This document outlines the assignments and due dates for an introductory information services course. It includes instructions for completing reference interviews, a research guide, and answering practice reference questions from various sources like websites, indexes, and books. Examples of elements to include in a research guide on encyclopedias are provided, such as key terms, overview sources, major works, periodicals, and websites. A comparison of features of encyclopedias like Britannica, World Book, and Random House is also presented.

1. “Encyclopedias”
LIS 5603, Intro to Information Services
Dr. Lorri Mon, College of Communication
& Information

2. Next Due Dates
• Mon, Oct 15: Question Set (email to instructor) -
Answering each question with 3 different sources: web,
index, books/bibliographic (was: 10/8)
• Mon, Oct 22: IPL2 Question #1 (first “real user”
question – (was: 10/15)
• Mon, Oct 29: IPL2 Question #2 (second“real user”
question
• Tue, Nov. 13: IPL Question #3 & IPL reflective paper
with copies of all questions (email to instructor)
• Mon. Nov 20: Reference interviews and paper (email
to instructor)
• Mon. Dec. 10: Research Guide (email to instructor)

3. Reference Interview Assignment (11/20)
Turn in 3 items:
1. Face-to-face interview write up [here you did
the interviewing, taking the role of
professional, and seeking to understand the
user’s information need]
2. Transcript of your chat/IM [here you were in
the reverse role, now being interviewed as a
user/patron when you approached and
asked at a question-answering service]
3. Reflective essay of at least 1,000 words

4. Example Research Guide Elements (Dec. 10)
• Key search terms, subject headings, call number
ranges.
• Overview sources: encyclopedias, bibliographies,
handbooks etc. [e.g. last week, we did Dictionaries]
• Key works: major sources
• Sources in possible sub-areas/subtopics.
• Periodicals: magazines, journals, newspapers,
newsletters
• Indexes and Abstracts; online databases
• Websites (please list as a separate section): websites,
including digital libraries
• Professional associations, or other groups, and
conferences of interest

5. History of Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia
etymology – from Greek – “circle of
knowledge” or “circle of learning”
First encyclopedia – Roman? (Pliny the Elder)
Famous encyclopedias – Diderot in France,
1751
Britannica – 1768 (incl. Benjamin Franklin, John
Locke)

6. Encyclopedia Questions
Where can I find …
• information about Africa?
• the Democratic Presidential candidate in
1916?
• if penguins have feathers on their flippers?
• information about oceans and seas?
• how much the Hessians were paid?
• the size of a herd of vicuña?

7. Encyclopedia Britannica - 1768 to date
Britannica Statistics:
70,000 articles
25,000 illustrations
2,000 maps
790,000 index entries
32 volumes
Cost to libraries:
$1,500.00

8. Encyclopedia of Library & Information
Science
Entry on the Museum Informatics
https://login.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/login?url=http://tandfonline.com/doi/book/10.1081/E-ELIS3

9. Comparing Encyclopedias - 1
Encyclopedia Americana Random House
– 1929 to date – 1977 to date
• 45,000 articles • 25,000+ articles
• 23,000 illustrations • “thousands” of
• 1,300 maps illustrations (Colorpedia)
• 354,000 index entries • 100+ maps
• 30 volumes • 20,000 cross references
• Cost to libraries: $995.00 • 1 or 2 volumes
• Cost to libraries: $95.00
to $130.00
Sources: Katz, William A. (2002); Kister, Kenneth (1981), Encyclopedia Buying Guide

10. Encyclopedia Americana – 1929 to date
Americana Statistics
• 45,000 articles
• 23,000 illustrations
• 1,300 maps
• 354,000 index entries
• 30 volumes
• Cost to libraries:
$995.00
Source: Katz, William A. (2002), Introduction to Reference Work, Vol 1.

11. Random House – 1977 to date
Random House Statistics
• 25,000+ articles
• “thousands” of
illustrations (Colorpedia)
• 100+ maps
• 20,000 cross references
From the “Colorpedia” • 1 or 2 volumes
• Cost to libraries: $95.00
to $130.00
Sources: Katz, William A. (2002); Kister, Kenneth (1981), Encyclopedia Buying Guide

12. Comparing Encyclopedias - 2
World Book Encyclopedia Britannica
– 1917 to date - 1768 to date
• 17,000 articles • 70,000 articles
• 28,000 illustrations • 25,000 illustrations
• 2,000 maps • 2,000 maps
• 173,000 index entries • 790,000 index entries
• 22 volumes • 32 volumes
• Cost to libraries: • Cost to libraries:
$550.00 $1,500.00
Shneidman, Edwin (1998), "Suicide on My Mind, Britannica on My Table,"
American Scholar, 67(4): 93-104.

13. World Book – 1917 to date
World Book Statistics
• 17,000 articles
• 28,000 illustrations
• 2,000 maps
• 173,000 index entries
• 22 volumes
• Cost to libraries:
$550.00
Source: Katz, William A. (2002), Introduction to Reference Work, Vol 1.

14. Britannica’s Propaedia 15th Edition

15. Specialized Encyclopedias
Search in the catalog for “Encyclopedia of”… what
do you see?
Examples of specialized encyclopedias:
• McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology
• Encyclopedia of Library & Information Science
• Encyclopedia of New York City
• The Canadian Encyclopedia
• The Great Soviet Encyclopedia
• The Encyclopedia of Associations
• The Cowboy Encyclopedia

16. McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology

17. The Canadian Encyclopedia
Photo of Yvonne DeCarlo and clip from encyclopedia entry on
“Canadian Expatriates in Show Business”

18. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia

19. Encyclopedia of New York City
Entry on “firefighting” – also includes a list of major fires

20. The Cowboy Encyclopedia

21. Encyclopedia of Associations

22. Evolution of Encyclopedias
Britannica vs. Wikipedia
Authoritative/scholarly…
… vs. popular/quickly-updated
When would you use one or the other?
Is one “better” than the other? Why?
How is the Web changing encyclopedias?

23. Next Due Dates
• Mon, Oct 15: Question Set (email to instructor) -
Answering each question with 3 different sources: web,
index, books/bibliographic (was: 10/8)
• Mon, Oct 22: IPL2 Question #1 (first “real user”
question – (was: 10/15)
• Mon, Oct 29: IPL2 Question #2 (second“real user”
question
• Tue, Nov. 13: IPL Question #3 & IPL reflective paper
with copies of all questions (email to instructor)
• Mon. Nov 20: Reference interviews and paper (email
to instructor)
• Mon. Dec. 10: Research Guide (email to instructor)