The resources of the library can be helpful even when we are doing something very informal,such as trying to devise a better way to measure attitudes toward music or looking for a better way to teach mathematics.The library can be equally helpful when we are doing something very formal,such as writing a dissertation(学位论文)or preparing an article for publication in a professional journal.In either case,our goal should be to use the library as a useful tool to help us understand and solve our problem.
The following sections of this chapter will describe specific resources available in many libraries.In some cases you may alreadly be aware of a resource and may use it frequently and successfully.In other cases you may be completely unfamiliar with a resource.Your goal should be to become aware of what is available and to know how to use each of these resources to help you solve the problem they are designed to solve.
When educators have a piece of information that they want to share with their colleagues,they often make this information available in professional journals or at professional meetings.It would often be useful to have access to such information, and this chapter will describe the special services that enable us to locate such information.