You Are Not Alone (Maybe)
Before you ask us a reference question, check this handy list of Frequently Asked Reference Questions to see if your question is a popular one that we have answered many times before. We have compiled brief guides to the resources available both online and offline on these topics. Looking through the FAQs can save you (and us!) a lot of time! Even if your question doesn’t look like our example, if the subject sounds like what you’re interested in, check the FAQ for it.
Also, be sure to look through the ipl Ready Reference Collection for quality Internet resources selected by ipl librarians, and be sure not to forget the ipl Pathfinders for in-depth guides on finding information on- and off-line in a variety of subject areas.
Books and Libraries | Business and Consumers | History and the Future | People, Govt and Culture | Science (including Internet) | Words and Phrases
| Subject | One of the Questions this FAQ Can Answer |
|---|---|
| All-Time Bestselling Books and Authors | What are the world’s top selling fiction/non-fiction/children’s books of all time? |
| Basic Cataloging | Is there a complete listing of all of the Dewey Decimal system online? |
| The “Basic” Plots in Literature | I’ve heard there are only 7 (or 5, 20, 36, 37…) basic plots (or themes) in all of literature. What are they? |
| Finding Books | How do I find the latest John Grisham novel on the Internet? |
| Finding Book Reviews | How can I find a review of the latest John Grisham novel on the Internet? |
| Citing Electronic Information | How do I cite a website in my research paper bibliography? |
| Civil Service / Career Test Prep | Does the IPL have a study guide for my city’s firefighter exam? |
| “Classics” of Literature | What books are considered to be “classics”? |
| Cliffs Notes | Where can I find Cliffs Notes for The Scarlet Letter? |
| ISBNs | How are International Standard Book Numbers determined? |
| Literary Criticism | I need criticism of The Color Purple. |
| I need an article that appeared in the Journal of Fluid Dynamics in January 1970. | |
| Newspaper Archives | My grandmother was mentioned in the Chicago Tribune in 1906. Can I get a copy of that article using the Internet? |
| Reference Resources | How do I find Books In Print (or The Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature, or any other reference book) online? |
| Used and Rare Books and Prices | How can I find out what this book published in 1930 is worth? I’m trying to find a rare, valuable book. |
| Writing Book Reports/Reviews | How do I write a book report? |
| Subject | One of the Questions this FAQ Can Answer |
|---|---|
| Automobile Blue Book | How much is my 1983 Ford Fiesta worth now? |
| Automobile Repair Manuals | Is there a repair manual for my 1983 Toyota Tercel online? |
| Business Research on the Web | How can I find business articles for my college paper? Or management, industry statistics, and/or marketing info for my job? |
| Company Profiles | How much money did Yahoo make last year? |
| Consumer Reports | Is Consumer Reports available via the Internet? |
| Grants and Grantwriting | How can I find out what grants my library is eligible for? |
| ISBNs | How are International Standard Book Numbers determined? |
| Old Stock Certificates | How can I determine if my old stock certificates are worth anything? |
| Patents, Trademarks, and Copyright | I need to get a patent for my Brilliant Invention. How do I do that? |
| Subject | One of the Questions this FAQ Can Answer |
|---|---|
| Military Trivia | How far is a klick? What does the “D” in D-Day stand for? |
| Names of Everyone on the Mayflower | What were the names of everyone on the Mayflower? |
| Seven Wonders of the World | What are the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? |
| Today In History | What happened on this day in 1969? I need ten famous events of the 1960s. Et cetera. |
| Subject | One of the Questions this FAQ Can Answer |
|---|---|
| Anniversary Gifts | What is an appropriate gift for a couple’s silver anniversary? |
| Baby Names and the Meanings of Names | How can I find an African name for my baby on the Internet? |
| Finding People | I just know my best friend from elementary school is online, but I can’t figure out how to get her email address. |
| Genealogy | My last name is Smith. How do I find other Smiths that I’m related to? |
| Jung, Carl: Epitaph | What is written on Carl Jung’s tombstone? |
| Names of everyone on the Mayflower | What were the names of everyone on the Mayflower? |
| Phone Numbers | How do I look up a phone number online? |
| Public Records | Can you tell me what babies were born in Chicago in June of 1965? |
| Salaries/Benefits of U.S. Officials | What are the salaries/pensions given to U.S. Presidents, Vice Presidents, Cabinet members, Senators, etc.? |
| U.S. Presidents | Who was the tallest President? How can I write to Jimmy Carter? |
| Subject | One of the Questions this FAQ Can Answer |
|---|---|
| Animal Names & Words | What do you call a group of crows? Is there a name for a baby aardvark? Does a female badger have a special name? |
| History of the Internet | Can you help me find information on how the Internet was developed? |
| Internet Demographics | What percentage of the world’s population has access to the Internet? |
| Math Problems and Help | Where can I get help with my math homework? |
| Soccer Ball Made, How is a | How is the last stitch put in when making a soccer ball? How is a soccer ball made? |
| Web Pages, How to Get | How do I get/make a web page? How can I learn HTML, the language that web pages are written in? |
| What is the ‘@’ sign called? | Is there a name for the @ symbol? Where did it come from? |
| Why is the sky blue? | Why is the sky blue? |
| Subject | One of the Questions this FAQ Can Answer |
|---|---|
| Animal Names & Words | What do you call a group of crows? Is there a name for a baby aardvark? Does a female badger have a special name? |
| Baby Names and the Meanings of Names | How can I find an African name for my baby on the Internet? |
| English Grammar | What is the proper usage of neither and nor? |
| “Once In A Blue Moon” | What does the phrase “once in a blue moon” really mean? |
| Publish or Perish | What is the meaning of the phrase “publish or perish”? |
| Something Wicked This Way Comes | What is the origin of the line “Something wicked this way comes”? |
| What is the ‘@’ sign called? | Is there a name for the @ symbol? Where did it come from? |
| Why is New York City called the “Big Apple”? | Why is New York City called “The Big Apple”? |
| Words Ending in -gry | There are three words in the English language that end in -gry. Angry and hungry are two of them, what is the third? |
Books and Libraries | Business and Consumers | History and the Future | People, Govt and Culture | Science (including Internet) | Words and Phrases