Area studies specialist in the library
1975; Academic Press; Volume: 7; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/0020-7837(75)90076-x
ISSN1878-2361
Autores Tópico(s)Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies
ResumoAt the outset, let us suppose that a researcher-whom many libraries call a reader-comes into the library with some rather specialized questions. These questions are related, let us say, to the area of SouthEast Asia. The first person who appears on the scene to this area specialist is a geographer and he wants to know : “What can you give to me, I mean tell me, about the Goteik Viaduct?” Immediately this South-East Asia area specialist said that the Goteik Viaduct was up in the Shan State between Maymyo and Hsipaw in Burma. But of course, the man possibly knows that already. This merely indicates that the area specialist is aware of the problem. The main thing is : where does he get documentation or data on the Goteik Viaduct? So, the wheels begin spinning up in the head of the area person and then he remembers a work about the construction of bridges in Burma. By turning to the Southeast Asia Subject Catalogue, he quickly finds the reference to the book, The Construction and Bridging of Main Roaak in Burma, published back in 1932. Also, two cards to more recent periodical articles on this Goteik Viaduct appear in that Catalogue. In this way the materials are located, and the man sits down and has some information on this engineering construction in upper Burma. Here is another person, he is an archaeologist, who comes in on another occasion and he says: “I am making a study and I would like to get some information about Nakorn Pathorn.” Nakorn Pathomimmediately the area person knows that Nakorn Pathom is a Buddhist shrine in Thailand just to the west of Bangkok, not many miles on a nice railroad journey. To him it is a relatively easy question; so he quickly brings out certain books in the reference collection located right there in the section, and this man has not only beautiful pictures of this chedi
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