sample entries.

Currency/Accuracy
Published annually.  Information is gathered through questionnaires sent to sponsors.  Information on government programs comes from the Federal Register, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, NIH guide, and NSF E-bulletin.

Directory of Special Libraries and Information Centers

Citation
Subject directory of special libraries and information centers. (2002). Detroit:
Thomson Gale.

Format
Comes in print, CD-ROM, and online versions.

Scope
Gives descriptive information on more than 34,000 subject-specific resource collections.  Although their main focus is US libraries they are trying to become more international in scope by including 2,708 in Canada and 14,855 collections outside the US and Canada.

Arrangement
The entry arrangement is 7 sections – A- Networks and Consortia, B- Regional and Sub-regional, C- patent& trademark depository libraries, D- Regional government depository libraries, E- United Nations depository libraries, F- World Bank depository libraries, G- European Commission depository libraries.There is also a subject index containing more than 4,000 terms and cross-references, mostly using Library of Congress headings.  It refers users to library’s entry number not page number. 
 
I found this resource rather difficult to use in the print version due to index set up and all of the sections and volumes..  I’m sure the online version is much easier.

Currency/Accuracy
Issues annual supplements and tries to stay current by using mail surveys and phone calls.

Foundations On-line

Citation
http://www.foundations.org/

Format
Online only.

Scope
List of 66 corporate and private foundations and 44 community foundations, 3 government grants, and 3 fundraising consultants.  In its related sites section it has links to the websites of The Foundation Center, The Council on Foundations, and ProPoor.  It has been active since 1995.  It is a service of the Northern California Community Foundation, Inc.  Through this site you can browse their foundation directory, pick a listed foundation, search any foundation's information page or search any foundation's home page.

Arrangement
Lists foundations and grant makers alphabetic by name. Foundation name links directly to their website.  No other information is given by the Foundations On-line site itself.

Currency/Accuracy
Information should be current as it links directly to the foundations websites.

Hoover's Online

Citation
http://www.hoovers.com/

Format
Online only.
 
Scope
Hoover’s is a subsidiary of Dun & Bradstreet.  It offers business information through the Internet, data feeds, wireless devices, and co-branding agreements with other online services. It features a database of information on more than 25 million corporations and organizations and offers both free and for-pay content The focus is on selling subscriptions to marketing, sales, and business development professionals. Hoover's also publishes its information in reference books.

Arrangement
Has basic and advanced search features which will allow you to narrow your search by location, number of employees, amount of annual sales, and industry codes.
According to their company information page through their service you can have:
•    Database access to more than 25 million companies and the people who lead them.
•    Suite of advanced tools for creating targeted contact lists, custom company reports, and locating hard to reach small businesses.
•    Information download tool that allows users to import our data into spreadsheets, CRMs, and other software for in-depth analysis of companies, competitors, customers, and more
•    Powerful search capabilities that quickly locate target companies, industries, and officers using flexible search criteria.
•    Customizable news alerts and news coverage from top wire services.
•    A choice of several subscription levels, licensing, and access options (including wireless), that meet every company's needs.
•    Access to detailed information about a company's parent(s), subsidiaries, and/or branch locations, including a display of how the company fits within its overall corporate hierarchy.

Currency/Accuracy
Updated daily.

National Faculty Directory

Citation
National Faculty Directory 2000, 31st ed. 3 vols.  Detroit: Gale, 2000

Scope
Contains the names, departmental affiliations, institutional addresses and phone numbers of more than 730,000 members of teaching faculties at approximately 3,600 American colleges and universities and approximately 240 Canadian institutions that use instructional materials primarily in English
 
Currency
2001

Accuracy
When I looked up previous professors I had, information appeared to be accurate

Format
Hard cover, three volumes

Arrangement
Names are arranged alphabetically by faculty members last name and sub-arranged by first name and middle initial

Peterson’s

Citation
http://www.petersons.com/

Scope
Contains information about colleges, universities, career schools, graduate programs, distance learning, executive training, private secondary schools, summer opportunities, study abroad, financial aid, test preparation and career exploration

Currency
2009

Accuracy
Information appeared to be accurate

Format
Contains links to colleges and Universities, Graduate schools, Online and continuing education and k-12 schools and programs.  Each area has a quick search option as well as a number of quick links.

Arrangemnet
Arranged in four major groups with subcategories for each group, such as career colleges, private schools, online degrees and career colleges.

Publishers Directory | NF

Citation
Publishers Directory. 22nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2000.

Scope
Contains company and contact information for American and Canadian publishers, wholesalers, distributors,  independent presses and virtual publishers

Currency
2000

Accuracy
Information appeared to be accurate

Format
Single hardcover volume

Arrangement
Publishers and distributors are listed alphabetically.
                              

Research Centers and Services Directories  NF 

Citation
Gale Research Inc. (1995). Research centers and services directory. Detroit, Mich:
Gale Research.

Scope
Lists and describes nonprofit research institutes centers, operating foundations, laboratories, bureaus, experiment stations and other similar research facilities and activities

Currentness
2004

Accuracy
Information appeared to be accurate

Format
Each entry is a arranged alphabetically by the sponsoring organization’s name and then by center name
 
Arrangement
Arranged in two volumes.  Listings are arranged into 17 sections by subject:  these subjects are grouped into five broad categories.

Research Centers Directory  NF

Citation
Hedblad, A. (2004). Research centers directory: A guide to about 13,700 university-
related and other nonprofit research organizations established on a permanent basis and carrying on continuing research programs. Detroit: Gale.

Purpose
This is a comprehensive directory to university related and non-profit research institutes, foundations, centers, bureaus, laboratories, experiment stations, and other similar nonprofit facilities, organizations, and activities in the United States and Canada.

Authority
Published by Thomson Gale, a subsidiary of The Thomson Corporation, a leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.

Scope
This directory lists descriptive information on nonprofit research centers, institutions, facilities, etc. These organizations are in the fields of government and public affairs, agriculture, physical and earth sciences, environment and
conservation, business, medicine, religion, engineering, technology, education, behavioral sciences, the humanities, labor and industry and regional studies.

Format
Print

Arrangement
This directory is arranged into two volumes arranged by subject. Volume 1 contains seven sections in life sciences and physical sciences, and engineering and four sections in private and public policy, four sections in social and culture studies, and one section for multidisciplinary programs and one for research centers. Volume 2 is divided into four indexes; a master index alphabetically arranged, a personal name index, a geographic index, and a subject index.

Entries
Entries provide general information on location, staff, descriptive information on the organization, as well as its resources.
 
Special Features
Nothing noteworthy

Uses
This is a valuable tool for relevant current information on research centers.

Overall Evaluation
A must have tool for academic and research libraries.

Subject Collections | NF

Citation
Ash, L., & Miller, W. G. (1993). Subject collections: A guide to special book collections
and subject emphases as reported by university, college, public, and special libraries and museums in the United States and Canada. New Providence, N.J.: R.R. Bowker.

Purpose
This Directory is a guide to special book collections and subject items as reported by U.S. academic, public, and special libraries and museums in the US and Canada.

Authority
Published by R.R. Bowker, a respected name in reference publishing.

Scope
This 7th edition contains 65,818 entries that are part of collections in 5,882 libraries and other institutions. Of these, 13,266 entries are new.

Format
Print

Arrangement
These two volumes are arranged alphabetically by 18,878 subject headings, 3,128 which are new to this edition. Arrangement is alphabetical by state name, then by city then alphabetically by the name of the library.

Entries
Entries include library name and location (city, state, zip code), a listing of its holdings, and any additional pertinent information.

Special Features
Nothing noteworthy
 
Uses
This directory can be used to locate specific subject holdings in libraries in the US and Canada.

Overall Evaluation
This directory is an invaluable tool for academic and research libraries who need to locate subject specific information.

Yearbook of International Organizations | NF

Citation
Union of International Associations. (1967). Yearbook of international organizations.
Brussels: Union of International Associations.

Purpose
This yearbook catalogs international organizations as well as indentifying a myriad of links between organizations with similar goals.

Authority
Published by The Union of International Associations (UIA), a research institute founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 1913, Henri La Fontaine in 1907 with Paul Otlet, a pioneer in information science.

Scope
Provides more than 30,000 listings of nonprofit organizations that are currently active across all fields of interest.

Format
Print, online and on CD-ROM

Arrangement
This directory is arranged in six volumes: Volume 1 comes in two parts and entries are numbered in alphabetical order. Part A is for organizations from A – Ins; Part B is Int – Z. Has cross-referencing for Volumes 2,3,and 4. Volume 2 lists organizations by country or region, Volume 3 lists organizations by subject, Volume 4 lists publications and information resources as well as almost 18,000 research citations, Volume 5 is Statistics, Visualizations and Patterns, and Volume 6 lists 19,000 biographies of top organization officers

Special Features
CD-ROM and online versions available.
 
Uses
This directory would be invaluable for locating organizations whose focus and goals align across economic, political, and geographical boundaries.

Overall Evaluation
This directory is an excellent edition for academic and research libraries, but seems too specific for a general reference collection except in larger public libraries.