Module Eight: DIALOG Competency

Database: DIALOG – Library Literature and Information Science (LIBLIT 438)

Search Strategy: Building Block

Initial Question: What techniques are effective in developing successful book clubs for children?

Key Terms/Facets:

Key Terms or Facets	techniques	book clubs	children
Descriptors	▪strategies ▪methods ▪teaching methods ▪techniques	▪literature circles ▪book discussion groups ▪literature clubs ▪book clubs ▪group reading	▪kids ▪elementary students ▪children

Search One:

• Command One: ss strategies OR methods OR teaching methods OR techniques
  
• Command Two: ss literature circles OR book discussion groups OR literature clubs OR book clubs OR group reading
  
• Command Three: ss kids OR elementary students OR children
  
  

Results:

Set	Term Searched	Items
S1	STRATEGIES	1437
S2	METHODS	1948
S3	TEACHING METHODS	0
S4	TECHNIQUES	1914
S5	STRATEGIES OR METHODS OR TEACHING METHODS OR TECHNIQUES	5065
S6	LITERATURE CIRCLES	0
S7	BOOK DISCUSSION GROUPS	200
S8	LITERATURE CLUBS	0
S9	BOOK CLUBS	93
S10	GROUP READING	0
S11	LITERATURE CIRCLES OR BOOK DISCUSSION GROUPS OR LITERATURE CLUBS OR BOOK CLUBS OR GROUP READING	293
S12	KIDS	851
S13	ELEMENTARY STUDENTS	0
S14	CHILDREN	20612
S15	KIDS OR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS OR CHILDREN	20969

Combined Facet Command: ss S5 AND S11 AND S15

• Results: 5 records
  

Pertinent Records:

• 16/8/1 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0318964 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB91002494
  Commentary on an approach to discussion: the CCBC guidelines for book discussion
  
  
• 16/8/2 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0318963 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB91002493
  Guidelines for book discussions
  
  
• 16/8/5 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0318960 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB91002488
  Book discussion as an evaluation tool
  
  Library Lit. & Info. Science (Dialog® File 438): (c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rights reserved.
  

Reflection: The first search I ran was successful in locating a few pertinent records that would be helpful in answering my initial question, but the results were quite limited. Based on previous experience with this same initial question, I knew that sometimes the 'techniques' facet could throw off the results. With this in mind, I decided to run a second search eliminating this facet to see if this would be successful in producing a larger number of pertinent resources.

Search Two:

Combined Facet Command: ss S11 AND S15

• Results: 38 records
  

Pertinent Records:

• 17/8/3 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0550339 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB09109960
  Literature Circles in Library Class
  
  
• 17/8/4 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0543510 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB06104513
  Going Clubbing
  
  

  
  

• 17/8/10 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0489483 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB02002956
  Book club on a budget
  
  

  
  

• 17/8/14 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0460995 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB06000200
  Reading raps a book club guide for librarians, kids, and families
  
  

  
  

• 17/8/19 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0356536 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB03002089
  Talk about books! a guide for book clubs, literature circles, and discussion groups, grades 4-8
  
  

  
  

• 17/8/20 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0346177 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB03000359
  Connecting with Boys at Lunch: A Success Story
  
  

  
  

• 17/8/21 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0321056 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB98004015
  Having their say: how to lead great book discussions with children; bibliographical essay
  
  

  
  

• 17/8/23 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0319920 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB94001996
  Children's book discussion groups; for ages 9-12 in Hennepin County
  
  

  
  

• 17/8/34 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0317522 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB02000136
  Children to chatter about books; Orange Chatterbooks program launches at several PLs
  
  

  
  

• 17/8/35 DIALOG(R)File 438:(c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rts. reserv.
  0317415 H.W. Wilson Record Number: BLIB01009027
  Talkin' the night away; book discussion group for children's librarians in Albany, N.Y.

Library Lit. & Info. Science (Dialog® File 438): (c) 2010 The HW Wilson Co. All rights reserved.

Reflection: As I suspected, the removal of the 'techniques' facet was successful in producing a greater number of pertinent results. Interestingly, all of the pertinent records located in my first search were also present in the second search.

Conclusion: The DIALOG database was quite an interesting experience. It was extremely different from the other databases I had used in the past, but was very successful in producing pertinent records that I had not come across in the many other database searches I had completed using the very same question. While expensive (the brief time I was on DIALOG cost $11.76), if access was provided I would certainly take advantage of this unique searching tool.