1. Some Thoughts on
Science & Engineering Reference
Sara Tompson
Head of Instruction & Orientation Services
USC Libraries and
Research Consultant, Institute of Tribology & Coatings
For Professor Mary Niles Maack's
IS‐245 Information Access. July 2011
UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies1
USC for UCLA IS 245 June 2010

2. S&E/Scitech Reference
• Introductions
• Our Users
• Science and Engineering Literature
• Print
• Databases (disciplines and LibGuides)
• Questions
• More on Scitech Reference
• Reference Modalities
• Professional Communication
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 2

3. Introductions
1) You? 2) Me:
• Physical sciences and/or engineering librarian for over 20 years
• Finished admin gig at USC, now USC Libraries Head of Instruction
& Orientation
• Since 2007, have done research, document delivery, editing for an
engineering company founded by former colleagues
• Academic, corporate,
research positions ‐ My best flying buddy and me at EDW AFB 10/10
– I was one of the Genl Aviation Fly-In Winners
Reference and/or
research required in all
• Instrument rated
pilot
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 3

4. Our Users: Similarities & Differences
• “Engineers use their colleagues as a resource more
often than scientists”
• “Scientists use literature more than engineers”
• “Engineers use the literature differently from sciences
and often need different types of
literature....
• For instance, engineers read more trade
journals and internal reports than
scientists do.”
Carol Tenopir and Donald W. King. Communication Patterns of
Engineers. (Piscataway, NJ: IEEE, Inc., 2004).
Available in part on Google Books: http://bit.ly/qCkMT0 and also a
Wiley (subscription) ebook: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/book/10.1002/0471683132 4

5. Our Users: Changes and Trends
• Internet and ejournals encourage DIY approach
• Some DIY* results:
• Users miss new/better resources
• Reference questions are more challenging
• Information overload ‐ librarians not Gatekeepers but Guides
or “Information Sherpas”:
http://www.fmyi.com/blog/single/we_are_information_sherpas/
• More teaching one on one to find and to obtain what is found –
it is not all in full text on line
* Do‐It‐Yourself
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 5

6. Our Users’ Organizations
• Can you name some?!: IEEE, AGU, ASIH,
AFS, ACS Div. of Chemical Information,
ASEE’s ELD, etc.
• Local and/or global connections From Cyberquill Blog
• Consider PUBLISHING in users’ fields
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 6

7. Scitech Resources: Literature
• Introduction to a field
• Philosophy of a field
Discovered via
• Development of a field Library Journal review
[From the excellent: Ackerson, Linda G. Literature Search
Strategies for Interdisciplinary Research: A Sourcebook
for Scientists and Engineers (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow
Press, Inc., 2007), p. ix.]
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 7

8. Scitech Resources: Literature
Guides and and review articles outline the organization
of a field, as well as genesis. Diane Schmidt’s guides, e.g.:
• Craighead. H.G. “Nanoelectromechanical Systems: Review.
Science. 290:5496 (24 November 2000): 1532 ‐1535. Review
article. 10.1126/science.290.5496.1532  ??
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 8

9. Scitech Resources: Online Guides to
Literature by Librarians
http://www.guidetoreference.org http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/tracer-
bullets/aerodynamicstb.html
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 9

10. Scitech Resources: Primary Sources
• “Landmark” publications – Examples that occur to
you?
• Current research – First hand observations and/or
measurements
• Raw data – perhaps even more primary. Libraries?
• http://www.ithacalibrary.
com/sp/subjects/primary
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 10

11. Scitech Resources: Databases
• Multidisciplinary/General vs. Discipline(s)‐
specific
• Academic level, e.g. undergraduate vs.
graduate/faculty
• Subscription vs.
Free My review:
http://www.istl.org/07-
winter/electronic3.html
• Free: oaister.
worldcat.org,
scirus.com
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 11

12. Scitech Resources: Databases
Graduate, Faculty, Researchers Level examples
• Multidisciplinary (and Citation Tracing)
* Web of Science * Scopus (not at UCLA)
• Disciplines:
* Inspec * BIOSIS Previews
* Compendex * GeoRef
* MEDLINE * SciFinder
Most have overview info free at sites.
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 12

13. Scitech Resources: Databases
Undergraduate and free examples
• ProQuest Research Library
• Wilson OmniFile: ASTA (not at UCLA)
• BioOne
• PubMed
• Google Patents
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 13

14. Scitech Resources: LibGuides*
• Portals
• Multi‐
media‐
friendly
• User‐
friendly
* Springshare.com
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 14

15. Scitech Resources: Tutorials
• Olivia Bautista Sparks: “Five Minute Screencasts ‐‐ The
Super Tool for Science and Engineering Librarians”:
http://www.istl.org/10‐winter/tips.html
• Michael Fosmire’s
http://www.lib.purdue.edu/
phys/inst/scipaper.html
• Tools: Captivate, Camtastia,
Jing, FlipVideos and YouTube
and more!
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 15

16. More on Scitech Librarianship:
Reference and Instruction
• Have always been complementary
• Instruction portion of reference has
grown, with ease of access on Net
• Time elements with and to both
• Your thoughts on relationships
between these two core aspects of
library public service?
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 16

17. Reference Librarians Competencies
• Attentive, reflective listeners
(sponge)
• Able to coach
• Flexible: Know when to
probe – see also next slide
• Digital and Face‐to‐
Face literate
• http://www.sla.org/PDFs/Co
mpetencies2003_revised.pdf
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 17

18. Reference Librarians Competencies
• Flexible can = Agile – Be “Future Ready”!
• Current SLA President Cindy Romaine’s theme,
and SLA’s
Future Ready
365 blog
http://futureready365.
sla.org/
• (I’m proud to say I was
elected to the SLA Board
for 3 yrs, 2011‐2013, as a
Director‐at‐Large)
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 18

19. Reference Modalities
• Face to Face/Voice to Voice
• Desk
• Consultation
• Phone
• Virtual (e.g. OCLC QuestionPoint)
• Email
• Chat
• YOUR virtual experiences?
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 19

20. Reference Modalities: More on Virtual…
• Library H3lp (for Chat) allows users to text from
phone/PDA
• QuestionPoint has added SMS text capability
• Facebook, MySpace* –
libraries (& thousands of
librarians!) present – reference
done?
• Second Life – public
libraries reference,
others?
• * More public; all less so
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 20

21. Librarians’ Professional
Organizations
• Communities of practice
• Purchasing consortia
• Broad
• Discipline‐Focused
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 21

22. Future of Reference
“The ‘reference interview’ will not disappear, but
the ‘high touch’ ways we communicate with
users and help them communicate with each
other to create new knowledge will broaden.”
‐‐‐ USC Libraries Task Force 21 on the Future of Academic
Libraries, 2005.
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 22

23. Future of Reference
Sue Mecklem, Reference Law Librarian on Future
Ready 365 blog: “What Future Ready is about is
looking forward while keeping your eye on the
here and now, and doing what we all do best –
being ready to connect people with
information, in whatever format they need at
that particular moment.”
http://futureready365.sla.org/?s=reference&x
=0&y=0&=Go
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 23

24. Thank you!
sarat@usc.edu
http://www.linkedin.com/in/saratompson
USC for UCLA IS 245 July 2011 24