RESEARCHING HEALTH TOPICS AT THE PALMER PUBLIC LIBRARY

Krista NavinApril 29th, 2011ILS 504Spring 2011 Dr. ScheTerm Project

Agatston

Welcome! Welcome to the Palmer Public Library! We want to help you find all the

information on health that you need! Whether it’s a school project or even an embarrassing personal question, you can find the answers you are looking for here!

Where can you find health information?

Non-fiction books-You can find these upstairs in the adult nonfiction

section as well as downstairs in the youth room in the young adult nonfiction section.

Online databases-These can be accessed from the library or from

your home computer. Reference books-These can also be found on both the first and

second floors, in the adult and youth sections.

How can you find sources of information on health topics?

There are two main ways to find information at the Palmer Public Library:

-The card catalog-Online databases

Let’s talk about how to use these great resources!

The Catalog: no more cards! There are six computers in the library

that are used as catalogs. Simply double click on the Internet Explorer icon and you will be brought directly to our catalog!

There are a few different ways one can search the catalog. To find out which is best for you, think about what kind of information you are looking for, and just as importantly, what kind of information you have!

You can access the catalog from home!

Go to www.palmer.lib.ma.us, click on SEARCH THE CATALOG, and you can find results from any computer!

Example of a catalog record: Nana, what's cancer? 

Fead, Beverlye Hyman.Atlanta, GA : American Cancer Society, c2010.LOCATION: Palmer New Juv Book

CALL # Y 616.99 STATUS  CHECK SHELVES BOOKSearching the keyword “cancer” brings up this record. It gives the title of

the item, the author, the publishing information, its location within the library, its call number, and its format.

Keyword search A keyword search uses words you type

into the search box and matches them with words in a record for a book or other type of library material. When you enter a search term in the keyword search box, the results that are returned to you will have that term somewhere within the record.

Here are some results from the keyword search “cancer”.

Searching- Find the information you need!

Analyze your topic-

does it have

distinctive words or phrases?

List words and

phrases that relate

to your topic.

Vary your search terms if

you don’t find what

you’re looking for.

If a a general search

gives you too much,

try to use a more

specific search.

Search term examples! General search: Anorexia22 results found. More specific search: Anorexia

treatment5 results found Looking for biographies? Try Anorexia

patients4 results found.

Author search If you know a specific author you are

looking for, you can use the “Author” search to find all of the books he or she has written.

Example of an author search.

Other searchesIf you know the title of the book you are looking for, select

the “Title” tab, and enter the title.

You can also use Library of Congress Subject search, or search the ISBN or Dewey Decimal #. These searches are

helpful if you already have a book in mind.

Where do I find… As you can see, there are many places in

the library where you can find sources on health!

Let’s take a minute to talk about each of them, and discuss what kind of information you can find in each place.

Wait, where EXACTLY is this located? (This time with examples!) Adult nonfiction books (example: Surviving manic depression : a

manual on bipolar disorder for patients, families, and providers by E. Fuller Torrey and Michael B. Knable. 616.895)- on the second floor of the library, beginning to the right of the stairs. Call numbers are marked at the end of the stacks.

YA nonfiction books (example: Type 1 teens : a guide to managing your life with diabetes byKorey K. Hood. YA 616.462) are located in the Youth Room, in the far right corner.

Reference books (example: Eliminating barriers to mental health treatment : a guide for Massachusetts elders, families and caregivers) are located on the second floor, behind the librarian.

Online Databases can be accessed anywhere you have a computer hooked up to the internet!

Where can you find health information?

Non-fiction books-You can find these upstairs in the adult nonfiction

section as well as downstairs in the youth room in the young adult nonfiction section.

Online databases-These can be accessed from the library or from

your home computer. Reference books-These can also be found on both the first and

second floors, in the adult and youth sections.

Nonfiction books The Palmer Library organizes it’s nonfiction books with

the Dewey Decimal System. This system organizes books by subject, using numbers. The numbers that will help you find information about health include:

610 Medicine & health 611 Human anatomy, cytology & histology 612 Human physiology 613 Personal health & safety 614 Incidence & prevention of disease 615 Pharmacology & therapeutics 616 Diseases 617 Surgery & related medical specialties 618 Gynecology, obstetrics, pediatrics & geriatrics

Nonfiction books Most nonfiction books are located on the

second floor of The Palmer Public Library. NEW nonfiction books are located in the

NEW MATERIALS section, on the first floor, directly to your right after you walk in the front door.

NOTE: If the spine label of a book has only a name on it instead of a Dewey Decimal number AND a name (Flannery instead of 612 Flannery), then it is a FICTION book.

Nonfiction vs. fiction A nonfiction is a book with facts, based

on research or the author’s personal experience.

A fiction book is a book that contains a story that is not factual, but from the author’s imagination. It may be interesting to read a fiction book about certain health issues, but these do not contain facts and are not helpful for research purposes.

Young Adult Collection (YA)The young adult collection contains books that are chosen especially for teenagers. They may be easier to read, but sometimes they are adult volumes whose subjects are of special interest to that age group. Just like with adult nonfiction books, health topics are located between 610 and 618. In the catalog, these books are delineated with a YA in front of the Dewey Decimal number, i.e. YA 616.99

Citing a nonfiction book APA ExampleSilverstein, A, B., V, & Silverstein, L.

(1999). Aids: an all-about guide for young adults. Enslow Pub Inc.

MLA ExampleSilverstein, Alvin, Virginia B., and Laura

Silverstein. AIDS: An All-About Guide for Young Adults. Enslow Pub Inc, 1999. Print.

Where can you find health information?

Non-fiction books-You can find these upstairs in the adult nonfiction

section as well as downstairs in the youth room in the young adult nonfiction section.

Online databases-These can be accessed from the library or from

your home computer. Reference books-These can also be found on both the first and

second floors, in the adult and youth sections.

Reference BooksReference books cannot be checked out of the library, but they often contain information that is helpful to researchers. They have an R in front of their Dewey Decimal number in their record and on their spines.Books like The Merck manual of medical information, Robert Berkow, editor-in-chief ; Mark H. Beers, associate editor ; Andrew J. Fletcher, senior assistant editor. Located at R 610, can contain valuable facts and figures.

Where can you find health information?

Non-fiction books-You can find these upstairs in the adult nonfiction

section as well as downstairs in the youth room in the young adult nonfiction section.

Online databases-These can be accessed from the library or from

your home computer. Reference books-These can also be found on both the first and

second floors, in the adult and youth sections.

To access any online database Start at our website,

www.palmer.lib.ma.us Look for the gray buttons on the left of

the page Click the “P.A.L.S. Databases” button. The password will always be “pals” If a username is needed it will be

“palmerpals”

Online databases The Palmer Public Library subscribes to several databases with

health information, including one just for teens!

Consumer Health Complete Allows you to browse popular medical books and includes a searchable database.

Health Reference Center Academic, 1997- Professional and consumer health information from medical and nursing journals, general interest publications, medical dictionaries and encyclopedias, and pamphlets.

 Teen Health & Wellness Answers to your most important health and lifestyle questions, in a simple and informative format, aligned to state and national curriculum standards.

Online databases Find current,

accurate information.

Access from any computer

Most articles are available full text!

Ranges from simple, to the point articles to more scholarly works.

Teen Health and Wellness is perfect for personal question as well as for academic research!

Health Reference Center gives you access to primary sources!

Citing a journal or magazine article from the online database. APA Format Thomson, R.J., Buckley, J.D. , & Brinkworth, G.D.

(2011). Exercise for the treatment and management of overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a review of the literature. Obesity Reviews, 12(5), e202-e210.

MLA FormatThomson, R.L, J.D. Buckley, and G.D. Brinkworth.

"Exercise for the Treatment and Management of Overweight Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Review of the Literature.." Obesity Reviews. 12.5 (2011): e202-e210.

Citing directly from a database APA FormatRosaler, M. (2011). Asperger's Syndrome. Teen

health and wellness. Retrieved April 28, 2011, from http://teenhealthandwellness.com/article/54/aspergers-syndrome

MLA FormatRosaler, Maxine. "Asperger's Syndrome." Teen

Health and Wellness. Rosen, 2011. Web. <http://teenhealthandwellness.com/article/54/aspergers-syndrome>.

Finding health information at the Palmer Public Library! Today, we’ve talked about the three main places

to find health information at the Palmer Library!Nonfiction booksReference booksOnline databases Using the catalog and our databases, now you

can find the answers and information you need about healthcare topics!

And always remember, if you need help, ASK A LIBRARIAN! That’s what we’re here for!