Specific Facet First

A specific facet first search begins with the term which will yield the smallest number of hits and moves out successively with an increased number of retrievals. I used Project Muse for this search and began with interlibrary loan policy.

Specific Facet Search

Again, this database may have been better used with a different type of search. As we have discussed in class though, a typical searcher would try different searches on a database when result expectations were not met. Since my topic is so firmly based in the library field, a database focusing on library science is the best choice for the search. However, it would be possible to branch out the topic to look at Web 2.0 technology and its use in communication and education by schools and companies to see what ideas may be translated to libraries. Without a background in either of these fields though, I did not feel comfortable branching out beyond my area of knowledge. This would be true of the typical searcher too though. They may be lead into different fields by doing a different search and following them to related hits.

Building block search

A building block search takes an initial search and builds on it by refining. I selected JSTOR database.
Building Block Search

An inital search of interlibrary loan and policies retrieved no results. I did a new search on resource sharing and libraries. While this search did not retrieve the results I expected, I was able to find a few results pertaining to access to digital resources, a topic relevant to interlibrary loan. Perhaps a different type of search would have yielded better results.

Web page competency

Searching for an informative web page on interlibrary loan policies brings up a plethora of results for the thousands of public libraries that offer this service. While there are some informative examples from these results, there were too many pages to sort through to find the one page that would convey this topic the best. There are two authorities for interlibrary loan; one is WorldCat or OCLC and the ALA. WorldCat is used by librarians and patrons to locate materials in other libraries while the ALA actually develops policies for participating interlibrary loan libraries. Since my focus has been in educating patrons on the uses and procedures of interlibrary loan, the resources of WorldCat is the most informative resource for helping users find what they need.

WorldCat connects users to libraries by displaying libraries nearby where the item can be located. Information can also be accessed from partner commercial sites like LibraryThing and AbeBooks. Library websites also offer links to WorldCat as a research tool and as a platform for patron-initiated interlibrary loan. Selected from Google.com 8/1/09
http://www.worldcat.org