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Librarians' Corner

Reference Tools

  • Long Island & Patchogue Vertical File Subject Headings (rev. by Carrie Locke) 
    • Replace Patchogue with the  name(s) of the villages served by your library, and allowing for appropriate modifications, you have a readily adaptable set of Library of Congress Subject Headings, with local variations. Why so fine a subdivision?  It allows greater precision of access, an unexpected surprise to researchers and librarians alike, and most people are looking for something specific.  It can aid in keeping one person from monopolizing everything on a hot topic when others are clamoring for it (because it's in, or about to be in, the news, was discussed on a popular TV show, or is related to a class homework assignment.
  • A Guide to Localizing Dewey for Long Island Use  (rev. as of 1/27/12)
    • Since the Dewey Decimal Classification System, in general use by public libraries, stops at the county level, information sources more local than that are scrambled by author or title.  This offers a way to unscramble them and organize them for easy access by patrons and librarians alike.  It has had a proven track record of reducing time spent in hunting down sources, while freeing more time for research.  It's not hard to explain or understand, and it works even when your computer is down.
  • Local History For Public Libraries*
  • *Long Island History Blog (Suffolk Cooperative Library System)  [defunct] May undergo editing, update, relocation at some future date.  In the absence of a general guidebook for public libraries in providing Long Island local history resources and services, this blog offered a personal overview and general observations, from a Suffolk's Central Library local history room's experience and perspective:.  It contained via a mix of thought pieces; practical reference tools; suggestions; experiences; monologues, discussions, even a bit of poetry -- on coping skills, when dealing with some of the varied ins and outs of creating, organizing, housing, operating, and administering a local history collection or local history room, in a public library setting.  It was intended for libraries or librarians new to, or perplexed by, local history service; as opposed to library local history specialists in the field.  Among its themes were ten reasons why (and how) a library benefits from having a local history collection; identifying a collection in what is already at hand; finding the right historical society-public library balance for your community; identifying audiences; letting patterns of use and need help guide patterns of development; sample approaches to a variety of reference queries; the importance and public impact of providing, creating, promoting new local history resources; finding the mix of resources, services, publications, exhibits, programs, electronics (in various forms and formats) that works best for you; interns and volunteers; donations; localizing national commemorative cycles; the community significance of library commemorations; administrative coordination and policy development; all presented with a generous sprinkling of pointed humor.
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