English 609: Coping Techniques for the OGLR

As intimidating as the title may be, The Oxford Guide to Library Research is no less staggering than a common For Dummies instructional book. However, unlike the popular “reference for the rest of us,” Mann takes his instruction to an unnecessary level of rhetoric for a book of reference. Although the first 45 pages are full of search techniques, I quickly found it to be an encumbering reading experience. And while Mann is urgent to show his investigative manner of sharing these techniques, I soon found myself jaded with his elaborate energy when it came time to learn the “four ways to find the right subject headings for your topic.”

Mann has a compulsive need to (over)use phrases like “I cannot recommend this too strongly,” “Note a further important point” and “Another practical tip.” Being that I consider myself to have an unusually selective memory, I discovered that the most effective way to retain anything Mann said was to read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. However, as I do not judge a book by its cover, I try my best not to judge it by the first 45 pages (assuming it is longer than 200), and I in fact see The Oxford Guide to Library Research as an excellent tool for my own future research. But until I am physically looking for a specialized encyclopedia, or a book in a library catalog or typing in a subject heading that is too general or maybe doesn’t even exist, I’m afraid much of Mann’s terminology will lie dormant in the outer reaches of my selective mind. Mann has so much specific advice to offer, that the only way I see myself retaining this knowledge is when I put it to real use. Having this in mind, I will probably never go anywhere without Mann’s guide – by chance I stumble into the four “very important” code designations and forget what they stand for.