Introduction: Helping a Library Patron With a 4-part Reference Question Relating to Anne Rice, Egypt During Biblical Times, and the Missionary Named Albert Shelton

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Over the period of the reference interview, the patron asks the following questions:

  • I just finished reading Anne Rice's book, Christ the Lord, and would like some book reviews of it, especially from the New York Times. Can you help me?
    • I am also interested in reading more about Egypt during Biblical times. Do you have any books (maybe 3 or 4) in your library or that I could interlibrary loan?
    • Oh, and also my brother would like me to confirm that Albert Shelton, a missionary who went to Tibet, was born in Indiana. Where can I find that?
    • I am also looking for the vampire series she wrote and would like to read them. Can you give me a list of that series?

Step 1: For the First Part of This Patron's Questions, Let's Use the Database, Book Review Digest Retrospective, to Find Some Reviews.

Q: I just finished reading Anne Rice's book, Christ the Lord, and would like some book reviews of it, especially from the New York Times. Can you help me?


Once logged in to the Book Review Digest Retrospective database, let's search "rice" as "Author, Personal" and "christ the lord" as "Title".

Step 2: The Results of This Search: 9 Book Reviews...

Because, at this point, I see that there are two Anne Rice books with titles beginning with the phrase, "Christ the Lord", I would ask the patron which book she was referring to. The patron would, most likely, tell me she means the "Out of Egypt" book.

The results from this search yields 9 book reviews for "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt." One is from the New York Times.

Step 3: The Second Part of the Patron's 4 Questions...


*I am also interested in reading more about Egypt during Biblical times. Do you have any books (maybe 3 or 4) in your library or that I could interlibrary loan?

Let's use WorldCat, and right away narrow the results down to books.

Step 4: Search Terms...

Let's try using the key words: egypt biblical

Step 5: 975 Results! Let's Narrow This Down...

With the results numbering 975, I would ask the patron how she wants to narrow this down. Let's say she tells me she is interested in Fiction... We'll use the "Refine Your Search" links to do this...

Step 6: 101 Results! Let's Narrow This Down Even Further...

With 101 results, this is an improvement, but let's say the patron wants to focus on "non-juvenile" fiction...

Step 7: 57 Results...Let's Choose Some Books...

Now we've got this narrowed down a lot more. Let's choose 3 books to check out from a library, either in-house or via inter library loan...



Step 8: Let's Try These Three Books About Egypt in Biblica Times...

1.
Pillar of fire
by Judith Tarr
Language: English Type: Book : Fiction
Publisher: New York : Forge, 1995.

3.
The midwife's song : a story of Moses' birth
by Brenda Ray
Language: English Type: Book : Fiction
Publisher: Port St. Joe, FL : Karmichael Press, 2000.

8.
Pharaoh's children : a novel
by Roy Harrison
Language: English Type: Book : Fiction
Publisher: Richmond, B.C. : Mulitcultural Books, ©2006.

Step 9: Let's Get on to the Third Part of This Patron's Inquiry...

Q: Oh, and also my brother would like me to confirm that Albert Shelton, a missionary who went to Tibet, was born in Indiana. Where can I find that?

For this questions, let's try Biography Resource Center. If luck is with us, a simple name search for "Albert Shelton" may be all we need to do...

Step 10: Let's Look at the Single Result From This Search...

This looks like we might have what we need...Let's cross our fingers...

Step 11: The Confirmation...

The very first sentence confirms what your brother thought to be the case...

"Shelton, Albert Leroy (June 9, 1875 - Feb. 17, 1922), missionary of the Disciples of Christ in West China and Tibet, was born in Indianapolis, Ind., the son of Joseph Oscar Shelton, at that time a carpenter, and of Emma Rosabelle (Belles) Shelton."

Step 12: The Fourth Part of the Patron's Inquiry...

Q: I am also looking for the vampire series she wrote and would like to read them. Can you give me a list of that series?


I think we'll have good luck using the database, "Literature Resource Center."

Let's try a simple "Author Search" for "Anne Rice".

Step 13: Let's Look at the Results Under the Category of Bibliographies

There are 3 bibliographical results listed. Our goals is find a listing of the Anne Rice vampire series.

Let's try the first link and see if we get a hit.

Step 14: Bingo! We Got What We Were Looking For...

It looks like the Anne Rice vampire series contains the following books:

VAMPIRE CHRONICLES" SERIES

  • Interview with the Vampire (also see below), Knopf (New York, NY), 1976.
  • The Vampire Lestat (also see below), Ballantine (New York, NY), 1985.
  • The Queen of the Damned (also see below), Knopf (New York, NY), 1988.
  • Vampire Chronicles (contains Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and The Queen of the Damned), Ballantine (New York, NY), 1989.
  • The Tale of the Body Thief, Knopf (New York, NY), 1992.
  • Memnoch the Devil, Knopf (New York, NY), 1995.
  • The Vampire Armand, Knopf (New York, NY), 1998.
  • Pandora: New Tales of the Vampires, Random House (New York, NY), 1998.
  • Vittorio the Vampire, Knopf (New York, NY), 1999.
  • Merrick, Knopf (New York, NY), 2000.
  • Blood and Gold, Knopf (New York, NY), 2001.
  • Blackwood Farm, Knopf (New York, NY), 2002.
  • Blood Canticle, Knopf (New York, NY), 2003.

Step 15: Parts 1-4: Altogether Now!

Now here it is all together:

Patron One.
Four Part Question:
Part 1.
Q: I just finished reading Ann Rice's book, Christ the Lord, and would like some book reviews of it, especially from the New York Times. Can you help me?

Source:
"Search Results: 'rice' as 'Author, Personal” and 'christ the lord' as 'Title'." Book Review Digest Retrospective. WilsonWeb. IUPUI Libraries. 1 Aug. 2008 <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com>.

Answer:
The results of tsearching the Book Review Digest Retrospective database ("rice" as "Author, Personal" and "christ the lord" as "Title") yield two Anne Rice books with titles beginning with the phrase, "Christ the Lord". I would ask the patron which book she was referring to. The patron would, most likely, tell me she means the "Out of Egypt" book.

Therefore results from this search yields 9 book reviews for "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt." One is from the New York Times.

Part 2.
Q: I am also interested in reading more about Egypt during Biblical times. Do you have any books (maybe 3 or 4) in your library or that I could interlibrary loan? :

Source:
“Search results for 'egypt biblical' > 'Book' > 'Fiction' > 'Non-Juvenile'.” OCLC. WorldCat. Dublin, Ohio: OCLC, 1971. 1 Aug. 2008 <http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=egypt+biblical&fq=dt%3Abks+%3E+fm%3Afic+%3E+-fm%3Ajuv&qt=facet_fm%3A_audience>.

Answer:
This search gives us a list of 57 non-juvenile fiction books. Let's try these three:

Result #1.
Pillar of fire
by Judith Tarr
Language: English Type: Book : Fiction
Publisher: New York : Forge, 1995.

Result #3.
The midwife's song : a story of Moses' birth
by Brenda Ray
Language: English Type: Book : Fiction
Publisher: Port St. Joe, FL : Karmichael Press, 2000.

Result #8.
Pharaoh's children : a novel
by Roy Harrison
Language: English Type: Book : Fiction
Publisher: Richmond, B.C. : Mulitcultural Books, ©2006.

Part 3
Q: Oh, and also my brother would like me to confirm that Albert Shelton, a missionary who went to Tibet, was born in Indiana. Where can I find that?

Source:
"Albert Leroy Shelton." Dictionary of American Biography Base Set. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928-1936. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008. IUPUI Libraries. 1 Aug. 2008 <http://galenet.galegroup.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/servlet/BioRC>.

Answer:
You can find the answer, for one place, by using Biography Resource Center, which provides the article, "Albert Leroy Shelton." Dictionary of American Biography Base Set. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928-1936. Your brother is correct; Albert Shelton was born in Indianapolis, IN.

Part 4:
Q: I am also looking for the vampire series she wrote and would like to read them. Can you give me a list of that series?

Source:
Gale Research Inc. "Anne Rice." Contemporary Authors Online. Reproduced in Literature Resource Center. Detroit, MI: Thomson Gale, 1990s. IUPUI Libraries. 1 Aug. 2008 <http://www.galenet.com/servlet/LitRC?&u=LRC&u=CA&u=CLC&u=DLB&finalAuth=true>.

Answer:
There is bibliography found by using Literature Resource Center (by doing a simple "Author Search" for "Anne Rice") that will help us. The bibliography is provided by Contemporary Authors Online. The following text is offered, which lists the books in Rice's vampire series:

VAMPIRE CHRONICLES SERIES
-Interview with the Vampire..., Knopf (New York, NY), 1976.
-The Vampire Lestat..., Ballantine (New York, NY), 1985.
-The Queen of the Damned (also see below), Knopf (New York, NY), 1988.
-Vampire Chronicles (contains Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and The Queen of the Damned), Ballantine (New York, NY), 1989.
-The Tale of the Body Thief, Knopf (New York, NY), 1992.
-Memnoch the Devil, Knopf (New York, NY), 1995.
-The Vampire Armand, Knopf (New York, NY), 1998.
-Pandora: New Tales of the Vampires, Random House (New York, NY), 1998.
-Vittorio the Vampire, Knopf (New York, NY), 1999.
-Merrick, Knopf (New York, NY), 2000.
-Blood and Gold, Knopf (New York, NY), 2001.
-Blackwood Farm, Knopf (New York, NY), 2002.
-Blood Canticle, Knopf (New York, NY), 2003.

NOTE: To view my process for Patron One's 4-Part Inquiry: Please refer to:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Helping-a-library-patron-with-a-4-part-reference-q/