Practice questions #1



Heather Fucinari

LIBR 210

Practice Exercise 1-3

1. I am thinking of starting a coffee roasting business, and I am doing some market research. What brand of ground coffee had the largest market share in the United States in 2005-2006? (If you can’t find it for 2005-2006 but you can find it for the year before or the year after, that will be fine.) What percent market share did it have?

a) Folger’s ground coffee was top in sales for 2006-2007 with 21.5% of the market share. Information found in the World Almanac Book of Facts.

b) After consulting the class wiki I accessed ThomasNet, the online version of Thomas Register of American Manufacturers. I did a Product/Service search for “Coffee”. I then realized this is specifically American companies and the company is not necessarily American. I misunderstood the purpose of this resource and moved on. I started digging in the “Almanacs & Yearbooks” section of the class wiki this seemed most logical. I did and advanced search in WorldAlmanac via King Library database and limited results for keyword “market share” and book: “World Almanac Book of Facts”. Results returned were “Top Brands in Selected Categories, 2006-2007”, I scrolled to “Ground Coffee” and found Folgers had 21.5 % of the market share.

c) Q: What were the 3 leading causes of death in the US in 2004?

A: 1) Heart disease (27%), 2) Cancer (23 %) 3) Stroke (6 %)

d) ~ 1 ½ hr.

2. I am writing a paper about the Midwest’s voting record in the 1948 presidential election. Which presidential candidate was chosen in the state of Iowa in 1948? What about in Minnesota?

a) Iowa: Truman; Minnesota: Truman. Found in tables accessed from “Historical Statistics of the United States” database.

b) I searched the King Library “Reference & Background Sources” databases and found the “Historical Statistics of the United States” database. I used the “Contents” option to drill down to “Electoral and popular votes cast for President, by candidate: 1789–2000”. I found information on 1948 candidates, but no information by state. I found that Truman was the Democratic nominee and Dewey was the Republican nominee. I noted this information and accessed another table called “Popular votes cast for President, by state and political party: 1836–2000”. This table only has the party that got the popular vote, but not the name. I crossed referenced the two tables and deduced the answer: Iowa: Truman; Minnesota: Truman

c) Q: What was the average hours worked per day in 1900? I want to see if much has changed.

A: 9.89 hours was the average per day for all industries.

d) ~45 min.

3. I am going to be spending a year as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia, and I’m an avid bicyclist. I’m wondering if there are any bicycling associations in Ethiopia with which I might get involved when I am there. I’ve done some searching in Google, but I haven’t found anything suitable. Can you give me the name of a contact person as well as the address and phone number for a relevant association?

a) Name: National Ethiopian Cycling Federation

Address: Addis Abeba Bole M. 17 Keb. 05

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contact: Mr. Tesfaye Stegaye, Pres.

Phone Number: 251 1 6638568

b) My first thought was to go to “Associations Unlimited” from the class wiki reference choices. I did a “Location” search by Ethiopia. I browsed the five pages and found the “National Ethiopian Cycling Federation”.

c) Q: I am a recovering alcoholic and planning a trip to England. How can I get a list of meetings while I’m there?

A: Contact Ann N. at phone number 44 1904 644026. They can direct you to AA meetings around the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

d) ~ 5 min.

4. I am a law librarian in Florida, and I am trying to find a foundation that might fund an initiative related to my law library that I am trying to get started. Can you tell me if there are any foundations that I might contact for funding? Can you give me their contact information?

a) The Foosaner Foundation

104 Riverside Dr., Ste. C-902

Cocoa, FL 32922-7859

Contact: Dione L. Negroni, Pres.

It looks like they prefer initial contact via a letter and their types of support are general and operational.

b) By searching the class wiki it seemed that the Foundation Directory Online would be the best place to start. I accessed the director via King Library. I inquired from the “Search Grants” tab and entered State/County = Florida, clicked on “view index” for “Recipient Type” and chose “libraries (law)” and received no results. I changed the search to “Grantmaker” entered “libraries (law)” as field of interest and “Florida” for “Geographical Focus”.

c) Q: I work at a music archives in Los Angeles. Are there any grant foundations we might approach for funding?

A: Yes, The GRAMMY Foundation. Contact Kristin Murphy at (310) 392-3777. They are located in Santa Monica, CA.

d) ~15 min.

5. I believe that the video artist Nam June Paik had a retrospective exhibit at a museum in New York City in the year 2000. Which museum was it?

a) Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York

b) The nature of this query made me think of trying to find this artists official website which was accessed September 20, 2008 at . The artist had only one exhibit in 2000. To back-up my results I went to King Library databases and accessed Encyclopedia Britannica Online. I did a search for Nam June Paik and found Art, Antiques and Collections from Year in Review 2000. The article confirmed the exhibit at the Guggenheim in New York.

c) Q: When in the history of motion pictures did the “B-movie” concept come about?

A: B-movies were introduced in the early 1930’s. The Encyclopedia Britannica is a great place to consult for additional timelines in motion picture history.

d) ~30 min.

6. I am going to a wedding with my boyfriend and I will be meeting his family for the first time. His family is very prim and proper. I saw on the menu for the dinner that they will be serving artichokes. I am not sure I’ve even seen an artichoke before, and I surely don’t know how to eat one. I’m sure his family knows all about etiquette, so I want to be sure I am eating properly. Can you lead me to a source that will explain how to eat it properly? I really like him and I don’t want him to break up with me. Should I just break up with him to save myself the embarrassment?

a) “Artichokes are always eaten with the fingers; a leaf at a time is pulled off and the edible end is dipped in the sauce, and then bitten off.” P. 583.

b) I attempted to retrieve “Emily Post’s Etiquette” at the Costa Mesa Public Library (CMPL) but it was checked out or miss shelved. The library only has one copy. I briefly consulted “Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette” as it was near the missing book, but nothing about artichokes. I ended up accessing “Emily Post’s Etiquette” via Project Gutenberg at . I did a “Find” search for “Artichoke”.

c) Q: I have a friend who just moved here from Madagascar, they would like to know how to properly great people because it can be culturally very different. Where might I find some example of proper greetings?

A: Emily Post’s Etiquette has a helpful section on introductions and greetings.

It is a good place to start to avoid any uncomfortable exchanges.

d) ~1 ½ between the library and internet search. Actual search time in book is about 30 seconds.

7. I am a professor of film studies, and I was thinking about sending a proposal to a publishing company for a reference book about films that deal with labor issues. I haven’t seen such a reference book, and I think it would be a really useful source. Can you tell me if such a reference book has already been published? If so, what year was the most recent publication, and who was the publisher? And if there is such a book, I’d like to know the author’s name so I know who stole my great idea.

a) “Working Stiffs, Union Maids, Reds and Riffraff: An Organized Guide to Films about Labor” by Tom Zaniello. Cornell University Press most recently published it in 2003.

b) I mistakenly referenced the Literary Market Place from the library. I discovered this was not the correct material. I misunderstood the question and was thinking that I was looking for a publisher that would publish the book, not if this book already existed. I looked over the class wiki and decided that ARBA sounded like a better choice. I accessed ARBA via the King Library database and did a search with “film” as Keyword and “Labor” as Subject.

c) Q: I am an art student and looking for some reference material on Ethiopian Art. It is specific and I cannot seem to find an art book dedicated to it.

A: Ethiopian Art: The Walters Art Museum by Deborah E. Horowitz will provide you with reference material for this subject.

d) ~1 ½ hrs. Most of the time in the library. Actual ARBA reference took about 5 min.

8. I’d like to find a list of schools in California that offer a Ph.D. in Japanese.

a) Stanford University

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Irvine

b) Based on the resources available on the class wiki, I was available to access Peterson’s Graduate Programs. After attempting to see if I could get to the web edition via King Library I did use Google to go to the legitimate Peterson’s Grad Program search at . I utilized the “Find a school” search and chose “Humanities” from the “Graduate School Subject Area”, “Japanese” from the “Graduate School Program”, “Doctorate” from the “Degree/Award Level” and “California” for “Locations”.

c) Q: I am nervous because I am going to have to take the GRE in preparation for graduate school. Is there any resource that might help?

A: Peterson’s Graduate Programs has some helpful tips and practice tests.

d) ~20 min.

9. I have renal failure, and I want to know if my taking Coumadin is going to interfere with my renal function. (Yes, I will also ask my physician or pharmacist, but I want to look up the information myself too.)

a) “No dosage adjustment is necessary for patients with renal failure”. There is a warning about bleeding risk with “renal insufficiency”. This seems to contradict the dosage information, so be sure to consult your physician or pharmacist. (P. 3458 of the 2008 Physician’s Desk Reference.)

b) I was concerned at first because a catalog search of the Costa Mesa Public Library turned up the newest version of the Physician’s Desk Reference was from 1974! When I asked the library she let advised me there was a 2008 edition for reference only behind the desk. I looked up Coumadin and found the heading “Renal Failure”. At first, I found a warning about bleeding risk with renal insufficiency but then the book specifically said there is no adjustment necessary.

c) Q: I found a strange pill in my son’s room with engraved numbers on it. Do you have any material that may help me identify it?

A: The Physician’s Desk Reference has a Product Identification Guide that shows many different kinds of medication. There is a good chance you will identify it there.

d) ~30 min.

10. I have an article that I’ve written that I would like to submit to the Classical World, which is a classical studies journal, but before I send it in, I want to check the approximate circulation of the journal. Can you give me a ballpark figure?

a) The circulation is approximately 3000, but the publisher did not specify the types of circulation.

b) By looking at the resources on the class wiki, Ulrich’s International Directory of Periodicals seemed like the best choice. I accessed via via the King Library database, browsed by Index: Title, then did a search “Classical World”. Contained in this search is circulation statistics.

c) Q: I am an advertiser looking for to place some ads for our film transfer business. I’m aware of many magazines, but are there any that are in development? I’m thinking I can get ad space for cheaper if they are just starting out.

A: The Journal of African Cinemas will be coming out in autumn of 2008. It’s printed in English. They are located in Britain, however.

d) ~10 min.

11. I recently started dating a guy who is from some small town called Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and when we are out, he often says he needs to find a bubbler because he is thirsty. I don’t know what he is talking about, and I’m worried he has a drinking problem. I’m thinking maybe I should break up with him before it gets any more serious. I already have an email written to him saying that I really like him but I’d just like to be friends, but I haven’t sent it yet. Before I send it, could you help me figure out what he is talking about?

a) Not to worry, a “bubbler” is a regional expression for drinking fountain. You may find the Dictionary of American Regional English a useful reference for other expressions he may use.

b) Fortunately, I was familiar with what the term “bubbler” meant from comparing regional words one day with someone I met many years ago. I just had to find my proof. Cassidy’s Dictionary of American Regional English (1985) was the first source consulted. (I lucked out that you chose “bubbler” because the library only had volume 1: A-C) This source made the most sense to me from the class wiki. I searched alphabetically for “bubbler”.

c) Q: I took a trip down South once and everyone seemed to only have Coke to drink. How can this be?

A: “Coke” is used in states such as Kentucky, Arkansas, South Carolina and others in that region as a generic term for carbonated beverages. You may hear a waitress say, “What kind of coke do you want?”.

d) ~ 15min.

12. I just got an email from a friend saying that I am supposed to bring the “mezz” to the party tonight, but I don’t know what he is talking about. I looked it up in my dictionary that my grandparents gave me for my high school graduation, and it says it’s an abbreviation for “mezzanine.” That doesn’t make any sense to me. Is there some other meaning?

a) Named from Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow-it appears your friend would like you to bring the marijuana to the party. On the other hand, perhaps he’s just a fan of jazz?

b) I had written down two sources from the class wiki that would be likely to have the answer: Acronyms, Initialisms, and Abbreviations Dictionary and Lighter’s Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang. I took a “short cut” before visiting the library and Google’d “mezz” to get a clue on what it could be. I deduced that the slang dictionary was the source to consult. I first looked for Lighter’s slang dictionary in the library, but could not find it. I found The Cassell Dictionary of Slang by Jonathan Green (1998) and looked up “mezz” alphabetically to back up the meaning I found via Google.

c) Q: I’d like to know how far back the term “doobie” goes. I heard my uncle say it and he’s old.

A: According to The Cassell Dictionary of Slang, the term came into popularity in the 1960’s. The book contains many other words and when they started being used incase you’d like to look up some on your own.

d) ~ 1 hour.

13. I can never figure out the difference between “affect” and “effect” and now I am in a sociology class and I need to use those two words all the time in my papers. My professor took a ton of points off on my last paper because I guessed each time I had to use those two words (and evidently got them wrong each time). I looked in my Webster’s dictionary, and I don’t understand the distinction between the two definitions. I’m looking for a source that explains the two words in relation to each other. Can you show me a clear explanation for how these two words are used?

a) This is a very common problem and you can find a thorough explanation of the difference along with example of usage on page 26 of Garner’s Modern American Usage. The entries are alphabetical. Look for the entry, “affect;effect”.

b) Via the class wiki, I thought Fowler’s Modern English Usage the source to consult. This book is not available in the three local libraries that I frequent, so I consulted Garner’s Modern American Usage (2003). I searched alphabetically and on page 26 I found the helpful entry “affect;effect”. It looks like Fowler’s definition was noted in the entry of the Garner book.

c) Q: Why do I see “canceled” and “canceling” sometimes spelled with one “l” or two “ll”. Which one am I supposed to use?!

A: I’ve always wondered that myself! According to Garner’s Modern American Usage, American English uses one “l” in “canceled” and British English uses two

“ll”’s. However, “cancellations” is doubled because the accent falls on the third syllable.

d. ~ 30 min.

14. I know that Marcel Breuer is the architect that designed the library and a few other buildings at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. I heard that he also designed a church somewhere in Michigan. I was thinking of taking a road trip through the Midwest to see some of his works. Can you figure out what church it is and in which city in Michigan?

a) It looks like the building is St Francis de Sales church in Muskegon, MI. You are in for a treat during the road trip because this is a very beautiful part of Michigan!

b) First checked Encyclopedia Britannica. (2007.) Retrieved October 1, 2008, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online. I got the answer from Dictionary of Art, which is Oxford Art Online retrieved at . I entered “Marcel Breuer” into the general search box. I then chose the link to his biography and did a CTRL+F to find “church”.

c) Q: I was at the Met in NY and saw a work by Edward Hopper. Where can I see some other examples of his work?

A: You can do an “image” search on Oxford Art Online. Type in “Edward Hopper” into the “Search for Images Only” box. You will see links you can click to view more of his works.

d) ~ 20 min.

15. I need to do a report on the history and structure of a musical instrument called a cittern for my music history class. I’ve never even heard of such a thing. Can you help me to find a source where I could read about this instrument and get some leads on some music written for this instrument?

a) The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians volume 4 contains a lengthy entry on the cittern. At the end of the entry, which you can find alphabetically, there is a subheading, “Sources of Cittern Music” you can find some scores written for this instrument there.

b) I did the secondary annotation for New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1980) edited by Stanley Sadie for the class wiki so I immediately knew where to go. I search alphabetically and found “cittern” in volume 4.

c) Q: I am studying Spanish composer Federico Chueca and looking for works of his. Where can I find some names?

A: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is a good place to start. Look for him alphabetically and you will see a subheading under his entry of a listing of works.

d) ~ 20 min.

16. My professor knows the most obscure terms about poetry and wants us to know them too. For an assignment that’s due tomorrow, I need to define what “dyfalu” is. Can you help me find out what it is? And this probably isn’t the last time she is going to want us to find a definition about some literary term. Can you suggest a source that I can come back to in the future?

a) A “dyfalu” is a poetic technique of Welsh poetry. It seems to mean, “to guess” and is used in riddle poems. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics contains information on “dyfalu” as well as many other terms that will probably come up in your class.

b) Initially I thought the New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics would be the best source from the class wiki. The “New” Princeton was not available at any of my local libraries, so I found Preminger’s Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (1974). (I am finding I have some highly outdated libraries in my area!) I looked up “dyfalu” alphabetically. I found that the definitions of words are as hard to understand as the poetry itself! I had to read the entry several times to get the gist.

c) Q: I’d like to find some works on Yiddish Poetry. Where can I start?

A: The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics contains a list of anthologies under the entry for “Yiddish Poetry”. You can use that as a starting point to find the actual works.

d. ~ 30 min.

17. I am curious about what the biological process of death including the various changes that happen to the human body after death occurs. I am not a scientist, and so I don’t want anything too technical. Can you help me to find an explanation that I will be able to understand?

a) The Gale Encyclopedia of Science is an easy to understand resource for this type of information. According the “Aging & Death” entry in volume 1, death is “marked by the end of blood circulation, the end of oxygen transport to organs and tissues, the end of brain function and overall organ failure”.

b) After consulting the class wiki I first checked Encyclopedia Britannica Online. and did not find a proper entry. I then searched the Orange County Public Library catalog for McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology to be found nowhere. While doing reference work for another question I spotted the Gale Encyclopedia of Science, edited by Travers (1996). It didn’t look too technical so it was good for this question. I first searched alphabetically for “death” and found no entries. I then consulted the “Index” volume and was led to page number in volume 1. I found the entry “Aging & Death” and found the information.

c) Q: Where can I find information on different types of viruses…like the one that causes Ebola?

A: Volume 6 of the Gale Encyclopedia of Science contains the entry “Virus”. Look for the subheading “Types of virus”. Filovirus is the type that causes Ebola, but you will find others and what disease they cause.

d) ~ 1 hour.

18. I am writing a paper in which I need to compare the immigration patterns between the Irish-Americans and the Polish-Americans. I need to include things like religion, customs, food, holidays, as well as the way that each group assimilated. I’ve spent a huge amount of time dinking around with searches in Google, and all I am finding is stuff about St. Patrick’s Day parades and polka festivals. I’m getting really frustrated. Can you direct me to a source that will help me?

a) The Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America has a comprehensive section on Irish-Americans and Polish-Americans. Both entries are found in volume 2. Under the alphabetical entries, you will find subheadings the cover “Acculturation and Assimilation”, “Family and community dynamics”, “Religion” and other resources on food and holiday celebration.

b) This question was fairly easy to determine the correct reference by consulting the class wiki. However, like many of the other reference books it is hard to track down at the library. I found the Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America (1995) by Vecoli at only one public library in my area which was unfortunate because I particular liked this reference. Once I found the two volumes, finding the answers to this question was simple. I was able to do research on my own Italian-American roots and found the explanation on when and why Italians started immigrating to America exactly how my family arrived and began their life here.

c) Q: I’m learning Italian getting back to my roots. I wanted something that would allow me to keep up with other Italian-Americans and the culture in America. Can you help?

A: There is one Italian newspaper that is published in America. It’s called, “America Oggi”, which means “America Today”. You can subscribe by contacting Andrea Mantineo at 201-695-5608.

d) ~30 min.

19. A friend of mine is really into Buddhism, and now I’m getting really curious about it. She said that she is on a “bodhisattva path.” What does this mean? I’d like to read about this concept, and once I have an overview, I might like to find some books written on the topic. Can you help?

a) Mircea Eliade’s Encyclopedia of Religion contains information on this path of Buddhism. According to the entry for “bodhisattva path” it refers to either a person who is seeking bodhi, or a “bodhi being”, that is a being destined to attain Buddahood. You will find other books on this topic under the “Bibliography” section of the entry.

b) Consulting the class wiki, I determined that the Encyclopedia of Religion, edited by Lindsay Jones was the best resource to start with. Unfortunately, it seems that no library in the Orange County Public Library system has this reference! While doing my research at the Costa Mesa library, however, I came across the 16 volume Encyclopedia of Religion (1993) by Mircea Eliade. I fist looked under “Buddhism” and found a reference to “bodhisattva path”. I then found a reference to “bodhisattva path” was its own entry. I should have gone directly to the index section to check if “bodhisattva path” was its own entry.

c) Q: Is Scientology considered a religion? I’m having a hard time finding anything that suggests that it is official. I am afraid for my friend who just moved to Hollywood and seems to be way into it.

d) ~ 45 min.

20. When I was little, my mom used to say, “Don’t let the bed bugs bite” when I went to bed. I’ve been having trouble sleeping recently because I keep thinking about bed bugs. I was wondering if there really is such a thing as a bed bug? If so, what kind of bugs are they? I’d like to find a picture of them, a description of them, where they live in the world, and what they eat, etc. Perhaps if I know more about them, I won’t be as freaked out about going to bed each night and I’ll be able to get some sleep.

a) Yes, there really is such as thing. ( The are called, “Cimex lectularius”. You can see a picture of the in volume 3 of Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia on page 266. You will find all kinds of information on bed bugs in this volume including their habitat, distribution, physical characteristics, feeding and more

b) Consulting the class wiki I began looking for Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia (2003). As with all the other hard copy references I used the Orange County Public Library OPAC to find the copy at one of my local libraries. Locating the answer was simple after seeing how the volumes were organized. Each volume was dedicated to a type of creature (reptiles, birds, insects). I did an index search for “bed bugs” in Vol. 3: Insects.

c) Q: I’m doing a report on crocodiles, but want to find out more about that type of reptile. Like, what other reptiles are they related to?

A: You will be able to find this type of information in Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Please see volume 7 which is all about reptiles. There is an entry for “crocodilians” which is the order that crocodiles belong to. Also included are their relative, the alligator, and many others.

d) ~ 25 min.

21. I’m in a science for poets (in other words, a class for English majors to get science requirements fulfilled!) class this term, and we are supposed to present a short presentation about a notable scientist who is part of a minority of some sort in this country. I was thinking of doing an African American woman, and because my grandma was recently diagnosed with cancer, I was wondering if there might be an African American woman who is or was a cancer researcher. If you can’t find someone, then I think I’ll just do Albert Einstein and say he was a minority in that he was really, really smart.

a) Jane Cooke Wright was an African American cancer researcher. She is known as the “Mother of Chemotherapy”. You can find her in the Biography Resource Center database.

b) I first search the American National Biography via SJSU King Library. I did a search on Black History and Female under Health & Medicine. None of the results returned cancer research. I then searched the Biography Resource Center on the King Library database. I selected “research scientist” as occupation, American and African American, then Female. My search returned two pages and I spotted “American cancer researcher” next to Jane Cooke Wright.

c) Q: I am in a film class and looking for important film directors in the gay and lesbian genre.

A: You may do a Category browse in the Biography Resource Center database. Browse to “LGBT Figures”. I list of biographies is shown with their occupation, such as “filmmaker”. Pedro Almodovar is an important director to get your started.

d) ~ 20 min.

22. I stumbled upon this fabulous novel called Cat in Gloves by someone named Denis Delaney. I haven’t been able to find anything else that he has written, and I am dying to learn more about this author. Can you find some information about him? I’d like to see a list of the things he has written and find out about his personal life.

a) Peter M. Green is the actual name of the author. He wrote Cat in Gloves under the pseudonym “Denis Delaney”. You can find more about Peter M. Green in the Biography Resource Center database.

b) While still in the Biography Resource Center, I did a search for Denis Delaney, to no avail. I then checked the Literature Resource Center via the King Library database and recognized the name “Peter Green” was the same name I got from the Biography Resource Center. I went back to Biography Resource Center, did my Denis Delaney search again, then clicked on Peter M. Green. I then realized that Denis Delaney was his pseudonym when he wrote Cat in Gloves. Tricky!

c) Q: I heard that Stephen King wrote under the pseudonym “Richard Bachman”. Where there any other names?

A: Yes, John Swithen and Eleanor Druse.

d) ~10 min.

23. I need to do a brief presentation about Jane Addams. I have looked in the catalog, and I have found several books about her, but since the presentation is short, I am wondering if you might have a shorter biography that includes the important points of her life. I need to talk about the Hull House and maybe something about her efforts for peace and her Nobel Prize. Do you have a source that gives a succinct biography? My grouchy professor said that we are not supposed to use Wikipedia. Drat!

a) Search Jane Addams in the Biography Reference Bank database. The first result offers a short bibliography on her touching on Hull House, efforts for peace and her Nobel Peace Prize presented in 1931.

b) I searched the Biography Reference Bank database on Wilson Web via the King Library. The database offers an advanced search interface where the user enters the first and/or last name. Additional searches by DOB, ethnicity and many other filters are available.

c) Q: I’m curious which people in the film industry are from Michigan. Where can I look?

A: The Biography Reference Bank database is searchable by Profession/Activity and Place of Origin. Begin to type in “film” under Profession/Activity and pick the profession you’d like. Do the same for Place of Origin.

d. ~15 min.

24. I recently read Six Characters in Search of an Author, and now I am interested in Luigi Pirandello. I’d like to find his obituary from one of the big newspapers, perhaps the New York Times. I only know the year he died (not the date), so I can’t just look at the microfilm for the New York Times from a particular day. How should I go about finding the obituary? Hint: The Italian title “Sra” is equivalent to “Mrs.”

a) You can find his obituary in the ProQuest Historical Newspapers: New York Times database. Search Luigi Pirandello and Document Type: Obituary.

b) I checked the ProQuest Historical Newspapers: New York Times database via the King Library. A search for Luigi Pirandello came back with 667 documents. I then added, Document Type: Obituary, which narrowed to 13 documents.

c) Q: I’m curious about articles on Howard Stern when he started broadcasting in New York. Where can I find articles?

A: Search the ProQuest Historical Newspapers: New York Times database. Do a search on Howard Stern, document type Front Page to narrow the search down.

d) ~ 15 min.

25. I am writing a paper on the legalization of abortion in the United States, and I was wondering which president of the United States was the first one to use the word in a written address to the U.S. Congress. I also need the date (the month, the day, and the year), and the official name of the document in which the president included the term.

a) Per The American Presidency Project, Richard Nixon wrote in 271-Special Message to the Congress on the Problems of Population Growth on July 18, 1969.

b) I searched the American Presidency Project online. I searched “abortion”, type: Written: Messages-to Congress by the President. I searched chronologically and found the paper.

c) Q: I am curious about executive orders that went out shortly after September 11, 2001. Where can I find these?

A: The American Presidency Project allows to browse by “Executive Orders”, you can then specify a year from a drop down. You will be able to find all Orders chronologically.

d) ~15 min.

26. I am thinking about being a librarian. How much can I expect to make as an academic librarian? Is the market getting better or worse for employment for librarians?

a) According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook academic librarians start at $51,160. Job prospects are good because the amount of retiring librarians, however, the growth rate of jobs is slower than average. Looks like technical stills are sought after though.

b) I checked the Occupational Outlook Handbook at . I browsed from the “Professional” menu to “Education, Training, Library and Museum” and choose “Librarians”.

c) Q: I’m pretty angry about my job because I think I’m underpaid. Can you tell me what the median earning of a computer systems analyst at an insurance company should be making?

A: $69,990

d) ~5 min.

27. I am studying poverty in my sociology class, and I am trying to find out what the poverty line was in 1960 and then again in 1990 for a family of four. What should I do to find this information?

a) The Historical Statistics of the United States database allows you to search by Index term: Poverty Line. You can then access a tables by year and by size of family.

b) I consulted Historical Statistics of the United States via the King Library database. I found a table called Minimum subsistence budgets and poverty lines, by family size: 1908–1963. You can search by size of family.

c) Q: Where can I find the life expectancy for a white female over the last 100 years?

A: You can access Expectation of life at birth, by sex and race: 1850–1998 table via The Historical Statistics of the United States database.

d. ~5 min.

28. I have a friend who emailed me and told me she is moving to Belgium and she wants me to visit. I am so excited to go visit her in Europe! I love Belgian waffles and chocolate! I already have my passport, some comfortable white athletic shoes for walking, a big fanny pack, and lots of batteries for my camera. But I’m confused, because she told me I could fly into either Milwaukee or Chicago and then take a bus to Belgium. What is she talking about? Where is she moving?

a) Your friend is most likely moving to Belgium, Wisconsin. It’s about 37 miles from Milwaukee.

b) I have to look up many zip codes for work so I first consulted , did a zip code search by city “Belgium” in WI since that was most likely the state. I got zip 53004, Belgium, WI. I then did a Mapquest search to see how far it was from Milwaukee. This probably was not the intended method to answer the question, however. I spent some time searching World Almanac, Encyclopedia Britannica, The Columbia gazetteer of the world and other database sources, but could not turn up anything that would have easily told the patron that the location was not the country Belgium.

c) Q: I’m looking for information on Belgium geological makeup.

A: The GeoRef database offers several articles about minerals and other soil make-up of Belgium.

d) ~ 1 ½ hr.

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