SHASTA COLLEGE LIBRARY 11555 Old Oregon Trail  *  PO Box 496006  *   Redding, CA 96049-6006

Library Contact: Carolyn Salus Singh

Locating Information: Books

Locating Information: Articles

Useful Internet Links: Aging and Gerontology

Citing Your Sources: APA Style

Shasta College Library Information

The Shasta College Library, through its 80,000 books and videos, 18,500 Online eBooks, and 50+ online research databases, provides access to both primary and secondary resources. The Library Catalog is your author, title, and subject guide to this comprehensive collection.

Gerontology titles are spread across many subjects, such as psychology, sociology, nursing and allied health, and physiology.  Be creative and a try a number of subject headings, both broad and specific. Below is a list of suggested terms and the number of hits retrieved from the Library Catalog:

aged yields 124 titles     aged parents yields 7 titles      aging yields 73 titles

alternative medicine yields 18 titles      alternative treatment yields 13 titles     death yields 161 titles

geriatrics yields 14 titles      geriatric nursing yields 12 titles     gerontology yields 20 titles

 homes for the aged yields 6 titles      hospice care yields 14 titles     menopause  yields 5 titles

nursing homes yields 9 titles     old age yields 39 titles     retirement yields 18 titles





• Favorite Gerontology Reference Books

Reference books outline the language, literature, and scope of a discipline.  These resources are often used to supplement textbooks and classnotes and are also a great point for beginning research.  Reference books must be used in the library.
 
• Aging Sourcebook : Basic Information on Issues Affecting Older Americans edited by Dan R. Harris

[HQ1064 .U5 A6365 1998]
 
• Death and Dying Dourcebook : Basic Consumer Health Information for the Layperson About End-of-life Care and Related Ethical and Legal Issues edited by Annemarie S. Muth [Reference R726.8 .D3785 2000]
• The Encyclopedia of Aging edited by George L. Maddox [Reference HQ1061 .E53 1987]
• Fact Book on Aging by Elizabeth Vierck [Stacks HQ1064.U5 V494 1990]
• Source Book in Bioethics : A Documentary History edited by Albert R. Jonsen, Robert M. Veatch, LeRoy Walters [Reference R724 .S599 1998]
• Statistical Handbook on Aging Americans edited by Frank L. Schick and Renee Schick [Reference HQ1064.U5 S695 1994]
 
• Locating Gerontology videos:
• Select Library Catalog from the Library's web page.
• Click on Search/Home and then click on Or Switch to Power Search.
• Enter your search term in the words or phrase box.
• Scroll down and select VIDEOCASS from the type box.  Click on Search.
• Repeat search with different search terms.
 
• Online eBooks are electronic versions of printed books.  The Shasta College Library's eBook collection is purchased through netLibrary and includes more than 18,500 titles.  These are available at no charge to the College's registered students and staff.  The Internet also hosts collections of free ebooks.  These are usually older works no longer protected by copyright.

• Locating gerontology Online eBooks:
• Select Library Catalog from the Library's web page.
• Click on Search/Home and then click on Or Switch to Power Search.
• Enter your search term in the words or phrase box.

Scroll down and select Online Book from the type box.  Click on Search.
• Repeat search with different search terms.
• Online eBook is read by clicking on the URL button in the Full Details box.

The Library subscribes to over 50 Articles & Databases to help you locate magazine and newspaper articles.  The following contain current, full text articles on aging, gerontology, sociology, and related health care issues.

• Magazines and Periodicals (EBSCOhost)

General interest database.  Sample titles include:
Aging
Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology
Geriatrics
International Review of Sociology
Sociological Perspectives
• General Reference Center Gold (InfoTrac)

Broad database, strong in current events, with some coverage in the humanities.  Some relevent titles include:
Aging
American Journal of Sociology
Annual Review of Sociology
Journal of Aging Studies
Sociology

• Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

Concise, pointed articles on current events topics.  Also includes access to Gale's  Information Plus reference program of statistics, government data, and legislation.

Subject headings to try include: Aging; Elderly; Geriatrics, Gerontology, Longevity, Old Age.  Keyword searching on specific subjects (such as "alzheimer's" or "dementia") is also effective.
 

• CQ Researcher

Balanced, insightful reports on current events topics that incorporate multiple perspectives on a given topic.  Each report contains chronological outlines, bibliographies, and links to related websites. Users may browse through articles in the current issue or search for past articles using keywords or subject headings. Recent reports include:
Alzheimer's Disease
Caring for the Elderly
Mental Health Insurance
Nursing Shortage
Patients' Rights
Retirement Security
• SIRS Knowedge Source

Provides access to full-text documents from newspapers, magazines and  journals. This resource also includes access to thousands of full text publications, documents and graphics from agencies, departments, and commissions of the U.S. Government.
 
• Access Science

Electronic version of the The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology [Reference Q121 .M3 2002].
Encyclopedia entries are complemented by articles documenting recent research developments,biographies of scientists, late-breaking science and technology news, links to related web sites, learning resources and study guides.  While this is neither a sociology nor gerontology resource, it is a good place for dictionary definitions and high quality, current, encyclopedia articles.

Useful Internet Links: Aging and Gerontology

•  Librarians' Internet Index  (LII)
Anybody can publish anything on the web.  How can you rapidly find reliable information? The LII is a classified list of hundreds of web sites. These sites have been previewed by librarians (and if you can't trust a librarian, who can you trust?) and are regularly updated.  Try searching on a few topics, both broad and narrow.  For example, entering gerontology in the text box links to 3 sites,  aging yields over 20 sites, and elderly links to 14 sites. The sites below are a small sample of what can be found.

Administration on Aging - http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/ - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC Describes programs sponsored by AOA and resources for practitioners, the elderly, and their families.  Good site for , statistical information on aging.

 
American Association of Retired Persons - http://www.aarp.org/ - With a membership approaching 30 million, the AARP is the nation's largest organization of midlife and older persons. This site mirrors the broad advocacy and informational scope of AARP and provides consumer information on insurance, travel, housing, benefits, leisure, and legislation.
 
American Geriatrics Society - http://www.americangeriatrics.org/ - The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging's Web site provides background information on issues such as the Clinton Administration's proposed long-term care initiative and Congress approved Health Professions Bill. Excellent consumer health information on various topics can be found at the Patient Education Forum  and Question and Answer pages. Links to other pages as well as a bibliography on related sources.
 
National Council on the Aging (NCOA) - http://www.ncoa.org/ -  Offers background information in the area of policy and legislative updates. Among its many features, one will find information on adult day services, health care, housing, independent living, and other topics central to "vital aging."
 
Sociological Tour Through Cyberspace - http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/index.html -  This site is maintained by a sociology professor (also the author of  hypertext essays covering a wide range: including death and dying, family, gerontology, gender & equality, race & ethnicity,  social inequality, and social psychology.  Includes a list of General Sociological Resources and a Guide to Writing a Research Paper.

Books
• The official guide for this style is:

Publication Manual of the APA.. 3rd ed.  (Reference BF76.7 .P83 1983 )
Note: The Shasta College Library has the 5th ed. (2001) on order.
• Another helpful (if not official) book is:

Andrew Harnack's Online! : A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources  (Reference TK 5105.875 .I57 .H364 2000)
 
Websites
• American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guide (official)
• Reference Examples of Electronic Cites in APA Format (official)
• Online (companion website to Andrew Harnack's above mentioned book)
• APA Style Guide: examples (University of Southern Mississippi)
• Guide for Writing Research Papers based on APA Style (Capital Community College)

Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgement (Dartmouth College)

• Current hours are posted on the Library Hours web page.  Come visit!
• All of the resources listed on this page are available via the Shasta College Library web site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.