Credo Reference Blog

This week: Emancipation

The featured title in the latest issue of Credo Reference Content Update is the “Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World” - a fascinating survey of attempts to end slavery. All the answers to the following questions can be found there.

1. Name the sixteenth president of the United States, whose Emancipation Proclamation officially freed slaves in the Confederate states in 1863.

2. The abolition of slavery in the United States and the emancipation of nearly 4 million enslaved people was the most significant outcome of which war?

3. Name the man who gave his life in 1859 trying to end slavery in the United States with a failed attempt to capture an arsenal in Virginia and distribute weapons to the slaves.

4. The Society of Friends played a significant role in the history of abolitionism. By what name are they usually known?

5. The writer of “Les Misérables” denounced slavery. What was his name?

6. When talking of slavery, what was the “Underground Railroad”?

7. Which antislavery novel published in 1852 sold more than 10,000 copies in the first week of publication?

8. In a celebrated case of 1841, the U. S. Supreme Court determined that a group of Africans had been illegally abducted and could not be held as slaves. The Africans had revolted on a Spanish slave ship called…what?

9. Who led the only successful slave rebellion in history in the French colony of Saint-Domingue on the island of Hispaniola between 1791 and 1804, and helped to establish Haiti?

10. Booker T. Washington was a pioneer in promoting education for emancipated slaves. What was his middle name?

Find the answers here.

Image “Emancipation Proclamation”. Find it on Credo Reference: http://www.credoreference.com/entry/heliconhe/emancipation_proclamation/2

At this year’s Charleston Conference, John Dove, President of Credo Reference, participated in a panel titled, “It’s the Economy, Stupid! Dealing with High Acquisition Goals in Low Economic Times.” John’s brief presentation addressed the following question - Is an economic crisis the time to be considering trans-formative innovations? His answer to this question was a resounding yes. This very well may be the most appropriate time to innovate.

There are four main elements to innovation. First, there must exist some kind of constraint. The second element is what John called a “Wake Up Call.” The third element is the necessary action of stepping back, taking a look at fundamentals in order to rethink the situation. And lastly, there must be the courage to pull if off.

The new Barking Learning Centre

John used the rebuilding of the Barking and Dagenham Town Library to help the audience understand how trans-formative innovations are crucial in times of economic crisis. In this case, the constraint was clearly an economic one. In one of the economically challenged boroughs of East London were a dilapidated town center and a deteriorating town library. The “Wake Up Call” was that the physical building housing the town library had to be replaced but there was simply no additional money available from the town budget. Trevor Brown, Head of Library Services, stepped back and asked, “What are the overall information needs of town citizens?” He looked well beyond the specific needs of library patrons and thought about the overall needs of everyone in the town. In looking at the Town Hall he saw that much of what goes on in a Town Hall are the same kinds of activities of a reference room of a library: Citizens need access to documents and information, specifically people were seeking general information on permits, taxes, water bills, etc. Why couldn’t these Town Services be combined with the information and reference desk of the library? Trevor Brown was determined to find a solution that would surpass the one narrow goal of rebuilding a library.

Trevor Brown then had to figure out a way to rebuild the library without any more money from the Town. He worked with a developer to design and build an eight story building. The first story had the combined town information center and library learning center. The second floor housed the main part of the library. On the top six floors were upscale condominiums. This innovative solution added to the tax base of the town and the sale of the condominiums paid for the construction of the entire building. It was clearly the challenge of an economic crisis that led Trevor Brown to come up with a solution that far surpassed the single goal of rebuilding a town’s library—a trans-formative innovation.

The Condos above the Barking Learning Centre

Two of the best remedies for an ailing economy are education and people courageous enough to innovate despite financial hardships. The role that librarians play in aiding a floundering economy should not be underestimated. Trevor Brown proved this and his success is now improving the lives of the citizens of Barking and Dagenham.

Find more information about the project itself on ArchInnovations.

This week: The Internet

Some people calculate that, this year, the internet is 40 years old - because the ARPANET was created in 1969, and was the first generation of the internet. Check your knowledge of the internet with this brainteaser.

1. Which internet search engine was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin?

2. Many people access the internet on a PC. What does “PC” stand for?

3. In connection with emails, what is the meaning of “phish”?

4. Skype is a trade name for a piece of software that allows what to be made over the internet?

5. When talking about the internet, what does “W3″ stand for?

6. Which word for inappropriate or unwanted messages sent by email apparently derives from a sketch in “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”?

7. Which online video sharing company was founded in 2005 and purchased by Google for $1.65 billion the following year?

8. Wikipedia is a collaborative encyclopedia on the internet. What does the word “wiki” mean in Hawaiian?

9. When talking about online forums, what does ‘lurk” mean?

10. In connection with email, what does “SMTP” stand for?

Find the answers here.

Image entitled “Internet”. Available on Credo Reference: http://www.credoreference.com/entry/heliconhe/internet/3

This week, we’ve added 11 new titles, and updated 3 more! That’s 14 new and updated titles just this week alone. The new and updates titles come from publishers like Sage UK, M.E. Sharpe, Cambridge University Press, Edinburgh University Press and Elsevier Health Sciences.

New Titles:
The Social Science Jargon-Buster, from Sage UK. from Sage UK. This practical, down-to-earth dictionary helps students new to the social sciences gain a thorough understanding of the key terms, from Action research to Utilitarianism. Each entry includes a concise core definition, a more detailed explanation, and an introduction to the associated debates and controversies. In addition, the book includes a useful outline of the practical application of each term, as well as a list of key figures and recommendations for further reading.

This dictionary brings a refreshing clarity to social science discourse, making it essential reading for all students on undergraduate social science courses.

Guide to Economic Indicators, from M.E. Sharpe. Provides quick and easy access to current and reliable data on the major statistical measures of the U.S. economy, from Average Weekly Earnings to Value of the Dollar, as well as concise, jargon-free explanations of the meaning, use, and availability of macroeconomic indicators, including websites, recent trends, and current data.

Key Concepts in Urban Studies, from Sage UK.
* Clearly and concisely explains the basic ideas in the interdisciplinary field of urban studies
* Offers concise discussions of concepts ranging from community, neighbourhood, and the city to globalization, the New Urbanism, feminine space, and urban politics
* Constitutes a re-examination of the key ideas in the field
* Is illustrated throughout with international examples
* Provides an essential reference guide for all students and teachers across the urban disciplines within sociology, political science, planning and geography.

The Sage Dictionary of Cultural Studies, from Sage UK. Containing entries from Active audience to Youth culture on key concepts and theorists, the Dictionary provides an unparalled guide to the terrain of cultural studies. The definitions are authoritative, stimulating and written in an accessible style. There are up-to-date entries on new concepts and innovative approaches.

Key Concepts in Medical Sociology, from Sage UK. Written with the needs of today’s student in mind, by experienced and respected experts in the subject area, this book is an indispensable study aid and guide to comprehension.

Cross-referenced throughout, the format encourages understanding without sacrificing the level of detail and critical evaluation essential to convey the complexity of the issues.

Key Concepts in Medical Sociology:

* provides a systematic and accessible introduction to medical sociology
* begins each 1500 word entry with a definition of the concept, then examines its origins, development, strengths and weaknesses
* offers further reading guidance for independent learning
* draws on international literature and examples
* is essential reading for undergraduates in medical sociology as well as students taking courses with a medical sociology component.

Dictionary of Race, Ethnicity & Culture, from Sage UK. Race, ethnicity and culture are concepts of extreme relevance in society today, and yet continue to be interpreted in various and often contradictory ways. The Dictionary provides the historical background and etymology of a wide range of words related to these concepts, looking at discourses of race, ethnicity and culture from a broadly multicultural perspective.

This new and up-to-date dictionary contains numerous references to both European and American concepts, debates and terms that are relevant today- including words such as ‘boat people’, ‘cybernazis’, ‘ebonics’ as well as more established words and terms, such as ‘affirmative action’, ‘caste’, ‘fortress Europe’ and many more.

The editors have brought together a group of internationally prominent academics and practitioners to produce this definite reference and research tool. Contributors include anthropologists, biologists, lawyers, philosophers, sociologists and psychologists, enabling the Dictionary to bring an interdisciplinary approach to the subject matter, and a rich variety of voice and content that would otherwise be absent.

The Dictionary of Race, Ethnicity and Culture will provide a valuable tool for scholars, students, professionals and policy makers. It will help undergraduate and graduate students to use conceptual material effectively to write better essays, and will be an essential source of reference in the professional fields, particularly for social workers and teachers.

The A-Z of Social Research, from Sage UK. The A-Z is a collection of entries ranging from qualitative research techniques to statistical testing and the practicalities of using the Internet as a research tool. Alphabetically arranged in accessible, reader-friendly formats, the shortest entries are 800 words long and the longest are 3000. Most entries are approximately 1500 words in length and are supported by suggestions for further reading. The book:

* Answers the demand for a practical, fast and concise introduction to the key concepts and methods in social research
* Supplies students with impeccable information that can be used in essays, exams and research projects
* Demystifies a field that students often find daunting

This is a refreshing book on social research methods, which understands the pressures that modern students face in their work-load and seeks to supply an authoritative study guide to the field. It should fulfill a long-standing need in undergraduate research methods courses for an unpatronising, utterly reliable aid to making sense of research methods.

The Cambridge Handbook of Age and Ageing, from Cambridge University Press. The Cambridge Handbook of Age and Ageing is a state-of-the-art guide to the current body of knowledge, theory, policy and practice relevant to age researchers and gerontologists around the world. It contains original chapters, commissioned and written by the world’s leading gerontologists from 16 countries and 5 continents. The broad focus of the book is on the behavioral and social sciences but it also includes important contributions from the biological and medical sciences. It provides comprehensive, accessible and authoritative accounts of all the key topics in the field ranging from theories of ageing, to demography, physical aspects of ageing, mental processes and ageing, nursing and health care for older people, the social context of ageing, cross cultural perspectives, relationships, quality of life, gender, and financial and policy provision. This handbook will be a must-have resource for all researchers, students and professionals with an interest in age and ageing.

Key Concepts in Work, from Sage UK.
* Clearly and concisely explains the central ideas, debates and theories of work
* Offers a broad overview of the social, political and economic contexts of work illustrated from diverse industrial societies
* Begins each entry with a snapshot definition followed by key words and guidance for further reading
* Inspires students to engage in further exploration of ideas and debates
* Provides an essential reference guide for all students in sociology, business studies, management learning about work, employment, organizations and labour markets

A Dictionary of Sociolinguistics, from Edinburgh University Press. The first comprehensive dictionary of the field of sociolinguistics, this is a valuable reference book for students and teachers of sociolinguistics, others concerned with the socially-oriented study of language and those with a professional interest in language. Entries are concise, the style is reader-friendly and numerous cross-references enable readers to follow up links to related terms and concepts.

Sociolinguistics is characterised by increasing heterogeneity, and students are faced with a proliferation of theories, concepts and terminology. This is sometimes a minefield, with similar terms used rather differently within different academic traditions. The dictionary provides a broad coverage of sociolinguistics, including macro- and micro-sociolinguistics and a range of approaches within variationist, interactional, critical and applied traditions. In explaining sociolinguistic terminology, the dictionary is able to map out the traditions and approaches that comprise sociolinguistics and will thus help readers find their way around this fascinating but complex subject.

The authors have taught and researched widely across different areas of sociolinguistics. They also draw on their experience of working in different geographical areas, including the USA, UK and Europe, Australia, southern Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

Feminist Philosophies A-Z, from Edinburgh University Press. A concise alphabetical guide to the key terms, issues, theoretical approaches, projects and thinkers in feminist philosophy from Abject to Naomi Zack.

Feminist Philosophies A-Z covers contemporary material in a number of feminist approaches. It illustrates the complexity, range and interconnectedness of issues in feminist philosophy while making clear the relationship of feminist philosophy to the rest of philosophy as a discipline (epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, social philosophy and metaphysics). Entries are pithy, detailed, informative and are cross-referenced to guide the reader through the lively debates in feminism.

This volume is an indispensable resource for philosophers, students, and Women’s Studies faculties as well as anyone with an interest in feminist philosophy.

Updated Titles:

Mosby’s Handbook of Herbs & Natural Supplements, from Elsevier Health Sciences.

Balliere’s Midwives’ Dictionary, from Elsevier Health Sciences.

CIA World Factbook.

Check out these new and updated titles, and make sure to let us know what you think, or if you have suggestions for what titles we should add next!

This week: Great Thinkers

One of the many sources on Credo Reference is “Great Thinkers A-Z”, which contains useful information about various important thinkers (although, surprisingly, there is no entry for me!). Try to answer these questions, which can all be answered from “Great Thinkers A-Z”.

1. Which scientist, born in 1809, wrote “The Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection”, published in 1859?

2. Who wrote “The Communist Manifesto” (1848) with Friedrich Engels, as well as “Das Kapital”?

3. Which physicist (1879-1955) was the creator of the special and general theories of relativity?

4. Was Plato a Greek or Roman philosopher?

5. Was the first name of the philosopher Bentham (1748-1832) John, James or Jeremy?

6. Name the political theorist who wrote “The Rights of Man” (1791-2).

7. Which French feminist wrote “The Second Sex” (1949)?

8. Which famous philosopher died in 399 BCE by drinking hemlock?

9. Which thinker (1869-1948) had the first names Mohandas Karamchand?

10. Which philosopher wrote “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (1883-5)?

Find the answers here.

Image is “The Thinker, 1881″, by Auguste Rodin. Find it on Credo Reference: http://www.credoreference.com/entry/bridgeart/the_thinker_1881

Four of us from Credo Reference have packed our bags and are traveling to Charleston, SC this morning for the 29th Charleston Conference. It should be an exciting few days packed with interesting sessions and presentations, conversations with old and new friends and, of course, fried chicken. Here are some of the places where you can spot Credo folks:

10th Annual Vendor Showcase
Wednesday, 4 November 12PM – 6PM, Carolina Ballroom, Francis Marion Hotel
Stop by table 29 to say hello and see what’s new with Credo

“It’s the Economy, Stupid!”
Thursday, 5 November, 4:30PM, Carolina Ballroom, Francis Marion Hotel
John G. Dove, Credo President is participating in this plenary session panel discussion on the challenges and questions we all face during difficult economic times.

“Collaboration, the Mother of Innovation”
Friday, 6 November, 2:00PM – 2:50PM, Gold Ballroom, Francis Marion Hotel
Heather Blaine, Credo Sales Marketing Manager, joins members of the Library Technology Collaborative for a panel discussion on how libraries and publishers are collaborating in the transition from print to electronic resources.

“What We Learned from Users”
Friday, 6 November, 4:30PM – 5:15PM, Pinckney Room, Francis Marion Hotel
This session with Nancy King, Credo Product Manager, and Kristina DeVoe of Temple University is all about reaching students. Nancy will be presenting findings from Credo’s usability testing and focus groups and sharing the lessons learned in the process. Kristina, who is also a member of the Credo Librarian Advisory board, will talk about Temple’s outreach to students through Blackboard.

Not attending Charleston this year? Many of the sessions and presentations will be available online after the conference, check back for more information and be sure to follow @credoreference for our tweets from the conference!

Boston and Oxford, (November 3, 2009) – Credo Reference, the award-winning online reference library, has signed an agreement to launch a SAGE Reference Publisher Collection. Nearly 70 SAGE Reference titles will now be available through the acclaimed Credo Reference platform.

This Publisher Collection from Credo will offer SAGE resources either as a complete collection or as individual titles. Librarians will be able to obtain these resources from Credo either by subscription or purchase, but users will experience the content as a fully integrated part of their Credo Reference experience. A sampling of the SAGE reference titles that will be integrated include such award-winning and highly-regarded resources as:

• Encyclopedia of Anthropology
• Encyclopedia of Counseling
• Encyclopedia of Business Ethics & Society
• Encyclopedia of Disability
• Encyclopedia of Global Warming & Climate Change
• Encyclopedia of Political Communication
• Encyclopedia of Cancer and Society
• The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods

“We’re pleased to incorporate our SAGE Reference titles into the Credo Reference platform,” commented Rolf Janke, SAGE Reference Vice President and Publisher. “We believe these key resources will add value to the Credo service by offering users authoritative information from across all disciplines within the social sciences.”

“The award-winning SAGE Reference line is a noteworthy addition to our service,” added John Dove, Credo President. “Librarians have long called for the option of having reference content available on the platform of their choice. Adding almost 70 subject encyclopedias from SAGE Reference to Credo Reference means that we’re moving closer to that vision. Our librarians and end users will continue to experience Credo as one grand encyclopedia, now with even more subjects for inquiry.”

This week: Journalism

One of the new sources recently added to the Credo Reference database is “Key Concepts in Journalism Studies”. This is not only about journalism but also about TV, radio, computers and other forms of communicating news and information. All the answers to this brainteaser can be found in this title.

1. What name was given to the scandal exposed in 1972 by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein concerning improper practices by Republican aides of President Richard Nixon?

2. What is an “advertorial”?

3. In journalism, which month of the year is traditionally viewed as the “silly season”?

4. What is the world’s largest and most-used search engine?

5. Which phrase, defined by Chambers 21st Century Dictionary as “someone, especially in politics, who tries to influence public opinion by putting a favourable bias on information presented to the public or to the media”, entered British political vocabulary during the late 1980s?

6. Which television network was formed in 1990 by the merger of Rupert Murdoch’s Sky Television and its rival British Satellite Broadcasting?

7. In using computers and the internet, what does “HTML” stand for?

8. In 1957, the BBC news programme “Panorama” ran an April fool spoof about which food growing on trees?

9. According to John Reith, the first Director General of the BBC, what are the three fundamental purposes of broadcasting?

10. What was the surname of the agony aunt whose “Dear Ann” column was appearing in 1,200 newspapers around the world by 1993?

Find the answers here.

Image: “Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, full-length, dressed as the Yellow Kid, each pushing against opposite sides of a pillar of wooden blocks that spells WAR.” Find it on Credo Reference: http://www.credoreference.com/entry/abcconspir/yellow_journalism

This week, we’ve added one new title, and updated another title. The new title is the Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Locations, and the updated title is A Dictionary of Literary Symbols, from Cambridge University Press.

Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Locations is the most authoritative reference work on the history and current practice of popular music ever published. It covers nation states and is organized according to continental regions. Each discusses the history, development and current practice of popular music in cities, districts, cross-border regions, nation states and diasporic communities around the world. Includes coverage of:

* The historical, geographical, demographical, political, economic and cultural context
* Genres for which the location is known or which have been important to the development and current practice of its popular music
* Significant venues such as theaters, dance halls, clubs and bars
* The role of the industry: music publishers, record companies/labels, recording studios, radio and TV
* The role of the state and government regulatory bodies
* The teaching and research of popular music in educational institutions
* Songs associated with the location
* Notable performers and other practitioners such as producers, engineers, technological innovators, record company heads, journalists, critics and scholars, songwriters, composers and lyricists.

A Dictionary of Literary Symbols, by Cambridge University Press. This is the first dictionary of symbols to be based on literature, rather than “universal” psychological archetypes or myths. It explains and illustrates the literary symbols that we all frequently encounter (such as swan, rose, moon, gold), and gives hundreds of cross-references and quotations. The dictionary concentrates on English literature, but its entries range widely from the Bible and classical authors to the twentieth century, taking in American and European literatures. For this new edition, Michael Ferber has included over twenty completely new entries (including bear, holly, sunflower, and tower), and has added to many of the existing entries. Enlarged and enriched from the first edition, its informed style and rich references make this book an essential tool not only for literary and classical scholars, but for all students of literature.

Make sure to check them out, and let us know if you there are new titles that you would like to see on Credo!

Anne Kail, our Oxford-based Sales Director, recently visited the Credo office in Boston, then spent a few days exploring New England. One place she stopped was Credo subscriber Brewster Ladies’ Library, in Brewster, MA.

The Brewster Ladies’ Library is a beautiful public library on Cape Cod, with an interesting history. It was founded in 1853 as a private subscription library in the home of Captain Mayo, a successful sea captain. The library is still located in the original building that was constructed in 1868. The Brewster Ladies’ Library eventually came to be the public library for the town of Brewster, but even today, it receives 30% of its budget from the Brewster Ladies’ Library Association. You can read more about the history of the library, and the evolution of their building, here: http://www.brewsterladieslibrary.org/about/history.php

Do you know of an interesting library, with a unique history or a story to tell? Let us know, and become our latest featured library!