Final Assignment

Research Guide for Alexandre Dumas Biography



Overview:

The following research guide will prove useful to learn about Alexandre Dumas, his life and literary works from 1802 to 1870.

Library of Congress Subject Headings:

Authors, French
- 19th century
- portraits
Authors in motion pictures
Authors in Literature


Keywords:

Literature
Authors
French history
Films


Reference Sources:

The Bibliophile Library of Literature, Art, and Rare Manuscripts. New York, London: The International Bibliophile Society, 1904.

Vincent, Benjamin. A Dictionary of Biography, Detroit: Gail Research Co, 1974.

Who is Who in the Nineteenth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1959.



Print Books:

Dumas, Alexandre. An Autobiography-Anthology Including the Best of Dumas. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday, 1962.

Schopp, Claude. Alexandre Dumas: Genius of Life. New York: Franklin Watts, 1988.

Hemmings, F.W.J. Alexandre Dumas, The King of Romance. Scribner, 1979.



Periodicals:

ALEXANDRE DUMAS DEAD; The Most Highly Appreciated of the Century's ...

JSTOR: Alexandre Dumas Pere and Spanish Romantic Drama

The I. H. Slater Collection of Alexandre Dumas: An Inventory of ...



Websites:

http://www.howard.edu/library/Assist/Guides/Alexander_Dumas/Default.htm

http://www.dumaspere.com/pages/english/sommaire.html

Blog Reflection 5

This was my first online class. I liked the experience. I feel there is less student interaction due to the online format. The online experience needs adjustment from the student. Because of this, online classes might feel like they are harder than traditional classes.

I personally liked the format because it adjusts to my life needs. Because I work, I would not have a fixed time available to attend a traditional class. I would be difficult for me to come to a face-to-face open workshop, if one was offered for this course.

I think online learning is appropriate for library research courses.

Overall, I enjoyed this class.

Blog Reflection 4

I like the definition that I found in an Ohio University Library website: “Information Competency is the ability to effectively recognize and act on information needs. To locate, evaluate, and use appropriate information to make reasoned decisions”.

When the need arises to search for information, an information competent student should be able to guide the research through the multiple sources available to obtain a satisfactory answer the original needs. This is definitely an important responsibility since there are many confusing and misleading sources that should be avoided in the quest for the true answers for these information needs.

I feel that I am a much more information competent student now than I was before taking this course. I realize that I need to continue to use and become more familiar with the resources shown in this course. I also need to stay up to date with future resources that may become available. These resources will complement and reinforce present resources used at public library I work.

Blog Reflection 3

I am working on a reference source list based on the many websites mentioned so far. I plan to use this list at my work.

The areas I have learned the most are in "Periodicals" and "Government and Statistical resources".

My opinion on research process has certainly changed. It is wider now. I feel I now have more of a guideline to approach research process for our library customers.

Blog Reflection 2

I am thoroughly enjoying this, my first online course. For me, it is underlining some of the everyday chores I perform at work and it is giving me some new options to try out.

My positive opinion about Libraries is being reinforced, and I feel that present libraries are indeed needed particularly at the reference level.

The physical arrangement of the present day libraries may drastically change in the far future, as we progress in our computer and Internet usage, but I rest assured that the future library will continue to be the focal point of reference for knowledge searching, with or without Internet availability.

What role does the Internet have in my life? Well, it is close to center of it during 12 hours of the day. I use it for work, news and weather, inquiries, staying in touch with family and friends. To think of it, I am undesirably dependent on Internet, and would be lost without it.

Library Visit

Cerritos Public Library
http://clio.ci.cerritos.ca.us/

I visited this city library located at 18025 Bloomfield Ave., Cerritos, CA 90703.

It is a somewhat impressive three story building with a titanium skin covering 60% of its outside surface.

The present facility opened its doors in 2002 and displays around 300,000 items for the public use.

Several areas can be identified within library.

MAIN STREET

Avenue that runs from building entrance all the way to back. Upon entering building, you will see to your left the 15,000 gallon saltwater aquarium. Behind aquarium is CHILDREN’S area. In front of aquarium and on the other side of escalators is “OLD WORLD”.

As you walk down “Main Street” you will see “Local History Room” to your right and “Circulation and Reservation” desks to your left. Next to the “Local History Room”, you will find the “Friends of the Library” bookstore. Last area in ‘Main Street” is “The Great Room”.

CHILDREN’S

Contains all the Children’s book collections. There is also a “Little Theater” and an “Art Studio”. Replicas of a 40 ft. long Tyrannosaurus Rex, a lighthouse, Rainforest tree, Space Shuttle for children’s enjoyment.

OLD WORLD

You will see a replica of a turn of the 19th century library together with collections of leather bound classic books.
The “New Books” and “Large Print” collections also reside here,

GREAT ROOM

There are around 15 Internet Stations, current magazines, periodicals, paperback novels located here.

YOUNG ADULTS

Fiction, Cliffs Notes, paperbacks, magazines, graphic novels are located here.

MEDIA ROOM

All DVDs, VHS, cassettes, CDROMS, CDs are located in this room.

Level two of Library has:

21st CENTURY

Adult Non Fiction, Reference collections, study rooms, 86 computer stations are located here. There is also access to the Mezzanine where Adult Biographies, and Fiction collections are. Language books (Fiction and NF) are also here, plus the not so recent magazines and newspapers, and finally the microfiche and microfilm archives.

The third level of this impressive building has conference and training facilities.




Books, DVDs, VHS, Cassettes, CDROMS are available for check-out to the public.

Services I noticed are free Internet access, reservation of study rooms, request for books on hold, option to request a book from another library in addition to standard item check outs and check ins.

Cerritos Public Library uses Library of Congress classification system. It is a city public library.

For reference, you have Librarians at reference desk, Reference books shelves, data bases accessible via computers.

I liked the abundance of reference resources you have at hand. I did not like that entire building was quite noisy. The general feel I got is being in a shopping mall, and not a library.

Blog Reflection 1

Reflection on Lib 3 - Information Competency course.


So far, I have learned the following:

1) Distance Learning Class experience

2) Blog creation

3) Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress classifications

4) Use of Library of Congress Subject Headings reference books

5) Read Seven Steps to Research Process.


This is my first online course and I am liking it, just wish I had more time to dedicate to it.