A. Dvila MEDT 7474 Fall 2013 Dictionary Reference Logs Collins Spanish Dictionary. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com.ts.isil.westga.

edu/book/collinsspan My first time using Credo Reference led me to a variety of choices of dictionary types. In Collins Spanish Dictionary, users are greeted by eight friendly tabs (Search, Find Topic Pages- among 17 categories or Topics A-Z, Find a Book, Advanced Search, Concept Maps, Saved Results, Gadgets, and Help). Within the tabs there are even more options, such as searching by bilingual dictionaries or quotations. The search entries can be viewed in English or Spanish. A favorite of mine was the Concept Maps and Gadgets. The Concept Maps allow the user to type in the search box (allowing for subject control of search) to reveal a map of linked resources under that search term. The Gadgets feature has eight areas where the user can search in a variety of ways. The simplest gadget is Define, however the other seven gadgets are more in depth (Person, Images, Pronunciation, Crossword, Quotations, Holidays and Festivals, and Conversions). For example, within Credo Reference the user can browse Collins Spanish Dictionary and other dictionaries or beyond to encyclopedias to further the search to include images, etc. The Conversions Gadget allows for area, distance, energy, fuel consumption, temperature, power, speed, volume, and weight to be manipulated. A teacher would find these areas useful in showing the students this area for quick manipulation of science and math concepts. Certainly a foreign language teacher or ESOL teacher would have daily needs for this resource! My only complaint was its lack of images, yet as a high school and scholarly source, perhaps it was intentional. Grades: 9th and up. Subject(s): All. Overall rating: 8.

Oxford English Dictionary. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.oed.com.proxygsu-wgc1.galileo.usg.edu/ The Oxford English Dictionary is unabridged, I am quite sure as it has an extremely thorough record (including dates of use of the entry headword). I reviewed the online version through the UWG Galileo site. The layout on the home page was inviting, yet not too overwhelming. Each area had useful information. Most prominent on display are the search options of Quick Search and Browse Dictionary. Within the Browse Dictionary there are five ways to find entries: Dictionary (A-Z), Categories, Timeline, Sources, and Historical Thesaurus. The Categories have four areas (Subject, Usage, Region, and Origin) from which to find subcategories (too numerous to list). Clicking on a quick search result will open the full entry. Some Advanced Search options include viewing entries in list or timeline form. Each entry includes crossreferences of which the definition appears when the cursor is hovered over the word. The Word of the day and Recently published words are listed on the top right of the screen for easy access. As well, a user can also sign up for daily e-mails with the Word of the day. Creating a personal profile (My OED Account) allows for saved entries and searches and to manage site preferences. Helpful resources are available for students, teachers, and even librarians! I took a tour and learned that each Sense is linked directly to a Historical Thesaurus (semantic index of contents on OED) and to other related senses throughout the dictionary. I had learned the definition of what a "Sense" is by using the online glossary. A sense represents a distinct meaning of the headword. Clicking on 'About this entry' includes a "range of information, visualizations, and links." This information can be saved, e-mailed, or citation information can be downloaded. These features are so handy for the student, teacher, and librarian alike. Citing resources properly is a lesson for all ages. Under the Sources view, each "source record gives the information about the writer or work..and indexes to entries and senses where each quotation appears." The Historical Thesaurus feature covers over 1,000 years of the English Language. The user can "trace the development of a concept over time." Timelines can be viewed by Subject, English around the world, or English roots. This OED Online is the most up-to-date version of each entry held on the OED editors working database (for both revised and unrevised entries). Entries currently undergoing revision are displayed in their most up-todate version before they were closed for revision. This is the most exciting part to me about this online dictionary! Grades: 9th and up. Subject(s): All Overall rating: 9.

American Heritage Dictionary. (2003). Retrieved from http://ahdictionary.com/ The words in the Results List generally appear in alphabetical order. If you searched for a word that has entries in several different sections of the dictionary (e.g., Abbreviations, Biographical Names), the words from the main A-Z vocabulary section are listed first, followed by those from the Abbreviations, Foreign Words and Phrases, Biographical Names, and Geographical Names sections. All cross-references that appear in SMALL CAPITALS are linked to the appropriate entry. Simply click on the linked text (which appears in most browsers underlined and usually in a different color) to access the entry for a linked word. To begin a new search, simply click on the NEW SEARCH button on the Results Screen. If the word you search for is misspelled or is not entered in the dictionary or thesaurus, you will see a screen with the message, "No entries found." If this occurs, try a wildcard search. Type the letters you know in the word and use the asterisk (*) to represent the letters you aren't sure of. The Results List will show you all the words that match the pattern you type. Many of the entries in the School Dictionary include illustrations or tables. To access an entry's illustration or table, click on the linked text that appears at the end of an entry. The linked text provides information about the size and format of the illustration or table. Grades: K-12. Subject(s): ALL Overall rating: 8.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/ "For more than 150 years, in print and now online, Merriam-Webster has been America's leading and mosttrusted provider of language information. Each month, our Web sites offer guidance to more than 40 million visitors. In print, our publications include Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (among the best-selling books in American history) and newly published dictionaries for English-language learners." The database contains 225,000 entries, including more than 10,000 new words and definitions. I liked the sound function where the user can hear the audio-pronunciation. The Spanish Central tab will translate words, phrases, and sentences from English into Spanish at the click of a button. ESOL teachers and Spanish language teachers can promote this function. When users browse an article in the encyclopedia, they can double-click any word to see the dictionary definition in a slide-out window. Dictionary is a sidebar tab for all articles in this online encyclopedia. Thesaurus, Medical, and general Encyclopedia tabs are on the main tabs as well. The Word of the Day promotes literacy and it can be e-mailed daily if you choose. There are spelling and vocabulary quizzes to further literacy in action. From what I can tell, this site is free to all users. It can be linked (for educational use) to one's non-profit website- see details online. Grades: 6th and up. Subject(s): All Overall rating: 9.

Dorling Kindersley Limited (1998). DK Illustrated Oxford Dictionary. DK Publishing, Inc: New York. My earliest memories of dictionary use was in elementary school, so I purposely started my reference log research in Smyrna Public Library's children's section. The reference section was a bit outdated, however, the DK Illustrated Oxford Dictionary was the largest (I believe unabridged) and therefore most appealing for me to study. After the acknowledgements, pages 8-14 have a How to Use the Dictionary section with a numerous amount of information. Beginning with the discussion of guide words and marginal markers, the publishers describe the placement and the meaning for each element of the layout. Keys to symbols, syllabification, pictures with labels, alphabetical order, variant spellings, different forms, and parts of speech are noted and discussed. Finally, usage notes, cross references, pronunciation, abbreviations, and labels (subject, geographical, register- formal, slang, or disputed, style, currency, and status) are described. After the A-Z entries, the back section has a variety of useful collections including political and physical maps of the U.S.A. and Canada and World. The countries of the world are listed (although this would be outdated) along with their flags and brief facts from each in alphabetical order. The last nine sections include: The Night Sky, Measurements, Numbers and Symbols, Time, Misc. Info. (Presidents, U.S. states/capitals, books of the Bible, etc.), The Living World, The Animal Kingdom, Geological Time Periods, and Grammar and Style. Grades: 3rd and up. Subject(s): All Overall rating: 9.