Check your "Answers" on this page and then figure out your Info IQ from the table at the bottom: 

1. Is this a Dewey Decimal Call Number? RA 649.2.B36 yes_____ no______ 

And the answer is NO! This is a Library of Congress (LC) Call Number. You can tell the difference by what's in the first line. If it's numbers, it's Dewey. If it's letters it's LC. Most larger libraries (including academic libraries) in the United States use LC. Here's a summary of LC.
 

2. Can you find articles in Time or Newsweek by searching a library's catalog? yes_____ no______ 

Actually the answer is both YES and NO!  Some libraries now include access to magazine and journal indexes through their catalogs but at Coe the answer is NO. Here's some info about what's included in the Coe Catalog. 
 

3. Is a "bibliography" the story of a person's life? yes_____ no______ 

And the answer is NO! A "biography" is information about a person's life. Find out what a "bibliography" is by checking the Lib/Info Glossary. 
 

4. Does an "abstract" summarize the content of an article? yes_____ no______ 

And the answer is YES! Check the definition in the Lib/Info Glossary. 
 

5. Is the "Circulation Counter" where you ask for help finding the population of some South American countries? yes_____ no______ 

 And the answer is NO! The library's reference department staffs a Reference Desk where you ask questions like this. Check out this Info about library departments and services. 
 

6. Is "52" the volume number in this journal article reference? Eng Lang Q 52(1989):10-27? yes_____ no______ 

And the answer is YES! Learn more about reading and formatting journal citations at Style Manuals. 

7. Would you use the "index" to find out if a book covers your topic in depth? 
yes_____ no______ 

And the answer is YES! Check the definition in the Lib/Info Glossary. 
 

8. Will the search "cats and dogs" in the library catalog retrieve all of the materials that the library owns on cats and dogs? yes_____ no______ 

And the answer is NO! "Cats and dogs" will only retrieve items that deal with BOTH cats and dogs; it will not include those that deal only with cats or only with dogs. Learn alot more about using And, Or and Not, "The Famous Boolean Operators", to search databases. 
 

9. DNS means DO NOT SURF? yes_____ no______ 

And the answer is NO! It stands for Domain Name Server. Check the definition in the Lib/Info Glossary. 
 

10. Would you start with the World Wide Web to find articles on the Unabomber? yes_____ no______ 

And the answer is NO! START is the operative word here. A better place to start is a magazine or newspaper index if you are looking for authoritative and reliable sources. The library's Ebsco database would be a good place to start. To search on the web for articles in the thousands of magazine titles indexed in Ebsco that might actually be available on the web would take you a very long time. The value of an index like Ebsco is that you retrieve records from many magazines with just one search AND you have some measure of their accuracy and legitimacy. Pages you find on the web may or may not be suspect. You have to decide. Read this to find out about Evaluating Web Sites. 
 

Bonus Question: Do libraries arrange books on the shelf by color? yes_____ no______ 

And the answer is NO! What can I say???? Libraries maybe should organize books on the shelf by color because that's what many library users remember. They fail to put their info smarts to work remembering to keep track of authors and titles. Instead they insist that, for example, everyone in their class is using the "big brown book" or especially, "I need to find the blue book I used the last time I was here." 

Here's a tip: Learn to keep paper or electronic records of the materials you are collecting for a project or that you've just generally found useful. Keep track of call numbers and keep the LC call number system in the back of your head. That's being INFO-SMART!!! 

 0 - 1 WRONG: Congratulations. You're EXTREMELY BRIGHT--and you also probably know that Info-Smart people use the help of librarians AND learn from their experience!!!! 

2 -4 WRONG: You're JUST PLAIN BRIGHT--and you know you need help when it comes to using libraries and the web!!!! 

5 - 7 WRONG: You're BORDERLINE BRIGHT--You probably are a bit sqeamish when asking for info help. Put your fears aside and ask your questions. It's the best way to find out!!!!! 

8 - 10 WRONG: Ooooooh!!!! You need BIG HELP. Ask your prof to get you an info-tutor fast. Or email or call Betty (x8017) or Harlene (x8016) yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!