Types of Reference and

Information Access Tools

UNIT 2 TYPES OF REFERENCE AND
INFORMATION ACCESS TOOLS
Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Reference and Information Access Tools
2.3 Nature of Reference and Information Access Tools
2.3.1 Origin of Reference Books
2.4 Types of Reference and Information Access Tools/Sources
2.5 Documentary Reference Tools/Sources
2.5.1 Dictionaries
2.5.2 Encyclopaedias
2.5.3 Bibliographies
2.5.4 Biographical Sources
2.5.5 Geographical Sources
2.5.6 Ready Reference Sources
2.5.7 Government Publications
2.5.8 Indexing and Abstracting Periodicals/Sources
2.5.9 Patents and Standards
2.5.10 Reference Sources for Current Events
2.6 Non-Documentary Reference Tools/Sources
2.6.1 Human Resource
2.6.2 Institutional Resource
2.6.3 Mass Media
2.6.4 Audio-Visual Media
2.7 Summary
2.8 Answers to Self Check Exercises
2.9 Key Words
2.10 References and Further Reading
2.0 OBJECTIVES
This unit will introduce you to various types of reference and information access
tools formerly called as Reference Books.
After reading this unit, you will be able to:
identify various reference and information access tools;
differentiate between various kinds of reference and information access tools;
relate types of reference queries to their corresponding reference tools; and
reason out the importance of reference tools in a library.
The activities at the end of this Unit will prepare you to locate any information
required by the users from different kinds of reference and information access
tools/sources available in your library. They will also help you to pick up the right
tools/sources for locating answers to queries put to you.
2.1 INTRODUCTION
In the previous Unit, you have been given an overview of reference and information
access tools, their need and importance in a library. Reference tools, also referred to
as reference sources have undergone considerable developments since the early
encyclopaedias which for a long time were the only sources of information.
Today's reference sources are authoritative, carefully designed to fit into a defined
scope and to be accurate, objective and readable in treatment of information,
logically arranged, appealing in format and useful in their special features.
15


Study of Reference Sources
The present day reference sources are so effective in their potential for enabling users
to locate needed information that reference sources may be said to be the most
efficient information retrieval devices devised by man. The library's reference
collection has to be adequate to meet the users' information needs. The beginning of
reference books can be traced to man's early attempts to record thoughts, concepts,
ideas and events.
16


2.2 REFERENCE AND INFORMATION ACCESS
TOOLS
In libraries, there are questions or queries all the time. The reference and information
access tools are the most logical place to start with while providing answers to them.
If for example, a user asks, - "Where can I find some information about Australia ?" -
an encyclopaedia is the proper source of information. Or, another user wants to
know, -" What are the names and addresses of some persons involved in Chemical
Industry ?" - the answer will be available in a Directory. Or a third user queries,
"How can I locate a few recent articles published in the subject of Information
Technology?" - an indexing or abstracting journal in Information Technology - the
particular subject, will be the most suitable source.
Man has been communicating over the centuries through various media and formats
on a variety of subjects. All this eventually led to finding of information when it was
wanted from various forms of materials. There is a large quantity of printed material
available throughout the world today. Librarians and the library users have always
put up with the problems posed by the r: tented literature as it is very much scattered
not only in literary forms but also in various physical forms. The whole of available
literature has been classified into three broad categories by several experts into -
primary, secondary and tertiary sources of information. Knowing about primary,
secondary and tertiary sources is useful as they indicate the relative currency and
relative accuracy of the materials.
The primary sources are most original and current sources of information often not
seen by anyone else before publication. These are in the form of journal articles,
books or mono-graphs, reports, dissertations, pamphlets, conference papers, etc. Very
often the primary source contains the research findings of a scientist. In order to
control or use primary sources in the library, we make use of the reference works
referred to as secondary sources like the indexes, abstracts or bibliographies.
An index is a secondary source if it is used to locate primary sources. A secondary
source, thus, has information about original or primary information which is usually
rearranged and modified for use by users. Thus, any work reporting about findings of
others becomes a secondary source.
The tertiary sources consist of information which is collection of primary and
secondary sources of information. Any sources not falling in the category of primary
and secondary is a tertiary source. The tertiary sources usually list all kinds of
secondary sources.
There are another type of information source which provides information of a
particular query wherein specific answer is required, for example, address, telephone
number of a person or institution. This is referred to as reference sources.
In reference work, access to various information and access sources is very
important. The reference and information access sources are encyclopedias,
dictionaries, biographical sources, geographical sources, fact finding sources, etc. All
these are based on most of the information otherwise available but in a scattered way
and thus fall in the category of secondary sources.
The various reference sources have been prepared and published keeping in mind the
various types of reference queries.
In the subsequent sections we will study about the various kinds of reference sources
which will provide answers to various type of questions related to books, facts, some
organizations; places, trends, current awareness, background information, spellings,
meanings, statistics, etc.


Types of Reference and
2.3 NATURE OF REFERENCE AND INFORMATION
ACCESS TOOLS
17
Information Access Tools


Using reference books in libraries is a common practice. In the early times the books
in the libraries were meant only to be read within the library. But later on when
various categories of books became available, the reference books could be identified
to be different from other books. The reference books are usually kept separately in
libraries and are used only for the purpose of consultation or are only referred.
Reference sources aid in the increase of knowledge of individuals and as one
becomes more and more educated, the use of reference books is increased. .
A reference book is different from other books as it is meant chiefly for consultation
rather than for continuous reading. Let us learn more about the origin of the reference
books
2.3.1 Origin of Reference Books
A reference book is one which is designed by its arrangement and treatment to be
consulted for definite items of information rather than to be read consecutively. For
example, one looks up a dictionary only to find out the meanings of the words and
not for continuous reading. A reference book therefore is a book published primarily
for consultation rather than for continuous reading.
We can trace the origin of reference books to man's early attempts to record thoughts,
concepts, ideas and events. When man first sketched the outlines of animals, he
hunted, on the walls of the caves where he lived, we can say that the rudimentary
form of reference books had begun. This is because these sketches were used by him
to refresh his memory. Later on, man after he learnt to read and write began
recording his thoughts on the clay tablets, tamrapatra (copper plates), cloth and
leaves. Some of these are still found in many archives and museums.
Self Check Exercise
1) How is reference book different from other books?
Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below.
ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of this Unit.

2.4 TYPES OF REFERENCE AND INFORMATION
ACCESS TOOLS/SOURCES
For many years, there was no problem in identifying the reference and information
access tools or sources in libraries with regard to their physical aspect as the majority
of the materials were only printed ones. But the situation is fast changing. It is true
that printed sources still predominate but the others are fast becoming more obvious,
more varied and more important. The printed books have been known to exist since
the 16th century in the libraries. The news-papers and periodicals became visible
only in the later part of the 18th century. It was only in the twentieth century and that
too in the last two decades that came to distinguish the documentary sources from the
non-documentary sources.
The printed sources of information have been in use for a long time and they have
umpteen number of problems. Therefore, any alternative to them was welcomed by
both the librarians and the library users. These non-print media reduce to a large
extent the problem of study,


Study of Reference Sources
searching age. They have the ease of searching that results in quick reference.
Although the new information media too have their own problems which include
high cost and use of sophisticated equipment, still their very ease of handling and use
has made them very popular with a wide variety of users.
18


On the basis of their very physical nature, use and arrangement, the reference and
information access tools can be put into two broad categories: Documentary and
Non-Documentary.
In the subsequent sections we will learn more about these two types of reference and
information access sources.
2.5 DOCUMENTARY REFERENCE TOOLS/SOURCES
Various types of documentary reference tools (usually referred to as reference books)
have been identified:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Dictionaries
Encyclopaedias
Bibliographies
Biographical Sources
Geographical Sources
Ready Reference Sources
Government Publications
Indexing and Abstracting Sources
Patents and Standards
Reference Sources for Current Events
Self Check Exercises
2) Name the two broad categories of reference and information access tools.
3) List five popular documentary sources of information.
Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below.
ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of this Unit.

Let us now give you a brief overview of each of the above intentioned reference tools
with some representative examples. The details of each of these sources are available
in Block 2 and Block 3 (Units 6 to 13) of this course.
2.5.1 Dictionaries
A Dictionary is a book explaining the words of a language, or the terms of a subject,
arranged in some definite order, usually arranged in alphabetical order, with
explanation of their meanings and use. It also usually gives the Orthography,
pronunciation, usage and meaning of each word. A dictionary is mostly compiled
from the written and spoken words as its source. Later on new words and new
meanings, when occur, are added.


Types of Reference and
19
Information Access Tools


2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
Some of the uses identified for the dictionaries are:
1) Definition
Spelling
Pronunciation
Usage
Synonyms, antonyms and homonyms
Abbreviations, signs and symbols
Slangs
New words, new meanings for old words
Dialect
Foreign terms in English writings
Grammatical information
Etymology
Dictionaries differ according to the range of words they define and the kind of
information they give about each word. There are four types of dictionaries:
abridged, unabridged; bilingual and multi-lingual dictionaries. Dictionaries especially
the ones purchased for the libraries are usually hard bound. It is important to
remember that the larger the scope of the dictionary, the more expensive a dictionary
is to produce and keep up-to-date. Those published by reputed publishers are usually
current as they are updated every 3-4 years. The use of computers at present helps a
lot in production of good quality dictionaries.
Examples
Oxford Dictionary.
Webster
'
s New World Dictionary of American English. 3rd College ed. 1988.
Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English
2.5.2 Encyclopaedias
An encyclopaedia is a systematic summary of the knowledge that is most significant
to man-kind. It is a work containing information on all subjects or limited to a special
field or subject, arranged in systematic (usually alphabetical) order. Encyclopaedias
may be in one volume, in which case very brief information will be given, or they
any be in many volumes in which the various kinds of matter will be comprehensive.
Encyclopaedias are usually written by experts, and sometimes contain bibliographies
and illustrations. It is different from dictionaries in the sense that dictionary
,
tells
"what", about a word whereas an encyclopeadia tells "what", "when", "how",
"where'', and "why" of an idea, a person, a place, air event or things.
Encyclopaedias are major reference sources, containing so much information that at
one time, good encyclopaedias were referred to as the backbone of the reference
service in the libraries. The etymology of the word encyclopaedia is Greek and
means a cycle of instruction, which otherwise means good education. The term was
first used in the book Johann Henrich Alsted's Encyclopaedia Cursus Philosophici,
Herbom, 1608.
The first known encyclopaedia was written by Aristotle, the ancient Greek
philosopher, which resulted from his assembled treatises. That is why Aristotle is
referred to as the father of encyclopaedias although he never intended to write one.
The first encyclopaedia to be published in English was John Harris's Laxion
Technicum, or, An Universal English Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences, London,
1704. One of the' earliest encyclopaedias was the Spanish Archbishop Isidore of
Seville's Etymologiarum sine originum libriXX which was completed in 623 A.D.
More than a thousand manuscripts of this survived, and in printed form it had an
undiminished appeal as late as the 17th century.


Study of Reference Sources
Encyclopaedias are of various types. Two major kinds are the General encyclopaedia
like the Encyclopaedia Britanica and the subject encyclopaedias like the
Encyclopaedia of Religion.
20


General Encyclopaedias
The popular general encyclopedias are most impressive by their size and number of
volumes. The famous adult encyclopaedia are remembered as the ABC's - that is
Americana, Britannica and Collier's. These encyclopedias are very useful for
comprehensive coverage of various topics. For example, if one wants to know all
about aeroplanes or butterflies, a good general encyclopedia would be a good starting
point. For any American topic, say some historical aspect or geography of some
place, the Encyclopedia Americana would be particularly useful.
Examples
Collier's Encyclopedia. 24 volumes. Annual Revision. First Published 1949-51.
EncyclopediaAmericana. 30 volumes. Annual Revision. First Published 1929-33.
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th Edition. 32 Volumes. Annual Revision.
First Published as The New Encyclopaedia Britannica since 1974. Published
earlier as Encyclopaedia Britannica since 1768-71, first edition.
Subject Encyclopaedias
The increased specialization in various subjects has resulted in users requiring more
information in narrow fields. This has led to publication of subject encyclopaedias in
various subjects. The subject encyclopaedias provide in a single volume much more
detailed overview of a subject than that could be found in a single article in a
multivolumed general encyclopaedia. However, subject encyclopaedias also exists in
multivolume.
Example
McGraw-Hill Encyclopaedia of Science and Technology. 6th ed. New York:
McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1987, 19 Volumes and Index.
Encyclopaedia of Library and Information Science. 1968-. 35 vols. Supplements 1-
Self Check Exercises
4) What kind of information is given in Dictionary?
5) Give the scope of information given in a general encyclopaedia Give two
examples of general encyclopaedias that have international coverage.
Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below.
ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of this Unit.

2.5.3 Bibliographies
A bibliography is defined as a well-organized list of written, printed or otherwise
produced record of civilization, e.g., of books, articles in periodicals, etc. It serves the
librarians and users in finding documents that they are not aware of (or not sure of
existence). Usually common in the libraries are requests for documents by author,
title or subject which are served


Types of Reference and
21
Information Access Tools


a)
b)
c)
d)
1)
2)
3)
by help of library catalogue. But this fails when a part of a book is required or a book
not available in a library is required, or when a type of material not available in the
catalogue is being hunted for a user. At times, the author or the title supplied by the
user may be incorrect. For all these problems, the bibliographic tools help in locating
the needed materials.
During the course of their work, information specialists and librarians frequently
consult bibliographies. Their use, therefore, includes selection, identification and
verification and eventually location of materials..
Bibliographies are available in several forms. They can be universal, trade or
national. An-other most useful form is the subject bibliography, which is meant for
the research workers and for others in specialized areas.
Bibliographies should thus be complete, providing information access to the whole
document or a part of it and be available in various forms. Bibliographies are of
several types, details of which are available in Unit 3 of this Block.
Examples
British National Bibliography, British Library Bibliographic Services Division,
British Library, Boston Spa, 1950-.
Cumulative Book Index, H.W. Wilson, New York, 1898-.
Forthcoming Books, R.R. Bowker, New York, 1966 -.
Indian Books in Print, New Delhi, 1967-.
2.5.4 Biographical Sources
A large part of the literature of reference consists of works that contain information
about people, otherwise called the biographical sources. Their abundance can be
explained simply by the fact that people are interested in people. Besides, all
significant social, cultural and political events involve personalities and the reference
librarians are called upon to provide biographical information about them all the
time. For example, when a new President of India occupies office everyone becomes
interested in knowing all about him, or if somebody receives some distinction in
science, arts or literature we all are keen to know more about that person. All such
queries are best answered through the biographical sources.
Biographical questions can be classified as follows:
Notables (both living and dead), which include statesmen, artists, religious
leaders, scientists, athletes, soldiers, philosophers, etc.
Specialists, in science, social sciences, humanities; professionals from
medicine, law, engineering, teaching community; persons in trade, business
and industry.
Socialites, from royalty, nobility, first families, social clubs.
Persons from all walks of life, from a country, from a region, in the news
recently, in advertisements, etc.
In order to answer queries about the categories of persons mentioned above, three
kinds of sources have been designed:
Universal and National Biographical Dictionaries
Retrospective Biographical Dictionaries
Current Biographical Dictionaries also called Who's Who
These sources take care of diverse inquiries about a person, living or dead, with
regard to his date and place of birth, nationality, educational background,
professional achievements, significant contributions in life, writings and works,
important landmarks in life and brief sketch of personal life.
In addition to the biographical sources, this information is also available in other
publications, for example, encyclopedias, yearbooks, newspapers, and dictionaries or
at times, in directories.


Study of Reference Sources
22


a)
b)
c)
d)
Examples
International Who's Who. London : Europa Publications, 1935- annual.
Who
'
s Who in America. Chicago : Marquis, 1899-.
India Who's Who. New Delhi : INFA.
Who's Who in Commerce and Industry, Chicago : Marquis. 1936-.
2.5.5 Geographical Sources
The geographical sources are a category of reference books that help in answering
queries related to places. They provide information like description and location
related to countries, states, regions, districts, cities, mountains, rivers, lakes and all
places throughout the world. The geographical sources can be divided into four
categories:
gazetteers
guidebooks, handbooks
maps and atlases
a globe
A gazetteer provides historical, political, cultural, social, industrial, demographic and
administrative details about a place. It also provides geographic data and location by
providing longitude and latitude.
A guidebook is a, handy book for travellers that gives information about a city, a
county, a region, a religious place or about a building or a historical monument.
These are usually meant for tourists and people who want to visit various places. The
guide books usually provide all the information about routes, travel facilities, hotels
to live in, cultural, social, religious aspects, eating places and shopping centre, etc.
A map is a graphic presentation of a place normally drawn to scale and it provides
location and direction which otherwise is difficult to define by written documents. An
atlas is a collection of maps bound up in the form of a book. If the map is a graphic
image of earth drawn to scale, on the other hand a globe is a spherical representation
of the earth's surface. It is a hollow ball of metal or plastic having the world map
drawn on its surface.
Examples
The World Book Atlas, 1972.
Rand Mcnally Commercial Atlas and Marketing Guide, 1876-
Self Check Exercises
6) Enumerate different types of biographical sources with examples.
7) What are the different types of geographical sources?
Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below.
ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of this Unit.

Types of Reference and
2.5.6 Ready Reference Sources
23
Information Access Tools


The ready reference sources are those sources of information that help in locating the
right and factual answers to questions. They usually contain brief, pinpointed answers
and are serial publications. These are published annually and mostly cover
information about the previous year. The ready reference sources are of different
types, namely, yearbooks and annuals, almanacs, directories, handbooks, manuals,
guides to statistical sources.

An almanac (also spelled as almanak) is a publication usually an annual, containing
a variety of useful facts of a miscellaneous nature and statistical information. It was
originally a projection of the coming year by days, months and holidays covering
miscellaneous matters such as astronomical events, planetary tables, astrological
predictions and anecdotes, etc. An almanac is different from an yearbook although
both are annual publications. An yearbook is an annual compendium of data and
statistics of a given year and records year's activities by country, subject of
specialized area whereas an almanac usually covers retrospective information too.
The difference therefore, is in coverage in the form of duration.

The yearbooks and almanacs as combined publications provide recent information on
a subject or personality with brief facts. Because of their recency, almanacs and
yearbooks directly or by implication indicate trends in the development or regression
of civilization. Besides this, events, persons, places of importance and scientific
advances over the previous year are chronicled. They also contain informal indexes,
directory and biographical information.



Study of Reference Sources
as a valuable source of information in a narrow field. Manuals are also referred to as
instruction books and involve making, doing or performing some task. Examples:
some annual handbooks are The Guinness Book of World Record; 1955-, Marks
Mechanical Engineer's Handbook and handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 1920.
Some popular manuals are regarding how to do gardening, cooking, learning a new
language or learning photography.
24


Every library receives a number of queries dealing with statistical types of
information which can be answered with the help of statistical sources. Statistical
information is the outcome of the, collection, classification, analysis and
interpretation of numerical data. Yearbooks, almanacs, encyclopedias, gazetteers and
atlases provide various types of statistical information but special statistical sources
are more reliable and up-to-date. They help in research and training and are of great
importance to researcher and in decision making process. United Nations is
publishing annually a Demographic Yearbook and Yearbook of International Trade
Statistics which are special statistical sources.
2.5.7 Government Publications
All the government publications are referred to as the government sources of
information. A government publication is that which is issued at government expense
or published by the authority of a government body. In all the major countries, any
publication in book, serial or non-book form bearing the imprint of a government,
whether central, state, local or foreign and of inter-governmental organizations such
as UNESCO, etc., is referred to as a government publication. These publications are
authoritative, sometimes available free of charge and are of great value to the
researchers.
Amongst the government publications, a category of documents is referred to as
official publications, which are issued by a government or a government department
and many times as serial publications. They are in the form of parliamentary
documents, reports, journals, legislative papers, administrative publications, reports
from the central or state governments, hand-books, bodies of law and decisions of
Courts of Justice. The examples of government publications are many, as lots of
publications are coming from United States, Great Britain and Indian governments.
Example
Catalogue of Government Publications/Government of India. New Delhi: Publication
Division.
Self Check Exercises
6) Enumerate different types of ready reference sources. Why are they called
ready reference sources?
7) What is the major difference between a yearbook and an Almanac?
Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below.
ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of this Unit.

Types of Reference and
25
Information Access Tools


a)
b)
c)
d)
2.5.8 Indexing and Abstracting Periodicals/Sources
The indexing and abstracting sources of information are referred to as the secondary
sources of information as they provide access to the already published primary
sources of information. They have a very important role to play in locating and
bibliographical control of materials, as their volume and variety is on the increase all
the time. This category of sources are in the form of indexing and abstracting
periodicals.
An indexing periodical is one which regularly and systematically indexes the
contents of periodicals and sometimes other forms of publications, either of a general
nature or within specified subject fields.
On the other hand, an abstracting periodical is one that is, in addition to the above,
involved in the preparation of abstracts, usually in a limited field, by an individual, an
industrial organization for restricted use or a commercial organization. The abstract is
prepared, published and supplied regularly to subscribers. It can be comprehensive or
selective.
The functions of the indexing and abstracting services include keeping the user
abreast of current literature in a particular field of knowledge, locating specific
information from the literature of the subject field and providing bibliographic
control of the published literature in the particular subject. Abstracts help the users to
make a choice of documents relevant for their research/study, as they, to some extent,
reveal the specific subject of the document. They also help the user to overcome
language barriers, provide full bibliographic details of a publication and collect all
the published information in various sources during a certain period, at one place.
Their use in research is the chief reason for their popularity and that is why these
services/sources are available in almost all fields of knowledge. The other reason is
the maintaining of uniformity and consistency in rendering the bibliographic
description and having a helpful order for the arrangement of the entries. These are
published at regular intervals and the publications coming from the reputed
publishers have very less time lag. This help in maintaining currency and
uptodateness in a field of knowledge.
The indexing and abstracting sources are of many kinds depending on their coverage:
Comprehensive services
Geographical coverage
Subject coverage
Coverage by kind of document, e.g., patents
The details of the various kinds of indexing and abstracting journals will be dealt
with in a separate unit (Unit 4 in this Block) subsequently. Given below are some
typical examples of the indexing and abstracting services.
Indexing Periodicals
Examples
Applied Science and Technology Index. New York: H.W. Wilson & Co., 1958-.
Index to Indian Medical Periodicals. New Delhi: National Medical Library, 1959-.
Guide to Indian Periodical Literature. Gurgaon : Prabhu Book Service.
Library Literature. New Yak: H.W. Wilson & Co., 1958-.
Abstracting Periodicals
Examples
Biological Abstracts, Philadelphia: Biosciences Information Service, 1927-.
Chemical Abstracts. Columbus: Chemical Abstracts Service, 1907-.
Dissertation Abstracts. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms Inc., 1938
Indian Science Abstracts. New Delhi: INSDOC, 1965-.


Study of Reference Sources
2.5.9 Patents and Standards
26


These two types of sources of information mostly belong to the literature of Science
and Technology- Patent specifications are referred to as patents. A patent is a legal
document by which a designated authority gives to the owner of an invention the
exclusive rights to use or sell it. Patent specifications are important in most of the
industrial/special libraries which collect them in their fields of interest.
Standards are common to all human enterprises. They are promulgated by
government departments, a wide variety of non-governmental institutions, and many
professional associations. The standards are published by the independent standards
institutions and government departments to regulate the manufacture and design of
specific goods, and to ensure uniformity in quality, size, shape and methods of
manufacture. In India, standards are controlled by the Bureau of Indian Standards,
New Delhi.
2.5.10 Reference Sources for Current Events

The various sources of current information are:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Indexes to newspapers
Indexes to general periodicals
Radio and television broadcast.
News summaries
The above mentioned sources provide current and handy information but it is to be
remembered that they are difficult to compile and become obsolete very fast as their
relevance is only with respect to the current information only.
Examples
Data India. New Delhi : Press Institute of India, 1976-.
The New York Times Index, New York: The New York Times. 1851-.
Kessing's Record of World Events. London : Kessings Publications, 1931-.



Types of Reference and
c) Mass Media
27
Information Access Tools


d) Audio-visual Resource
Let us learn more about these resources.
2.6.1 Human Resource
The human resource refers to any individual serving as a source of information. This
can be best illustrated by giving examples. If somebody is doing historical research,
the best way to get information will be to go to particular place and talk to older
persons of that area. Here the individuals from their memories can give a lot of
information. Similarly if some people had witnessed some phenomenon, then they
become the best sources of information on that phenomenon. Past history of an
organization can be traced by talking to senior and older employees of the
organization. In addition to the above, talking, interaction with fellow scientists,
experts, specialists, family members gives a lot of insight into the various problems
of a re-searcher. Similarly, the extension workers are also an important source of
information
2.6.2 Institutional Resource
in many cases information not published in regular publications can be sought
directly from research organizations in public, private or government setups. This
then becomes the case of an institution being a source of information. Many times
many institutions maintain their past records, annual reports or old documents not
available in other place in their archives. These too are then institutional resources.
In addition to the above, industrial establishments have unique information which is
unavailable elsewhere. The specialized information centers, referral centers, clearing
houses, trade promotion councils, learned societies and associations, universities,
colleges, etc. are examples of institutions as sources of information.
2.6.3 Mass Media
As we are all aware, the various communication media for the masses; that is,
broadcasting and telecasting or a combination of the two are more effective than any
printed document. The situation presently is very different and we have to contend
with and consider the impact of these emerging new media on our society. Their
value and benefits to the individuals cannot be denied and the technology in this area
is advancing all the time. Almost every household today has the cable television
being operated by many companies. They not only provide non-stop entertainment to
people but also give information and instruction in many new and novel ways. For
example, the news prepared by the cable companies are more analytical, critical and
thorough and of local nature. Besides being private operators they do not have to face
the hindrances of the bureaucracy.
In the future, the mass media channels of communication will have a bigger and
better role to play in providing information to the masses.
2.6.4 Audio-Visual Media
Sometimes information cannot be conveyed by words alone. Librarian:, hive
extensively made use of the audio and visual form the new technology to their
advantage. Sound recordings on tape, reel-to-reel or cassette and audio cassettes have
been of great help to libraries especially in providing services to the blind. In recent
years, visual aids too have come to be used especially in educating the users in use of
library services. *
The commercial and institutional production of visual and audio aids to education has
become so substantial that many libraries are going for them. The British Library has
compiled ad published a bibliography called the British Catalogue of Audiovisual
Materials.
Videotapes were the first to come to market and were later replaced by video discs.
Both the tapes and discs have considerable potential value as sources of information.
Presently the Compact Discs are capturing the market as they have the advantage of
high quality of sound and vision. The value of the audio-visual materials in libraries
thus cannot be disputed.


Study of Reference Sources
Self Check Exercise
28


10) List the various kinds of non-documentary sources.
Note: i) Write your answer in the space given below.
ii) Check your answer with the answers given at the end of this Unit.

2.7 SUMMARY
Reference and information access tools popularly known as Reference Books are
very important for searching information. Every type of query is satisfied by a type of
reference tool from which the requested information can be provided. This unit
acquaints you with various types of reference sources, the details of each one of them
will be covered in the subsequent Blocks and Units of this course. This Unit therefore
is in the form of an introduction to the various reference and information access
sources.
The sources of information have been divided into two major categories, namely,
documentary and-non-documentary. The documentary sources refer to the sources
that are available chiefly in print media. These include the dictionaries,
encyclopedias, bibliographies, year-books, manuals, biographical sources,
handbooks, directories, geographical sources, etc. Each of the sources mentioned
here is rich in content and style and due to this the reference sources are called the
literature of reference. As already mentioned, the documentary sources are chiefly the
print media but due to recent advances in technology, many of them are now also
available on CD-ROM too. The details of this with various examples are available in
the other units of this course.
The non-documentary sources too have a very important role to play since the last
two decades. This is due to the fact that many times where the properly prepared
expensive printed reference sources fail to provide information, the non-documentary
sources may come in handy. Often many individuals are able to provide first hand
valuable information which is not avail-able in printed sources so is the case with
many institutions which have with them available information in its records which
has no where been published. The present day is witnessing the current information
available via the various channels of mass media. The audio-visual too provides
many facilities, which the print media cannot due to several constraints like distance
and difficulty in copying and consultation.
The reference librarian thus must possess a thorough knowledge of reference and
information access tools so that the queries of the users can be matched to their
sources.
2.8 ANSWERS TO SELF CHECK EXERCISES
1)
2)
A reference book is one, which is designed by its arrangement and treatment to
be consulted for definite items of information rather than to be read
consecutively. For example, one looks up a dictionary only for knowing the
meanings of the words and not for continuous reading. A reference book,
therefore, is a book published primarily for consultation only rather than for
providing specific information and continuous reading.
Two major categories of reference and information access tools are (a)
documentary and (b) non-documentary.
3) The most popular documentary reference sources are:
Dictionaries


Types of Reference and
29
Information Access Tools


a)
b)
c)
d)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Encyclopaedias
Bibliographies
Yearbooks
Handbooks
4) some of the uses identified for the dictionaries are: definition, spelling,
pronunciation, usage, synonyms, antonyms, abbreviations, slangs, new words
and new meanings of old words.
5) General encyclopaedias provide comprehensive coverage of information on
various topics.
The two examples of general encyclopaedias are:
Collier
'
s Enc, slapedia. 24 volumes. Annual Revision. First (Published 1949-
51.
Encyclopedic; Americana. 30 volumes. Annual Revision. First Published 1929-
33.
6) These source: take care of diverse inquiries about a person, living or dead, with
regard to his date and place of birth, nationality, educational background,
professional achievements, significant contributions in life, writings and works,
important landmarks in life and brief sketch of personal life. Examples of
biographical sources are: Who's Who in America, Chicago : Marquis, 1899-
and India Who's Who.
7) The geographical sources can be divided into four categories:
gazetteers
guidebooks
maps and atlases
Globes
8) The ready reference sources are of different types, namely, yearbooks and
annuals, almanacs, directories, handbooks, manuals, guides to statistical
sources. These are called ready reference sources as required information can
be found from these instantly.
9) An almanac is different from a yearbook although both are annual publications.
A yearbook is an annual compendium of data and statistics of a given year and
records year's activities by country, subject of specialized area whereas an
Almanac usually covers retrospective information too. The difference therefore
is coverage in the form of duration.
10) The non-documentary sources can be classified into four categories:
Human Resource
Institutional Resource
Mass Media
Audio-visual Resource
2.9 KEY WORDS
Current Awareness : To keep abreast of current developments and
advances through the currently published
literature.
Database : A collection of related items of information
which together make the record for a single
topic. It is mostly computer generated.
Index : The list of names, subjects, topics, etc. arranged
in some order with indication of exact location.
Periodical : A publication intended to appear at intervals,
regular or irregular, or an indefinite period, and
usually having several features by different
contributors.
Primary Document : A document that contains original, information
published for the first time.



30
Study of Reference Sources


Secondary Document : A document, which presents the concepts of
primary document in a condensed form or list
them; in a helpful sequence.
2.10 REFERENCES FURTHER READING
Grogan, Denise J. (1992). Practical Reference Work 2nd ed. London: Library
Association Publishing.
Grogan, Denise J. (1982). Science and Technology: An Introduction to the Literature.
4th ed. London: Clive Bingley.
Higgins, Gavin (ed). (1983). Printed Reference Material. 2nd ed. London: Library
Association.
Katz, William A. (1992). Introduction to Reference Work. Vol. 1: Basic Information
Sources. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Subramanyam K. (1981). Scientific and Technical information Sources. N.Y.: Marcel
Dekker.
Activities
1)
2)
3)
Visit a library and observe the way the reference collection is arranged. Talk to
the reference librarian and take out the various reference and information
access tools as mentioned in the unit.
Visit any large library say a university library or a special library. Collect two
general encyclopaedias and two subject encyclopaedias. Study their
introductory pages to know the scope and arrangement of the books.
In any library, locate the various ready reference sources and try to categorize
them according to the text in this unit