This book introduces Germanists to the mechanics and methodology of modern library research. It explains the use of various bibliographic access systems, providing step-by-step search strategies to the most modern computerized data bases for the whole field of German studies.

This annotated bibliography evaluates the traditional reference aids available in most college libraries in terms of their usefulness in women's studies research, highlighting issues and problems of central concern to researchers in women's studies.

The computer terminal is well on its way to being as commonplace as the telephone, and its usefulness to the scholar and scientist is so great that already computer screens and disks are seen frequently in academic offices. The value of computers in research is well established, with vast amounts of data being processed daily by all sizes of computers. Computers also have had dramatic effects on the researcher's literature-searching options: Scientists and scholars can now query enormous databases containing tens of millions of citations to published literature and can extract bibliographies tailored to their specific questions. The power and flexibility afforded the user of information by these literature-searching systems ease the burden of library work, but in order to use the systems effectively, it is necessary to understand both their capabilities and their limitations. Mr. Gilreath describes the principles underlying online bibliographic systems, the databases available, and the factors a researcher must consider in using them. He explores in some depth the relationship of the structure and terminology of publications in various fields to the literature-searching process and provides detailed guidelines for research in the life, health, agricultural, and social sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, geology, meteorology, engineering, education, psychology, business, law, current affairs, and the humanities. A glossary of literature-searching terms is included.

This book is a major project of the Research and Publications Committee of Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS). SWS has supported the project from its very start with organizational resources and the intellectual contributions of its members. For her early support of the project, we especially thank Roberta Cohen, SWS president, 1982-1984. All royalties from this book will return to SWS. With a belief in the importance of scholarly publishing, the contributors' skill and responsiveness, and the support of SWS and of Westview's staff (especially Deborah Lynes, Jeanne Campbell, Christine Arden, and Sandi Genova), I have found it a pleasure to produce this collection.

This new edition of a best-selling history of Germany, originally published in 1976, includes the great watershed of 1989-90 and its aftermath. With twelve maps, a chronology of events, and an updated bibliographical essay, Germany: A Short History provides a thorough introduction to German history from antiquity to the present.

With all of the new developments in information storage and retrieval, researchers today need a clear and comprehensive overview of the full range of their options, both online and offline, for finding the best information quickly. In this third edition of The Oxford Guide to Library Research, Thomas Mann maps out an array not just of important databases and print sources, but of several specific search techniques that can be applied profitably in any area of research. From academic resources to government documents to manuscripts in archives to business Web sites, Mann shows readers how best to exploit controlled subject headings, explains why browsing library shelves is still important in an online age, demonstrates how citation searching and related record searching produce results far beyond keyword inquiries, and offers practical tips on making personal contacts with knowledgeable people. Against the trendy but mistaken assumption that everything can be found on the Internet, Mann shows the lasting value of physical libraries and the unexpected power of traditional search mechanisms, while also providing the best overview of the new capabilities of computer indexing. Throughout the book Mann enlivens his advice with real-world examples derived from his experience of having helped thousands of researchers, with interests in all subjects areas, over a quarter century. Along the way he provides striking demonstrations and powerful arguments against those theorists who have mistakenly announced the demise of print. Essential reading for students, scholars, professional researchers, and laypersons, The Oxford Guide to Library Research offers a rich, inclusive overview of the information field, one that can save researchers countless hours of frustration in the search for the best sources on their topics.

The advent of the digital era has raised questions on the future course of library development. The challenge of maintaining a balance between their educational, cultural and service roles has presented libraries with new challenges - challenges which their rich and varied media holdings, modern technical infrastructure and information specialist competence well equip them to face. This fourth revised and updated English edition of "Portals to the Past and to the Future" by Jürgen Seefeldt and Ludger Syré, now in its fifth German edition, is an in-depth state-of-the art report on current German librarianship. Lavishly illustrated, the book traces the history of libraries in Germany, portrays the various types of library and cites many examples of the outstanding achievements of nationwide library cooperation in the Federal Republic of Germany. The reader will gain both a revealing insight into the cultural and educational policy underlying the German library system and an outline of the profession. Special attention has been paid to current developments such as the preservation and presentation of the common cultural heritage and the emergence of the digital library. This book has been translated not only into English but also into Arabic, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Russian and Turkish and is now the standard work on libraries and librarianship in Germany. Because of the interest it has generated internationally, it was decided to publish the German and English versions of this new edition simultaneously. The book provides trainee librarians and non-librarians alike with a clear picture of the way in which libraries were able to cooperate in the aftermath of the Second World War to overcome the vagaries of the federal system and create an effective decentralized library network more than a match for the challenges of the third millennium.