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Re: Source Notes and Nonfiction
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From: Allison Angell <allison_angell_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:29:50 -0700 (PDT)
I think children's nonfiction should be held to the same standard as good adult nonfiction. So if there's a quotation in the text, I want a citation for it. I'm frustrated when authors include a list of books or websites used, but no specific source notes about each quotation. I understand that it's expensive to take a page or two of the text f or source notes or an annotated bibliography. But regardless, I think th at if their books don't provide a good example, we can't expect good citati ons in children's research papers. Allison Angell, Benicia (Calif.) Public Library allison_angell_at_yahoo.com
--- On Tue, 10/19/10, Megan Schliesman wrot
e:
From: Megan Schliesman Subject:
Source Notes and Nonfiction To: "ccbc-net, Subscribers of" Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 8:41 AM
The issue of what constitutes non-fiction is one
that librarians and teachers grapple with regularly. I want to
encourage you to frame your comments in the context of our
discussion, which has now moved to the issue of non-fiction and
sources, rather than getting into a debate or discussion about how
Dewey classifies and libraries shelve folklore, poetry, and
graphic novels. (That is a discussion we can look at pursuing in
greater detail at another time, but I don't want to derail the
discussion we arehaving on excellence in non-fiction, and the
issue of sources and documentation.)
Here's a question I have: what to make of a book that doesn'tsource every quote? I struggled with this recently in a picturebook biography. Several longer quotes were sourced at the end of
the book, but a couple of short quotes were not. Do I assumethese were manufactured quotes? If so, what do I make of thiswork as a book of non-fiction? I think it's an engaging
introduction to and treatment of the individual's life but am not wholly comfortable recommending it. Do I recommend it with a
qualifier saying that it doesn't hold up to standards of
non-fiction? What are those standards you look for and expect in
documenting sources?
Megan -- Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison 600 N. Park Street, Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503 schliesman_at_e ducation.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
--=
Received on Wed 20 Oct 2010 05:29:50 PM CDT
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:29:50 -0700 (PDT)
I think children's nonfiction should be held to the same standard as good adult nonfiction. So if there's a quotation in the text, I want a citation for it. I'm frustrated when authors include a list of books or websites used, but no specific source notes about each quotation. I understand that it's expensive to take a page or two of the text f or source notes or an annotated bibliography. But regardless, I think th at if their books don't provide a good example, we can't expect good citati ons in children's research papers. Allison Angell, Benicia (Calif.) Public Library allison_angell_at_yahoo.com
--- On Tue, 10/19/10, Megan Schliesman wrot
e:
From: Megan Schliesman Subject:
Source Notes and Nonfiction To: "ccbc-net, Subscribers of" Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 8:41 AM
The issue of what constitutes non-fiction is one
that librarians and teachers grapple with regularly. I want to
encourage you to frame your comments in the context of our
discussion, which has now moved to the issue of non-fiction and
sources, rather than getting into a debate or discussion about how
Dewey classifies and libraries shelve folklore, poetry, and
graphic novels. (That is a discussion we can look at pursuing in
greater detail at another time, but I don't want to derail the
discussion we arehaving on excellence in non-fiction, and the
issue of sources and documentation.)
Here's a question I have: what to make of a book that doesn'tsource every quote? I struggled with this recently in a picturebook biography. Several longer quotes were sourced at the end of
the book, but a couple of short quotes were not. Do I assumethese were manufactured quotes? If so, what do I make of thiswork as a book of non-fiction? I think it's an engaging
introduction to and treatment of the individual's life but am not wholly comfortable recommending it. Do I recommend it with a
qualifier saying that it doesn't hold up to standards of
non-fiction? What are those standards you look for and expect in
documenting sources?
Megan -- Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison 600 N. Park Street, Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503 schliesman_at_e ducation.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
--=
Received on Wed 20 Oct 2010 05:29:50 PM CDT
