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Cover of The Oxford guide to library research
Book details

The Oxford guide to library research

by Mann, Thomas

Published 2005293 pagesISBN 978-0-1951-8997-1

"Through clear explanations of nine fundamental methods of searching, Thomas Mann provides an overview of little-known but powerful strategies used by librarians and information specialists. Enlivening his advice throughout with real-world examples, Mann explains how to take advantage of controlled vocabularies, browse library shelves systematically, construct keyword searches, use published bibliographies, and even make personal contacts with knowledgeable people.". "Against the trendy but mistaken assumption that "everything" can be found on the Internet, Mann asserts the lasting value of physical libraries and time-tested research strategies, while acknowledging the complementary applications of computer technology. All formats including books, journals, newspapers, microforms, audiovisual materials, primary documents, bibliographic databases, and digital libraries on the World Wide Web are considered for their unique advantages, as well as for their limitations. Required reading for students, scholars, information-seeking professionals, and laypersons."--BOOK JACKET.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.

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What the reading experience may hold

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Themes to notice

Nonfiction

Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.

Content notes

No specific content concerns can be confirmed from the available English catalog information. Consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.

These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.

Reading experience

Balanced tone · Steady pace

A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.

Who it may suit

A good fit if…

Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.

At a glance

This book's DNA

A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.

ToneBalanced
LuminousDark

This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.

No plot details

Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc

A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.

Spoiler-free
12345
PeakRelative emotional intensity
The Oxford guide to library researchMann, Thomas
Powerful4.3/5

This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.

Before you choose

A quick reading snapshot

Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.

Reading lengthA standard-length read293 pages in this edition
Publication eraModernFirst published or edition dated 2005
Primary categoryNonfictionExplore similar books below
ISBN-13
978-0-1951-8997-1
Language
English
Edition record
OL3394827M
BookenDeX editorial lens

A more thoughtful way into this book

This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.

Good to know

A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.

Begin with its place in Nonfiction, then notice where the book resists that label.

Try this reading approach

Read for connection, not completion.

Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.

Three questions to carry with you

  1. Whose perspective organizes the story, and whose perspective remains outside it?
  2. Which sources or lived experiences carry the author’s central argument?
  3. How does the book change the way you understand its larger subject?

Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.