Competency 6: Database Search 4: Library Literature using Pearl Growing

Naïve Question: How do state and/or district budget cuts affect school libraries?

Introduction: I chose to use the Library Literature database because my question pertains to libraries and this database focuses on library and information science materials. I am hoping to modify the information I obtained from my Eric/First Search specific facet search as I use the pearl growing strategy to obtain more information that supports my query.

I chose to start with an article I retrieved during my first database search within Eric/First Search. Upon retrieval I looked for terms or concepts that I could use to develop a search.

Allen, M., & Bradley, A. (2009). Portfolios: Justify Your Job as a Library Media Specialist and the Media Budget during Times of Budget Cuts. Library Media Connection. 28(3), 48-50.

When reading the article and the provided subject headings I found the terms: media center budget, media funds, expenditures, budget, budget cuts and school libraries/finance.

For my first search I am going to select: school libraries, finance, and budget cuts in a subject search.

SS1: (school librar*) AND (finance) AND (budget cut*) = 0 results (subject search)

I am going to change my search from a subject search to a keyword search.

SS2: (school librar*) AND (finance) AND (budget cut*) = 29 records (keyword search)

This search was successful and I found several articles that relate to my topic.

Whelan, D. (2004). Library Cuts Still Run Deep. School Library Journal, 50(7), 15-16. Retrieved March 27, 2010, from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

Ishizuka, K. (2003). Back-to-School Blues Felt Nationwide. School Library Journal, 49(10), 20-1. Retrieved March 27, 2010, from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

Whelan, D. (2003). Texas Education Agency Axes Jobs. School Library Journal, 49(9), 18. Retrieved March 27, 2010, from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

All of the previously mentioned articles have school libraries/finance as subject(s). I decided to do a search using the heading just as it is written to see if any other articles pertaining to my topic are retrieved.

SS3: (school library*/finance) AND (budget cut*) = 0 results (subject search)

Since there were no results using a subject search I am going to try a keyword search.

SS4: (school library*/finance) AND (budget cut*) = 6 results (keyword search)

Through this final search I found an article that has answers to my question including how budget cuts affect the students. I am glad that I continued searching as I have found a third article with much needed information.

Adams, H. (2007). How School Budgets Affect Students' Intellectual Freedom. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 24(3), 30. Retrieved March 27, 2010, from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.

Reflection: I was a little hesitant in the beginning to use the pearl growing strategy. I wasn't sure I could find enough subject headings or keywords to use. I discovered that by using this technique I am more aware of the information that is provided when viewing a record. I am paying closer attention to not only the abstract provided but also the subjects or keywords offered. I was able to take the subject "school libraries/finance", which was listed on several retrieved articles and once I placed it in a search it provided 6 more articles related to my query. I am thrilled to finally feel successful when completing database searches using new searching techniques such as pearl growing. Now that I understand how to use this search strategy I will be more willing to try it.

Competency 6: Database Search 3: Eric/First Search using Specific Facet

Naïve Question: How do state and/or district budget cuts affect school libraries?

Introduction: I chose this topic because I am interested in finding out what information is available supporting librarians and/or providing librarians with information pertaining to district and state budget costs. I chose to use the Eric/First Search because I wanted some more practice using it and it focuses on reference material that pertains to education topics. I felt somewhat successful the first time I used it. I selected the specific facet search strategy because I have several facets in my query to pick from when choosing the most specific one. I was a little nervous to even attempt this strategy because Chu (2003) mentions this approach is "virtually impossible for a novice user to single out the most specific facet in a multiconcept search request" (p. 86).

From my question I selected budget cuts as my most specific facet. I have a feeling I will receive a large number of results and that many of them will not pertain specifically to school libraries.

Search Terms Records retrieved (all subject searches)

Facet 1: budget cut* 2 (neither article pertains to my query)

Facet 2: school librar* 7,388

Facet 3: district 12,893

Facet 4: state 77,916

After using the 1^st facet, budget cut*, I chose to continue with searching other facets to verify the number of records retrieved. By reviewing my results I think I will begin with budget cut* and add school librar*.

2^nd Search Statement: (budget cut*) AND (school librar*) = 0 results (subject search)

I feel this happened because neither of the two articles retrieved on my facet search pertain to my query. I am going to search budget cut using keyword and leaving school library as a subject search.

3^rd Search Statement: (budget cut*) AND (school librar*) = 29 results (kw: budget cut & su: school library)

These results are much better but I am going to continue searching by adding an additional facet to see if I can get more precise results. I will do a subject search with district.

4^th Search Statement: (budget cut*) AND (school librar*) AND (district*) = 0 results (kw: budget cut, su: school library, su: district)

Again the subject search is not producing results so I am going to have district and budget cut be a keyword search and school library a subject search.

5^th Search Statement: (budget cut*) AND (school librar*) AND (district*)= 5 results (kw: budget cut, su: school library, kw: district)

I found one article that interests me because it focuses on librarians and what to do if there is a budget issue in a specific district, but the rest of the results really don't answer or apply to my query. So, maybe it is time to revisit and rebuild my statement.

Johnson, D. (2005). When Your Job Is on the Line: Strategies for Assisting Library Media Specialists Whose Positions Are in Jeopardy. Library Media Connection. 23(5), 44.

For my next search I chose to eliminate district and replace it with state.

6^th Search Statement:
(budget cut*) AND (school librar*) AND (state*) =1 unrelated result (kw: budget cut, su: school library, su: state)

Again using a subject search for state gave 0 results so I will use a keyword search for state.

7^th Search Statement:
(budget cut*) AND (school librar*) AND (state*) = 10 results (kw: budget cut, su: school library, kw: state)

I was happy with the number of results and found a couple of articles that provide some insight into the opposing views about the importance of school libraries and what librarians can do to improve the support for school libraries as well as increase the available funds.

Pope, K., Chenoweth, R., Bersche, K., & Bell, L. (2006). Starting and Running the "Libraries Matter" Campaign. Computers in Libraries. 26(8), 6-8, 55-56.

I am still interested in finding something that pertains to how budget cuts are really affecting school librarians so I attempted one more search still using my original facet budget cut. The difference is that I used a title search for the 1^st facet and kept a subject search for the 2^nd facet.

8^th Search Statement: (budget cut*) AND (school librar*) = 2 results (tt: budget cut, su: school library)

I found an article that I liked from my search results.

Watt, B., & Schon, I. (1982). The Effects of Budget Cuts on Elementary School Library Media Centers. School Library Media Quarterly. 11(1), 58-62.

REFLECTION: It took me longer than I thought to use the specific facet strategy. I like the idea of choosing the most specific facet and searching for the number of results. This is especially effective when using unfamiliar databases that may or may not have pertinent information. A large amount of search time is saved if the most specific facet comes up with very few results. I still have some trouble pinpointing the exact wording needed to successfully find needed material. I continue to find myself frustrated when searching because it seems to take me forever to locate what I am looking for in the various databases, but I will continue to practice. I also tried to focus my searches using only subject searches, but through trial and error I realized that it is not possible to always use subject searches alone.

Works Cited:

Chu, H. (2003). Information representation and retrieval in the digital age. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.

Competency 6: Database Search 2: Academic Search Complete using Building Block

Naïve Question: How does an education obtained from a public school education compare to a private school education?

Introduction: I chose to use this database for a building block search because it has a thesaurus and I can use a Boolean Statement. The database contains journals with full text and I wanted to complete a search to see if there were articles that pertain to my question. In my previous database search I found several books so I know there is material available.

First I will identify the facets of the question. I am going to have four facets by splitting up private and public school.

Facet 1: public school*

Facet 2: private school*

Facet 3: education

Facet 4: compar*

Next I will identify synonyms for each facet using the thesaurus.

Private school*: private schools, school choice

Public school*: public schools

Education: education-aims and objectives

Compar*: differences, comparison, comparative education

Now I will combine some of the facets and build my first Boolean search statement in hopes that I have a little success on my first try. I am going to use my original facets first and then move on to the synonyms as needed.

Private school* AND Public school* AND Education AND Compar*

The string will read: (private school*) AND (public school*) AND (education) AND (compar*)

SS1: (private school*) AND (public school*) AND (education) AND (compar*) = 6 results (SU subject terms search)

Wow!!! In a previous search with the same Boolean Statement I used the keyword search and received 0 results. Upon Dr. Perryman's suggestion I tried using a subject term search and BAM I have 6 results and of the six 2 are right on target.

O'Brien, R., & Pianta, R. (2010). Public and Private Schools: Do Classroom Processes Vary by School Type?. Elementary School Journal, 110(3), 409-419. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Dronkers, J., & Robert, P. (2008). Differences in Scholastic Achievement of Public, Private Government- Dependent, and Private Independent Schools: A Cross-National Analysis. Educational Policy, 22(4), 541-577. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Okay, because that seemed way too easy I am going to try another search using differ* instead of compar* in an SU search.

SS2: (private school*) AND (public school*) AND (education) AND (differ*) = 1 result (SU: subject terms search)

The one article did not pertain to my query. I am going to try one last search not using differ* or compar*. I am curious to see if I receive any different articles from my first search.

SS3: (private school*) AND (public school*) AND (education) = 293 results (SU: Subject terms search)

Of the results one of my previous selected articles is mentioned. Most of the first 20 I looked through did not address my query which supports my choice to use compare and differ to weed out unwanted or unneeded material.

Reflection: Oh my goodness! This was the most productive and quickest database search I have completed so far in my course. I have a feeling of success, which doesn't happen very often as I usually become frustrated with database searching and trying to configure just the right search statement and facets. I hope my level of success is also contributed to the fact that I have been practicing different search techniques including the building block. I enjoy using the Academic Search Complete database as it is very user friendly and has numerous journals that pertain to my topic of school librarian. After revising this search I understand the importance of attempting a subject terms search before using anything else such as a keyword or title search.

References:

Perryman, C. Four basic search strategies [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from Module 6 notes Basic Search Techniques: http://online.twu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_204485_1%26url%3D

Competency 6: Database Search 1: Books in Print using Successive Fractions

Naïve Question: How does the education obtained from a public school education compare to a private school education?

Introduction: I choose to use Books in Print for my first database search because I had a difficult time using it with my previous search. I want to feel successful using a variety of databases. I am definitely a novice and know that with practice I will gain confidence and a better understanding of how to use Books in Print to my advantage. I also thought my query might result in a book instead of just articles and this database produces book, audio, and video results. I have used the successive fractions search strategy.

Organization Table:

Facets	School	Public and Private	Education	compare
My initial terms	Schools secondary primary	state funded	learning curriculum	pros & cons likes & differences compare & contrast

Subject (all) search for individual facets:

Education = 322,923 results

School* = 50,253 results

Public AND private = 415 results

Compar* = 0 results

1^st Search- using the facet "education"

Since successive fractions searching focuses on beginning with the facet that retrieves the largest amount of results. I started with "education". I used the word in different forms to see how the results compared.

Education = 322,923 results

Education* = 327,569 results

All used Subject (all) search

I choose to continue with the 1^st facet "education" and add a 2^nd facet "school*.

SS1: education AND school* = 45,356 results using subject (all) search

I was really feeling successful as the number of results began to decrease. After perusing the books there were some that pertained to my query, but I decided to add a 3^rd facet "private AND public".

SS2: education AND school* AND (private AND public) = 58 results using subject (all) search

The results are still too broad as many of them do not focus on my query. So, this time I am going to add the word compare and use truncation "compar*".

SS3: education AND school* AND (private AND public) AND compar* = The subject (all) search had 0 results, so I changed "compar*" to keyword in title and received 8 results

It felt terrific to narrow down my search from 322, 923 results to simply 8 and even better from the 8 results I found a book that might have information pertaining to my query.

RESULTS:

Baker, David, et al, How Different, How Similar?: Comparing Key Organizational Qualities of American Public and Private Secondary Schools

I decided to try one more search to see if I could retrieve more accurate results. I used the first two facets as done previously and changed the third one to "differ*".

SS4: education AND school* AND (private AND public) AND differ*= 1 result (keyword in title for differ the first two facets were subject (all) search)-The keyword in subject search had 0 results.

RESULTS:

I was even happier with these results. The books seem a little more relevant to my query. My question is broad which at times may hinder my results but this time it proved to be helpful because the books I found compare public and private education as a whole and then dedicate chapters to each specific area or subject.

Hall, GK, Benveniste, Luis, Carnoy, Martin, & Rothstein, Richard. (2002). All else Equal: are public and private schools different?. United States: Routledge.

Baker, D, Han, M, Keil, C, & Broughman, S. (1998). How Different, how similar?: comparing key organizational qualities of american public and private secondary schools. United States: DIANE Publishing Company.

Out of curiosity I am going to complete another search and change the word choice between the facets. I would like to see if I receive any additional and useful books.

SS5: (school* OR education) AND (private AND public) = 72 results (subject (all) search)

After reviewing the results I did not receive anything new or different from previous results. I think I could try different facet combinations for awhile because as silly as it seems it is like a game and the more successful results I find the better I feel. It is fun! I am not going to continue because I have exhausted my facets and the results continue to be the same.

Reflection:

After completing the successive fraction search within Books in Print, I have a better understanding of the database and the tools provided to help users. I like the search strategy and think with further practice I won't have to constantly refer to my notes or the textbook to confirm if I have completed the search correctly. I like using successive fractions in a database because I get the opportunity to test the database to see if my facets are hits and if so are there enough to continue searching for answers to my query. I was successful in finding relevant materials pertaining to my question. I am confident the information I need will be provided by the books I have selected.

References:

Perryman, C. Four basic search strategies [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from Module 6 notes Basic Search Techniques: http://online.twu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_204485_1%26url%3D