Reference Sources

Encyclopedia of Social Work.
 Ref. HV  35 .S6  20th  ed. (2008)  Floor 2
Three volumes of lengthy articles written by experts in the field on all aspects of social work.  Each article includes an overview of the topic and a discussion of major issues along with a list of references and suggestions for further reading.  Brief biographical sketches are included.  Appendixes include the NASW Code of Ethics and a timeline of major events in social work history.

Social Work Dictionary.  Fifth edition.
 Ref. HV 12 .B37 2003 Floor 2
Provides definitions and descriptions of social work terms, concepts, acronyms, organizations and programs.

Social Workers’ Desk Reference.
 Ref. HV 40 .S6464 2002  Floor 2
Comprehensive handbook of social work practice, covering diverse populations & several fields of practice, along with ethical issues, assessment tools and outcomes.

Social Work Speaks: National Association of Social Workers Policy Statements, 2006-2009.
Ref.  HV 88 .N686  2006  Floor 2
Covers public and professional policy statements on topic areas such as adolescents, child welfare, families & children, health, substance abuse and violence.

PATH's Directory of Human Services.
 Ref. HV 98 .I32 M221602  2007  Floor 2
Provides basic descriptions and contact information for human services agencies

The State of America's Children.
 Ref. HV 741 .C537502  2005  Floor 2 & Online Access
Contains articles and statistics on children in the areas of health, child care, nutrition, housing, violence and education.  Includes comparative data by state.

Child Welfare League of America:  State Fact Sheets.
Provides information for each state on child protection, health, child care,
 education and income support.

Encyclopedia of Social Welfare History in North America.
 Ref. HV 12 .E497 2005  Floor 2
 Covers major social welfare trends, issues, & people in the U.S., Canada & Mexico.

General Statistical Sources

Statistical Abstract of the United States.
 Ref.  HA  202  124th  2008  Floor 2 (Desk);  Doc.  C  3.134:2008  Floor  2 (Desk)
The major source for general statistics on the U.S.  Includes sections on education, health, income and employment, as well as social insurance and human services.  Website includes links to State and Metropolitan Area Data Book and County and City Data Book.

Vital Statistics --- Illinois.
 Official state data source for births, deaths, marriages, divorces, etc.

Illinois Report.
Includes data on the economy, health care, education, poverty and diversity.

Book of the States.
 Ref. JK  2403 .B6 2007  Floor 2 (Desk)
Includes comparative statistics for all states in various economic and social areas.

FedStats
Major web site for federal government produced statistics.  Includes data from over 70 agencies and offices.  Some regional data included, along with budget documents, working papers, press releases, etc.

Statistical Universe
Statistical Universe is the major index to government statistics.  Allows searching by subject, title, author or issuing agency, or browsing through a list of available sources.  Some tables and charts are available in full text format.

Online Catalog

Online Catalog
 The Online Catalog offers the “Advanced Search” as well as the “Quick Search” (with any word, start of title and browse searching).  Examples of useful subject headings related to Social Work are listed below.

  Charities                  Social policy
  Child welfare            Social problems
  Family social work     Social service
  Poverty                    Social work with children
  Public welfare           Social workers

 The My Account link in the Online Catalog shows items checked out, request information, fines and fees, and offers online renewal of books.
 For materials not available in Milner Library, use the I-Share link to search other libraries.  Use the Request function to have books sent to Milner from other libraries.

Specialized Periodical Indexes and Databases

To locate journal articles on your topic, first use an online database.  Milner Library has several databases that provide access to articles in scholarly journals.  To search any of the online databases, click on "find articles on your topic".

Under "Databases by subject", click on the down arrow to view the list of subject areas.
Scroll down the list until you find Social Work;  click on the subject to view a list of databases.

Under "Databases by title", click on the down arrow to view the list of databases and indexes.  Scroll through the list to find the database you need; click on the title to enter the database and begin searching.  The sources listed below are good places to begin your research.

To search multiple databases at the same time, try the "Search It" option.

Social Work Abstracts.
 Published by NASW, this index is a major source for social work journals.  Covers the social work profession, theory & practice, services for special populations, social issues.

Social Services Abstracts.
 Covers over 1300 publications in social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development.

PsycINFO
  Covers journal articles, book reviews and dissertations in psychology and related fields.  Includes some full text coverage.

Social Sciences Abstracts.
 Covers some 640 journals in social science disciplines including social work, sociology, psychology, and public administration.

GPO Monthly Catalog.
Indexes United States government documents, reports, hearings, etc. from 1976 to the present.

Academic Universe
Provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, medical and reference information.
For legal research, this database provides access to federal and state case law and statutes, along with federal regulations.

Congressional Publications
Provides access to full text of existing laws & legislation, legislation in progress, members of Congress & Congressional committees, articles & analysis of legislation & legislative activities.

Locating Journals
 The Find It link is available in most databases.  Click on this link for full text access and to search for a journal in the Online Catalog.

If you have a complete citation for an article, click on “find a known article”. 
Type in the journal title, year, volume and starting page;  then click on Find It.

To determine if a specific journal is available online through Milner Library, click on the E-Journals link in the left hand column on the library website.   A “Find e-Journal” page will appear.  Type in the name of your journal and click on Go.    The “Find e-Journal” screen also has subject and advanced searching and a citation linker.

InterLibrary Loan
In addition to the Request function in the Online Catalog, Milner Library also offers InterLibrary Loan services through the ILLIAD system.  A link to InterLibrary Loan is available on the Milner Library web site.  Login in to the ILLIAD system with your ULID and password.  New users will need to establish an account within ILLIAD.
ILLIAD allows for article and book requesting, as well as reviewing past requests and accessing articles received electronically. Request materials on InterLibrary Loan early!   It may take 7-10 days or longer for a book or article to arrive via InterLibrary Loan.

Social Work Web Page
The Social Work Web Page is available through the Milner Library Web Site under
Subject Resources.  The web site includes links to indexes, reference sources, statistical sources, and web sites on social work

RefWorks
RefWorks is an online service that can assist students in creating reference lists and formating citations for the bibliographies of research papers.

Vanette Schwartz,  Social Sciences Librarian
Office:  Milner Library 416
Phone:  309-438-3486
E-mail: vmschwa@ilstu.edu