Webbing and Wiggling

Just returned from Stories by Starlight, a yearly event at our elementary building. We gather for dinner, small group readings and enjoy a storyteller. This year I volunteered to find a storyteller. I used my SLIS connections and thought of Celestine Bloomfield who is a lecturer at IUPUI and teaches a storytelling workshop class. She agreed to come and bring a student or two, to give them experience. Celestine and Ann Guthrie (student and librarian at Greenfield) came, and were wonderful. Ann's stories required audience (kids) participation and in her retelling of The Giant Turnip she added a multitude of animals helpers to encompass all the kids who wanted to participate. Celestine is quite captivating and will participate in the storytelling festival which kicks off this weekend.

As I promised last blog, databases. I started by checking out what was available through I-MCPL. To access the databases you have to log in with your Marion Co. library card. I chose to search the Health and Wellness Resource Center, a Thompson * Gale Group database. I should explain right off that I find database searching very frustrating. To me it's like playing one of the popular games kids play online, you know the kind, where if you can only find the key, unlock the cave, you'll go to the next level and earn thousands of points. Only I can never find the key that fits. Or I get through the door, only to be eaten by a giant troll, well you get the idea.

Basic Search: Vegetarianism, 12 hits, tossed into reference only, 2 articles from the Pediatric Advisor, 2004.1. 1). Vegetarian Diet, p3350. 2). Sources of Essential Nutrients in a Vegetarian Diet, p2880. Okay, both usable.

Advanced Search:
Full text
2004-2005
Subject;Keyword-Hits
Vegetarianism;Teens-0
Vegetarianism-67
Vegetarianism-101
Teens-843
Teens and Vegetarianism-0
High School students-1831
(narrowed by subject)
"food and nutrition-34, a couple on veg.
Youth;Vegetarians-8
No date limiter-all before 2002

(I had this all type in an easier to read table, but blog did not like, so I've made concession).

It goes on but, I'll spare you. Did take notes on one article. Keeping Teenage Vegetarians Healthy and in the Know
by Peter F. Belamerich and Keith Thomas Ayoob. Contemporary Pediatrics; Oct. 2001, v18 i10, p89.

Next I went to IUPUI Libraries and Inspire for EBSCO HOST. One plus is that you are able to search multiple database at one time and set limiters for each. I decided to search databases that a student might use, so I chose Middle Search Plus and Topic-Health and Wellness. Tried "vegetarian" and "food" and "teens." 4 hits, 3 useable. 1). The Great American Meatout by Dee Murphy. Current Health 2; Feb. 2002, v28 i6, p23, 3p, 1 chart, 2c. Focus: Vegetarian diets among American Teens. 2). More Teens Say 'pass the salad' by Angela Wang. Christian Science Monitor; 9/19/96, v88 i207, p15, 5c. Reports on increase in number of teen vegetarians. 3). So Long Big Macs-it's on to rice and beans by
Susan Brink. U.S. News and World Report; 5/10/93, v114 i18, p70, 2p, 3c. Fastest growing segment of U.S. I copied and pasted last article to a word document.

I have noticed that there is little variation in the information that I have found in my search. Whether books, websites or articles, they are all structured similarly. "What is vegetarianism?" "What are the types of vegetarians?" "Reason for becoming vegetarian." "Nutritional needs of vegetarians." Etc. One issue that comes up is whether a vegetarian diet is possible masking an eating disorder, pro-vegetarian materials adamently discard this notion. Others suggest that is something to watch for. Could make for an interesting research project on its own, but not one I'll be tackling.

This is getting a bit long so I'll blog again to try and add my "Inspiration" tooled map. But, before I go I have to add how cool I think blogging is, I love the instant html coding features.