Summarizes methods of searching currently available for OCLC, provides list of questions that can be answered with terminal (monographic series, mock subject searching, bibliography, government documents, serials, microforms, music, birth/death dates, corporate bodies, name authority, variant editions, artistic transpositions), and demonstrates…

When helping undergraduates assess materials, academic librarians balance the reference interview with instruction in electronic databases. This article describes a method connecting these tasks with a search strategy dependent on the user's information needs. The connection is made by labeling the user's need with a diagnostic tool based on…

Discusses the use of the OCLC Authority File for answering reference questions. Contents of the authority file are described, including personal, corporate, conference, and geographic names, uniform titles, and subject headings; accessing the authority file is explained; searching strategies are discussed; and examples of authority records are…

Describes how genealogists visiting the Library of Congress can use Library of Congress Information System (LOCIS) to identify genealogies in library's collections. Search strategies within two LOCIS systems--Multiple-Use MARC System (MUMS) and Subject-Oriented-Retriever for Processing Information Online (SCORPIO)--and the PREMARC database for…

Describes a computer aid developed to assist in academic library reference service using the DataPhase Circulation System, an automated system that features full cataloging records in database and permits local programing. Access points (subject, type of reference work, course) and database structure and user screens are highlighted. (EJS)

Describes how automation improves genealogical reference services and access to sources at the Genealogical Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. Highlights include specialized access strategies to the computer-output microfiche catalog, the creation of a union catalog, special outputs from an automated system, and future developments in library…

Discusses the need to reevaluate bibliographic instruction in academic libraries for an expanded online environment based on experiences at Moorhead State University (Minnesota). Topics addressed include the addition of databases to local online catalogs; student searching; search patterns; database characteristics; student search skills; library…

Outlines a model to promote more effective interaction between reference librarians and science graduate students conducting literature searches in preparation for dissertations. The model uses a sequential set of search strategies: searching subject indexes, identifying reviews, searching for "ancestors," searching for…