Learning the RC: Computers, Picture books, Magazines

For those wanting to learn about Computer Geeks: (004.0922 INT) International Biographical Dictionary of Computer Pioneers edited by Lee. Alphabetical listing of persons with a brief biographical entry, as well as a bibliography of work about the the person and a list of their significant publications.

One of many, I'm sure, bibliographies to picture books, the Companion to American Children's Picture Books edited by Kirk (011.62 KIR) is an alphabetical listing of "titles, authors/artists and topics of interest." Not definitive, but handy for someone looking for quality picture books. Includes appendices for searching for Caldecott Medalists by title, year, author, and illustrator and a list of the Reading Rainbow books. Some entries have pictures of the books, but not all.

Want to know what are the names of all the serial publications (magazines and newspapers)? There is the four volume set, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory 2013 (016.05 ULR 2013 v1-4). Volumes 1-3 are in subject order and then all titles under a subject are listed in alphabetical order. Volume 4 has

• a alphabetical title order, 
• the subjects cross listed (ex. looking for exercise magazines? try instead under physical fitness),
• titles no longer in print
• look up by ISSN
• and the Dailies and Weeklies.

Oh joy, oh rapture! I may actually use the picture book one, though I'm disappointed that Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp Monster is not included.

Picture books and Drugs

Today's interesting information need was by a student writing a research paper on the drugs in children's literature. The patron had already read Go Ask Alice, which was the teen read, and was now looking for a picture book that was a story and not a children's reference on how drugs affect the family. At first I found books dealing with alcoholism:

• Daddy Doesn't Have to Be a Giant Anymore by Thomas Jane Resh
• My Dad Loves Me, My Dad has a Disease by Claudia Black
• Think of Wind by Catherine Mercury

but the patron responded that she needed a book on drugs. (Honestly, the request was for "drugs", which is what I searched on, and last I checked alcohol is a drug, but whatever. I can be snarky here. At work, I sweetly responded, hard drugs?) A look on Good Reads brought up Latawnya the Naughty Horse Two (either horrible or hilarious, depending on your take of the author's writing skill) and so I took a look at amazon and found:

• My Big Sister Takes Drugs by Judith Vigna
• The House that Crack Built by Clark Taylor
• An Elephant in the Living Room by Jill Hastings

I then searched for those titles in WorldCat to see what the subject headings are for it: (su= "Drug abuse") and (su= "Juvenile fiction.") The only problem is, searching this way opens the search to teen and children's fiction and my patron only wants picture books. Still, it is a handy way to get an exhaustive search. In the end, we found a book titled Bird by Zetta Elliott. I honestly have no idea how we stumbled across it (probably on amazon), because in WorldCat it is listed under the subject heading "Drug abuse -- Fiction." and "Drug abuse -- Juvenile poetry."