LTA Reference & Information Services 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which reference tool lists books currently in print and available for purchase?
- Books in Print (Correct answer)
- National Union Catalog
- Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Publishers' catalogs only
Correct answer: Books in Print
Books in Print (and its online equivalents) lists titles currently available for purchase from publishers.
Question 2: A patron wants to understand the difference between a virus and a bacterium. Which reference source is MOST appropriate?
- Medical dictionary or health encyclopedia (Correct answer)
- Physician's Desk Reference (PDR)
- PubMed database
- Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy
Correct answer: Medical dictionary or health encyclopedia
A medical dictionary or health encyclopedia provides accessible definitions and explanations of medical concepts for general patrons.
Question 3: What is 'truncation' in database searching?
- Limiting results to a specific subject category
- Using a wildcard symbol to retrieve all word forms sharing a common root (Correct answer)
- Searching within a specific field such as title or author
- Combining search terms using Boolean logic
Correct answer: Using a wildcard symbol to retrieve all word forms sharing a common root
Truncation uses a symbol (often *) after a root word to retrieve all variations, such as 'librar*' finding library, librarian, libraries.
Question 4: Which organization publishes the Dewey Decimal Classification system?
- American Library Association (ALA)
- Library of Congress
- OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) (Correct answer)
- Bibliographic Center for Research
Correct answer: OCLC (Online Computer Library Center)
OCLC publishes and maintains the Dewey Decimal Classification system.
Question 5: A patron asks where to find the full text of a US Supreme Court decision. What is the BEST free resource?
- LexisNexis
- Westlaw
- Justia or the official Supreme Court website (Correct answer)
- HeinOnline
Correct answer: Justia or the official Supreme Court website
Justia and the official US Supreme Court website (supremecourt.gov) provide free access to court opinions.
Question 6: What distinguishes a 'ready reference' question from a research question?
- Ready reference questions require extensive literature searches
- Ready reference questions can be answered quickly with a single source (Correct answer)
- Research questions are always answered verbally, not in writing
- Ready reference questions only involve fiction titles
Correct answer: Ready reference questions can be answered quickly with a single source
Ready reference questions have brief, factual answers (dates, definitions, names) that can be found quickly in a single reference source.
Question 7: Which type of index helps locate articles within a specific magazine or journal?
- Periodical index (Correct answer)
- Trade bibliography
- Union list of serials
- Subject heading list
Correct answer: Periodical index
Periodical indexes (like Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature) systematically index articles published in magazines and journals.
LTA Reference & Information Services 4
Which reference tool lists books currently in print and available for purchase?