In these days libraries have become some of our least used and most abused repositories of knowledge and information. There are several reasons for it: 

As more and more books and periodicals are made available as e-books and e-journals that can be read on the screen and then, for a fee, downloaded complete or in sections that are of interest, or ordered in hard-copy, it becomes less necessary to go to a library

Modern ‘scholarship’ seems to be satisfied with what is available on the net or what can be gotten from secondary sources (and never mind about footnotes)

Many actual trips to libraries turn into futile attempts to actually get books, even though they are listed in the online catalogs and designated as ‘not in use’. Yet, call slips come back “not on shelf’. Where are these books? 

A library may list a periodical or journal among its holdings, but when you get there, the issue/volume/year you need was ‘not received’. 

But, as always, there is another side to the coin

Many people these days have an attitude that if they ‘need’ this book or that article, they will get it from the library, no matter what and how – steal or mutilate. Theft of library materials goes back to the first book. Notable examples: the troops of Louis XIV of France stole the libraries in the Castle of Heidelberg before they burned it down and the Swedish troops during the 30 Years War took the Bible of the Gothic bishop Ulfilas which is now at Uppsala University.In recent times. We had ‘scholars’ steal unique maps from the Library of Congress, ‘art collectors’ cut hand-colored prints of flowers, birds, and ancient monuments from old folios or the National Geographic to sell them on the art and antique markets, cut chapters out of medical books, signed photographs of Hitler and Goering out of German Luftwaffe annual research reports, etc. The result was that many readers and employees that had no official business there were kept out of the open stacks and books that were targets of thieves were locked up – in many cases too late. 

Another foe of books are people who, quite legitimately make copies of articles – they do pay for it. But what if a volume is bound too tightly? No problem: you break a volume’s spine. That will, in most cases, give you a good copy and the library will have to have the volume rebound. What do people care that this is an expensive proposition and that instead of buying new books, a library will spend its acquisition budget to repair old volumes.

The Library of Congress adds about 600,000 new volumes to its collections every year. The stacks where the collections are housed are filled to the brim. Where to put the new books? On the narrow floor between the stacks, one row on each side and two rows on top of each other. Since the volumes have to be moved when someone searches for a book, there is no longer any attempt made to line these books up in some order. Is it a wonder, that books are ‘not on shelf’? 

So, in order to keep their collections intact and preserve them for future generations, libraries need to keep users out unless they are ‘public’ and by charter have to serve the public. At many university or special libraries the admission policies are such that unless you are a current student or professor at the university you are person non grata, no matter what your credentials, needs, or purpose. In some cases you cannot even buy a photocopy, or it takes so long to get it, that you may as well forget it.

So, these are some of the problems of and with libraries. One golden rule is: Call first before you spend time and money to get there. 
So how do you find out about libraries, their collections, use policies, staff, special features such as automation systems, etc? 

We have already discussed the Federal Depository Library network maintained by the Government Printing Office in an earlier chapter. The ‘Bible’ of North American (United States, Canada, & Mexico) library listings is: 

(Bowker’s) American Library Directory, published annually in hardcopy, on the Internet or on hard disk. It contains about 36,700 entries and adds about 700 new ones annually. In addition to libraries, it covers consortia, library schools, automation networks. Discs and online access are through SilverPlatter Information Inc., 100 River Ridge Drive, Norwood, MA 02062-5043
Tel: 1-781-769-2599 or 1-800-343-0064
Fax: 1-781-769-8763
URL: http://www.silverplatter.com/offices.html

World Guide to Libraries PLUS, combining the information contained in World Guide to Libraries and American Library Directory, is published annually by K.G. Saur and made available on Internet or disc by SilverPlatter Information Inc. It contains the same information as ALD for 82,000 libraries in 192 countries. URL: http://www.silverplatter.comcatalog/wgtl.html

The WWW Virtual Library: Library Resources: Directories
Lists the following:
Libweb: links to 2,500 library home pages and online catalogs
webCATS: library catalogs on the Web
Library of Congress: national libraries and catalogs
Research Libraries Group (RLG): library consortia and associations
Repositories of Primary Sources: manuscripts, photographs, etc.
List of Public Libraries with WWW Services
Federal Depository Library Directory
COPAC: UK and Ireland libraries
Australian Libraries Gateway
Canadian Libraries and Library Catalogs
For a complete list and description of individual items see:
http://www.indiana.edu/~vlib/dir.html

As far as ERIC documents: the Library of Congress maintains two microfiche sets of the ED series, one in the Microform Reading Room in the Jefferson Building, the other in the Science Reading Room of the Adams Building. Both sets are more or less complete – the sets are addressed so that one set should be delivered to each reading room; however, this does not always take place and both sets may wind up in one place. There is no guarantee that a librarian will take the time and send the wrongly delivered set to the other place. So, if one reading room does not have what you want, try the other.

2. Associations and Societies

There are National Organizations for literally everything: from hundreds of medical associations, to every engineering, legal, labor, literary, etc. specialty, labor unions, fraternities and sororities, to such specialized, few-member groups as procrastinators and belly-dancing librarians. The large field of education is no exception. Again, there are hundreds of them, listed under the general category ‘education’ in the:
Encyclopedia of Associations: National Organizations of the U.S. published by Gale, a unit of The Thomson Corporation, publisher of more than 600 databases for libraries, schools, and businesses, online, in printed , microform, and disc format. The reference set of the Encyclopedia consists of three volumes: vol. 1, the actual text; vol.2, the Geographical and Executive Indexes and vol.3, the Supplement which updates, in printed form, the most recent edition (38th). 
Gale is located at 27500 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48331; Tel: 248-699-4253.
URL: http://www.galegroup.com/about/

The oldest and largest group ‘committed to advancing the cause of public education’ is the NEA – The National Education Association. It ‘claims more than 2.6 million members who work at every level of education, from pre-school to university graduate programs.’ To promote the cause of education, and the well-being of its members, NEA ‘s endorsement and support is courted by every politician who aspires to public office. Located at 1201 16th street NW in Washington, DC 20036, NEA can be reached by phone at 202-833-4000
fax at 202-822-7974
for frequently asked questions at http://www.nea.org/aboutnea.html
state affiliates can be reached through http://www.nea.org/affiliates.html
NEA issues a weekly e-mail newsletter, NEA Focus containing education news of national, state, and local importance. To join the mailing list, e-mail to lyris@list.nea.org and enter ‘subscribe wwwnea-announce’ in message field.

3. Universities

Most universities have education departments and many have research centers or institutes devoted to often very specialized studies on subjects related to education. Obviously, some are better than others. However, if in the course of your own research you get stuck, or you need to discuss a point, the universities and their staffs offer a good starting point. Ask to speak to someone as high up in the academic hierarchy as they let you get (the dean, research director, etc – then ask for the staff person best qualified to answer your question – it is always good if you can say that dean X suggested that you talk to Dr Y). In any case, be as specific as you can be explaining your problem, what you have already done/been, and what solution, place for further research, book, report, etc, the expert can suggest. Don’t forget: you ask professionals for help, for their time; don’t talk about the weather, unless your question involves meteorology. If the department has a special library, ask for permission to use it; make an appointment, call the day before to make sure you are still expected, arrive on time, and be well-dressed. When you leave, thank whoever helped you and leave behind the best impression possible. All this may seem ridiculously primitive and you may laugh – but let me tell you: in forty years of public service I have seen and experienced just about everything. The first impression you give of yourself, over the phone, in person, in a written message, most likely is the key that will open or close doors for you. 

4. Commercial Information Providers

InfoSource: Publishes, among others, the United States Information Directory which provides, through quarterly issues, ‘information in an accurate, timely and efficient format including mailing and e-mail addresses (phone/fax) of senior managers and administrators of elementary schools, middle high schools, private schools, universities and colleges, enrollment size, language, programs, special education schools, teaching schools, Government departments, alternative schools, education libraries and publications, school board administrators, and education associations’. Subscribers also have access to a help desk at InfoSource. 
http://www.national-directories.com/P6-used.htm 

National Center for Education Information
4401 Connecticut Avenue NW , Suite 212
Washington DC 20008
tel: 202-362-3444
fax: 202-662-3493
e-mail: cef@ncei.com
http://www.ncei.com

‘A private, non-partisan research organization in Washington, DC specializing in survey research and data analysis. NCEI is the authoritative source of information about alternative teacher preparation and certification’

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
152 North Third Street, Suite 705
San Jose CA 95112
Tel: 408-271-2699
Fax: 408-271-2697
Email: center@highereducation.org
URL: http://www.highereducation.org/contact/contact.shtml
“Promotes public policies that enhance American’s opportunities to pursue and achieve high-quality education and training beyond high school. As an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, the National Center prepares action-oriented analyses of pressing policy issues facing the states and the nation regarding opportunity and achievement in higher education…” The reports issued by the Center are available online; they are announced in the mailing list.

The Chronicle of Higher Education: Internet Resources
“This section describes World Wide Web sites of interest to people in higher education
http://chronicle.com/free/resources/

Education Abstracts (EducationAbs) and Education Index (EducationIndex)
Published by the H.W. Wilson Company, 950 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452
Phone: 1-800-367-6770
Since 1983, abstracts from 1994. More than 550 significant English-language journals from the United States and elsewhere are evaluated; database contains about 450,000 records; updated monthly. Online search instructions and examples are provided; full text of many articles are provided if a library offers this feature. Search capabilities are provided through the OCLC FirstSearch service:
http://www.oclc.org/firstsearch/databases/details/dbinformation_EducationAbs.html
http://www.oclc.org/firstsearch/databases/details/dbinformation_EducationIndex.html

5. Individuals

You may hear a speaker at a lecture, an author at a reading, a performer at a concert, or just an interesting person at a party. You are attracted by what the person has to say and you want to hear more, to get the person to speak to a group of people, like fellow teachers, students, etc. Do not monopolize their time immediately, unless invited to do so, but find out when it is convenient to talk to that person, the manager, secretary, to make an appointment, to find out how much the person charges (so that you are not stuck with a bill you did not expect) and under what conditions they will be available to perform. Be aware that most people will charge for their time – that is how they make a living. But, as I have already said in the section on ‘Universities’ it is the impression you make and leave behind that is just as important as the impression the individual you have just experienced has left on you