Ohio Reference
Excellence

Module
Introduction 4
Search strategies
Patron sources
Subjects & terms
Indexing
Look it up
Accuracy
Asking experts
Info & Referral
Referrals
Keeping track
Inform patron
Review 4
Quiz 4
Answer 4

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Indexing

Indexes are guides to the resources in your library and other libraries.

Finding Tools

     You can think of indexes as "finding tools." They help you locate books themselves. They help you find information within books. Some indexes help you locate information within magazines.

Examples

1. Your library catalog (online, card catalog, or other format) is an example of an index which helps you find whole books.

2. There are indexes (commonly on disc or online now) which help you locate parts of works, such as:

• Magazine Articles - Readers' Guide is an example.
• Poems in Collections - Granger's Index to Poetry is an example.
• Chapters of Books - The Essay and General Literature Index is an example.

3. There are also indexes to individual works. The index to the World Book Encyclopedia is an example.

     Many sources you use are arranged or accessed alphabetically by subject, and it is common to bypass the print index or online subject access altogether. For example, a print encyclopedia is frequently consulted by turning directly to an article rather than using the index. It's important, however, not to overlook the index. Although there is an article in the World Book Encyclopedia on x-rays in the "X" volume, more information can be found in at least two dozen other articles!

     Indexes also will help you locate information when there is no separate article on the topic. For example, you can find a picture of a sea anemone in World Book only by using the index.

Specific Terms, Synonyms, Broader Terms

     To use any index effectively (including the catalog), follow these steps:

1. Try looking up the most specific term first.

• Example: Daylight Savings Time. Try "daylight."

2. Then try a synonym.

• Example: Whose picture is on a $20 bill? If there is no entry under "paper money," try "currency."

3. Then try to broaden the search term.

• Example: If you are looking for the speed of a lion and find nothing under "lion," broaden to "animals."

Coping with Poor Indexes

     Sometimes you will have to use an index which is poorly constructed. One common problem with indexes is broad subject headings with too many items under each subject heading. You face an inefficient search because you can't go directly to the most specific heading. Some indexes don't follow the usual conventions and will put items beginning with "the" in the "T's". Indexes in some older books use outdated or misleading terms. Sometimes it pays off to ignore the index altogether and rely on the table of contents and browsing.

Who indexes the Web?

     The Web: gigantic and growing larger; many search engines but few indexes; no quality control; and an increasing number of users who remain confident that anyone can find anything with one quick search! Reliable sites exist that review and categorize helpful Web sites, and will help you locate appropriate Web sources to answer questions. (See sidebar.)

     An interesting approach to organizing recommended Web sites is the Webrary®, a service of the Morton Grove Public Library. It "consists of links to the most useful reference and informational Web sites, organized by subject according to Dewey Decimal System call numbers." Organizing bookmarks by Dewey would help put library materials together with related Web materials.

Major Point: Indexes are finding tools that help you find whole works, parts within works, topics within an individual work, or quality Web sites.

     Using the four reference books from the exercise on the Reference Books page, do the following:

1. Examine the subject headings or index terms used in the books.
2. Are the books arranged by subject heading and is this reflected in the Table of Contents?
3. Do they have indexes?
4. Are the indexes easy to understand and use?
5. How similar or different are the index terms or subject headings among the books, i.e. do they use the same terms for the same topics?
6. Do you think that the terms used would be the terms your patrons would expect to find?

Throughout this module you will be working more with these books, so keep your answers and the books handy.

Answers

Look it up

Indexes help you locate other resources or topics within a resource.The online catalog is an index to the library's collection.

Use the index and the table of contents to find information in reference books.

For public libraries:

Open Directory Project is human-edited subject resource with well-chosen and annotated sources.

Librarians' Index to the Internet is organized and maintained by librarians, public library emphasis.

For academic   libraries:

WWW Virtual Library

Internet Scout Project

Academic Info

A touching reference experience happened several years ago when an older gentleman approached me for help at the reference desk. He was carrying a letter from his doctor that explained that he had had a stroke.

Although his mind was perfectly sharp, his ability to speak and write had been damaged. The man could speak or write about three intelligible words at a time, and then everything came out gibberish.

This gentleman had a plan for recovering his ability to communicate. He was able to get across to me a few words at a time that he had memorized a lot of poetry as a hobby when he was young. He now wanted to find copies of the poems he knew were stored in his memory and practice reading them to help recover his speech.

We used Granger's Index to Poetry title and first line index. He could say about three words of the title or first line and I would find it in the index. He would point to it and say,' "I know that!" Then I found books he could  check out with his selected poems.

I saw him one other time after that and his ability to speak was almost fully restored.
[Ann W. Snively, Wright Memorial Public Library]

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