The Library's Science, Technology and Business Division recently issued several new publications. These include three additions to the Tracer Bullet series of subject bibliographies ("Navigation," "Introductory Physics" and "Green Roofs"), two quarterly business and economics research reports and two business reference guides.
Tracer Bullet on Navigation
From the simplest techniques to the most complex, the range of technological sophistication used in human navigation is very broad. This bibliography, prepared by Margaret Clifton, presents works on all types of navigation, past and present, and includes works that cover basic principles. It does not include discussions of specific geographic locations, particular bodies of water or other planets, except for a few case studies that illustrate broader concepts. Because navigation also includes location-finding behavior used by many other animals, some works on this related topic are cited.
Tracer Bullet on Introductory Physics
Albert Einstein - Fred Stein
This bibliography, prepared by Richard Halada, is intended as a basic list of resources for those wanting to know something about the science, methods, people and discoveries of physics. Physics might be defined as the study of patterns in nature—patterns described by mathematically expressed models, which are then tested by rigorous experiment. It is a field that describes the interactions of matter and energy in all its forms and includes both the mundane and the esoteric, on scales ranging from the subatomic to the galactic.
Physics' principles are the result of a collaboration that has taken place worldwide across the centuries. The science's many dedicated contributors have ranged from the philosophers of ancient Greece to legendary geniuses such as Galileo and Newton to giants of the 20th century such as Einstein (left) and Feynman, and will include the scientists—and students—of today and tomorrow.
Tracer Bullet on Green Roofs
Prepared by Alison P. Kelley, this bibliography highlights selected works and resources about green (vegetated) roofs. Widely implemented in Germany, Switzerland and other European countries, as well as in Canada, green roofs are becoming increasingly used in the United States. Green roofs can help to counteract the effect of impervious surfaces such as sidewalks, roads, rooftops, parking lots and runways. These surfaces are usually constructed of impenetrable materials such as asphalt, concrete and stone, which repel water and prevent precipitation from seeping into soil. Because approximately 40 percent of the impervious surface area in our cities is located on rooftops, vegetated rooftops can have an important beneficial impact on the urban environment by reducing and controlling storm water runoff. Green roofs act as filters for both air and water. They can also play an important role in reducing energy consumption for both heating and cooling, and in reducing the effects of urban heat islands. In addition, green roofs can contribute public green spaces to cities.
Tracer Bullets are available free of charge and can be obtained on request from the Science, Technology and Business Division, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540-4750. They also may be accessed on the division's Web site at www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/tracer-bullets/tbs.html.
BERA: Business & Economics Research Advisor
The division's Business Reference Services issues this quarterly online publication for subjects related to business and economics intended to serve a wide research audience, as well as to provide useful, high-quality information and research assistance to the interested public. The following double issues are now available at www.loc.gov/rr/business/BERA/.
Issue 3/4, The Sports Industry. Sports is big business, not only in the United States but around the world. Millions of dollars are spent at sporting events and on sports-related equipment and apparel. This guide is devoted to those sports that are the largest in terms of revenue at the professional level and that attract the greatest attention from the general population. The primary focus is on the sports industry in the United States, although there are a few instances in which the international aspects of the industry are mentioned. The focus is on professional sports; the Olympics and other amateur events are not included. Each section of the guide contains links to print and online resources along with hot links to relevant subject searches in the Library of Congress online catalog.
Issue 5/6, The Oil & Gas Industry. Oil and gas are considered among the world's most important resources. The oil and gas industry plays a critical role in driving the global economy. Petroleum itself is used for numerous products, in addition to serving as the world's primary fuel source. The processes and systems involved in producing and distributing oil and gas are highly complex, capital-intensive and require state-of-the-art technology. This issue guide provides a comprehensive overview and guide to resources on this vast and important industry.
Business Reference Guides to Money
This 1950s photo shows a woman with stacks of $1 silver certificates at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Money is the subject of a new Business Reference Guide from the Library. - Fred Stein
Ellen Terrell of Business Reference Services has prepared the following new online guides on money:
United States Money: A Guide to Information Sources. This guide covers selected resources on the history of money in the United States from colonial times to the present. Although the focus is on the United States, a few selected resources have been included that also briefly cover the early history of money elsewhere in the world. The guide includes print and online resources along with hot links to relevant subject searches in the Library of Congress online catalog. The guide is available at www.loc.gov/rr/business/money/money
_index.html.
The History of Money. This companion guide to "United States Money" describes selected general sources on the history of money. It includes print and online resources along with links to relevant subject searches in the Library of Congress online catalog. The guide is not limited to any particular currency or country. While the guide includes some mention of issues such as exchange rates and more technical and theoretical issues such as the gold standard or the collection of money, these topics are not the focus of the guide and are not covered in depth. The guide is available at www.loc.gov/rr/business/money/history/history.html.
