Pathfinder – Alzheimer’s disease

Autumn Field, LS 5263.21

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--Pathfinder--
Alzheimer’s disease: Causes, symptoms, treatment options
Alzheimer’s disease: a type of dementia that is causes problems with memory, thinking and
behavior.

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that slows changes the way an individual uses
their memory, their way of thinking, and their behavior when interacting with family and others
outside the family. This type of disease begins when an individual may struggle to remember
newly learned information because of how the disease affects the individual’s way of learning.
Since Alzheimer’s disease is a slow progressing disease, many patients find it difficult to
recognize the disease and the symptoms related to the disease. When the disease becomes more
aggressive in the patient, the patient begins to lose their orientation, have mood and behavior
changes, a deeper sense of confusion about others around them or the time and place, and having
difficulties with speaking and walking.

This pathfinder is a tool designed to assist individuals who may have a family member or
family friend who is beginning to demonstrate the signs of Alzheimer’s disease. By preparing
this pathfinder tool, these individuals will be provided with resources on the early signs of
Alzheimer’s disease, the beginning symptoms and stages of Alzheimer’s disease, the medical
research behind the disease, and how the individual can support the individual who is showing
signs of the disease. The pathfinder tool is also designed to assist researchers in exploring the
early research behind the memory loss disease, studies about the disease, and how research is
progressing in finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Sources available in the Texas Woman’s
University Library, Denton, Texas, are listed and annotated for reference.

This pathfinder includes applicable sources available in the TWU library. Listed works
are representative of sources available and have been selected primarily for their scope of
researching information on the disease’s early research, medical studies, and modern medical
research that is occurring on finding a cure for the Alzheimer’s disease. The sources focus on the
research behind Alzheimer’s disease and are based on the thoroughness of the information being
provided on the disease.
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Quick Reference/General Overview

Ref Kelly, E. B. (2013). Encyclopedia of human genetics and disease. Santa Barbara,
TWU CA: Greenwood.
eBook
This encyclopedia provides information on human genetics and diseases that are
caused by the genetic makeup of our bodies. The book gives historical information
on genes, the characteristics of our genetic design, the causes of genetic diseases,
and the treatment that is available to patients who are diagnosed with a genetic
disease. The encyclopedia provides readers with information on Alzheimer’s
disease (pg. 72-78), the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, the treatment available, and
research that is being conducted to help cure the genetic disease.

Ref Youngson, R. M. (2002). The Royal Society of Medicine health encyclopedia: The
TWU complete medical reference library in one A-Z volume. London: Bloomsbury.
eBook
A source useful for all types of researchers and patients to use when diagnosing
illnesses and diseases that may arise. This encyclopedia provides readers with a
wide range of information on health and diseases and guides readers and patients to
know when to see a general practitioner. The encyclopedia gives readers
information on Alzheimer’s disease, with basic information, symptoms of the
disease, current treatment and how to live with the disease.

Subject Headings
The following TWU Library subject headings are suggested for use when searching the public
catalog (IRIS) for additional sources:

Alzheimer disease Dementia Senile, Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease Health Dementia patients/genetics
Caregivers Health Attitudes
Health Behavior Health Expectancy
Older People Self-care, health

Call Numbers

The following call numbers are presented by the Library of Congress and the Dewey Decimal
system. Researchers conducting research on Alzheimer’s disease may want to browse the shelves
in these areas to help locate sources available on this topic of study.

Subjects LC Call #’s Dewey Call #’s

Alzheimer’s disease KF3803.A56 362.1968311

Dementia RC521-524 362.196831
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Dementia patients/genetics BF432.D45 616.831042

Caregiver R727.47 610.696
Senile dementia RC524 616.83

Examples:
Shankle, W. R., & Amen, D. G. (2004). Preventing Alzheimers: Ways to help prevent, delay,
detect and even halt Alzheimers disease and other forms of memory loss. New York:
Putnam. (RC523 .S525)

Wright, L. K. (1993). Alzheimers disease and marriage: An intimate account. Newbury Park:
Sage Publications. (RC523.W75)

Bibliographies

The following sources provide a list of citations for a wide variety of articles and other types of
sources. The articles and other sources discuss different parts of Alzheimer’s disease and the
research that is occurring to find a cure.

Ref BioSciences Information Service of Biological Abstracts. (1986). International

Z bibliography of Alzheimers disease and senile dementias, 1976-1985.
6665 Philadelphia, PA: BioSciences Information Service.
.7A45
This source provides a wide range of articles, with a few articles published in
different languages. The articles listed in the bibliography are divided into
different topics and provide readers with detailed information about each article
listed in the resource.

Ref Parker, P. M., & Parker, J. N. (2003). Alzheimer's disease a medical dictionary,
EBSCOhost bibliography, and annotated research guide to Internet references. San
eBook Diego, CA: Icon Group International.

This source is a collection of academic and research materials collected to

provide researchers will information on the topic of Alzheimer’s disease.
Different agencies have also provided information pertaining to the disease. The
type of institutions that gave information about Alzheimer’s disease are
academic institutions, US Department of Health and Human Services and the
National Library of Medicine.

Ref Parker, P. M., & Parker, J. N. (2003). The official patient's sourcebook on
EBSCOhost Alzheimer's disease. San Diego, CA: ICON Health Publications.
eBook
This type of source is designed for patients suffering with Alzheimer’s disease
because it provides articles and information on the disease academic,
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government, and peer reviewed research. The eBook is useful for readers
because it provides external links to internet websites and organizations that
have detailed information on Alzheimer’s disease.

Dictionaries

Ref Stedman, T. L. (2012). Stedmans medical dictionary for the health professions
R and nursing (7th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
121
.S8 This dictionary will be useful to individuals in the health care profession due to
the medical terminology and entries related to the medical field. The dictionary
provides over fifty thousand entries related to medical information and includes
photographs and a wide variety of appendices. By using this dictionary,
individuals in the medical field can learn about different diseases, illnesses, and
other issues occurring within the human body.

Ref Mosby, Inc. (2013). Mosbys dictionary of medicine, nursing & health
R professions (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Mosby.
121
.M89 This source may be of use to medical students and medical professionals. The
dictionary gives readers in depth information on medical terminology, the
different systems within our body (i.e. nervous system, circulatory system),
wide variety of appendices on the medical field, online resources focusing on
medicine and the health profession and illustrations relating to human body.

Ref Dorland, W. A. (2012). Dorland's illustrated medical dictionary (32nd ed.).

R Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders.
121
.D73 This dictionary is designed for medical students and profession as a reference
guide to medical terminology, medical information with illustrations,
definitions of the medical terms along with information on how to pronounce
the vocabulary terms. There is information on Alzheimer’s disease and the
relation to dementia and memory loss.

Encyclopedias

The following titles include general information and subject-oriented encyclopedias related to
topic of Alzheimer’s disease. When using the general information encyclopedias, it provides a
general overview of the topic of Alzheimer’s disease, with basic information on symptoms,
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treatments, and living with the disease. The subject-oriented encyclopedias are focusing on more
in-depth information of the Alzheimer’s disease.

General Reference Encyclopedias

Ref The Encyclopedia Americana (International ed.). (1982). Danbury, CT:

AE Danbury, Conn.: Grolier.
5
.E333 This encyclopedia provides information on a wide variety of subjects for
1982 beginning researchers and is useful when conducting research because of the
overview of the concepts. There is information on the topic of Alzheimer’s
disease and gives researchers background information on the disease, early
signs of the disease and how it begins as dementia and progresses into
Alzheimer’s disease.
Ref Harris, W. H., & Levey, J. S. (1975). The New Columbia encyclopedia (4th
AG ed.). New York, NY: Columbia Univ. Press.
5
.C725 This edition of the encyclopedia has over fifty thousand entries available to
1974 researchers, along with over forty thousand bibliographical references. There
is information on Alzheimer’s disease with information about the beginning
stages of Alzheimer’s disease, how individuals receive treatments and how the
disease affects the brain over time, resulting in memory loss.
Ref Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. (1998). The new encyclopedia Britannica (15th
AE ed.). Chicago, IL: Encyclopedia Britannica.
5
.E363 This encyclopedia has information on a wide variety of topics. The
1998 encyclopedia provides information on Alzheimer’s disease by organizing the
information by stages of the disease and the progression, neuropathology,
treatment of the disease, early detection, and living with the disease and
prevention. Users are also provided with medical vocabulary that is
hyperlinked to a definition and explanation.

Subject Encyclopedias

Ref Turkington, C. (2003). The encyclopedia of Alzheimers disease. New York: Facts on File.
RC This title is helpful to families and individuals who are living with the incurable disease.
523 The encyclopedia gives information on the physical, emotional, and intellectual effects
.T87 Alzheimer’s has on individuals and their families. It goes into detail on the current studies
and research that is being performed to find a cure for the genetic disease. The book lists
different organizations and resources that are available to patients that will support
sufferers during this difficult time.
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Ref Moore, E. A. (2013). Encyclopedia of Alzheimer's disease: With directories of research,

TWU treatment, and care facilities (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: McFarland & Company.
eBook
This encyclopedia gives readers updated research information on the current studies being
conducted on Alzheimer’s disease, resources needed for locating information on the
disease, information on research institutions, and a listing of treatments and facilities
available to patients who are suffering with the disease. The encyclopedia also provides
information on alternative medicine practices that are available to patients, information on
techniques being used in other countries and how people are working together around the
globe to find a cure for the disease.

Indexes and Abstracts

The TWU Catalog has a wide range of indexes and abstracts (ranging from different subject
guides to periodicals) that are available to researchers, students, and facility. When searching
the indexes in the catalog, the index organizes articles from different journals through
citations. By having different journal articles organized in an index, researchers are able to
locate information on a particular subject. While conducting research at the library,
researchers may use the reference desk to help perform the index searches.

Reference librarians are able to provide information on locating articles and journals that are
not available in the TWU Library Catalog by performing an Interlibrary Loan.

Print Indexes

Ref Sullivan, R. J. (1979). Medical record and index systems for community practice
R (Rural health center series). Cambridge, MA: Ballinger Pub.
864
.S93

A&J Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Glendale, CA:
CINAHL Information Systems, 1956-.

A&J Burns, A., Luthert, P., Levy, R., Jacoby, R., & Lantos, P. (1990). Accuracy Of
Clinical Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease. BMJ: British Medical Journal,
301(6759), 1026-1026. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org.ezp.twu.edu/stable/29709415

A&J Edwardson, J., & Morris, C. (1998). The Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease: The
Number of Genetic Risk Factors Associated with This Disorder Is
Increasing Steadily. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 317(7155), 361-362.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezp.twu.edu/stable/25180033
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A&J Deary, I., & Whalley, L. (1988). Recent Research On The Causes Of Alzheimer's
Disease: What Causes Neuronal Death, And Why The Specific Patterns?
BMJ: British Medical Journal, 297(6652), 807-810. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org.ezp.twu.edu/stable/29700974

Print Abstracts

A&I Schäfer, A., Weickenmeier, J., & Kuhl, E. (2019). The interplay of biochemical and
biomechanical degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease. Computer Methods in Applied
Mechanics and Engineering, 352, 369-388.

A&I Reader’s guide to Periodical Literature. NY: H.W. Wilson, 1900- . (Library
holdings: 1900- )

A&I Philosopher’s Index. Bowling Green, OH: Philosophy Documentation Center,

Bowling Green University, 1967- . (Library holdings: 1967 /68- )

A&J Borenstein, A. R., & Mortimer, J. A. (2016). Neuropathology of Alzheimer’s

Disease. In Alzheimer's Disease: Life Course Perspectives on Risk Reduction (pp.
31-47). doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-804538-1.00004-3

Online (Dialog) Databases

Science Direct (1997-) Contains over 1,500 scientific and medical journals with around 11,000
books available.

Medline. (1966- ) Contains 6.2 million records focusing on biological and technical aspects of
medicine and bioscience.

Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL). (1983- ) Contains 130,000 records from the allied
health fields.

TRC Natural Medicines. Contains resourceful information on dietary supplements, natural

medicines, and complementary/alternative therapies.

Sports Medicine and Education Index (2001-). Contains over 400,000 records indexed from
journals, report literature, conferences, magazines, and articles from other publications.

Journals/Periodicals
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The following journals provide information on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, the progression of
Alzheimer’s disease, and the medical treatment that is available to patients. There are other
journals in the TWU Library Catalog that can provide more generalized information on
Alzheimer’s disease.

Per Journal of Clinical Medicine. Basel, Switzerland: 1996-. (Library

holdings:2012-)

Containing scholarly articles from over 200 hundred open accessed journals.
The journal will be useful for advanced or medical researchers who are
studying and practicing to find treatments and services for patients with medical
needs. Articles focus on topics in the medical field and medicine areas. Most of
the articles provide advanced terminology for researchers.

Park, Park, Na, Hiroyuki, Kim, Jung, . . . Park. (2019). Combined Intervention
of Physical Activity, Aerobic Exercise, and Cognitive Exercise
Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline for Patients with Mild
Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Clinical
Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(7), 940.
doi:10.3390/jcm8070940

Per The BMJ. London, United Kingdom: 1840-. (Library holdings: 1991-2004).

This journal contains scholarly articles about different medical research

evidence. The source is designed for researchers and students who are seeking
in depth research on medical topics. The research that is presented in the
scholarly articles is international research to increase the global connection.

Savolainen-Peltonen, H., Rahkola-Soisalo, P., Hoti, F., Vattulainen, P., Gissler,

M., Ylikorkala, O., & Mikkola, T. S. (2019). Use of postmenopausal
hormone therapy and risk of Alzheimer’s disease in Finland:
Nationwide case-control study. Bmj, L665. doi:10.1136/bmj.l665

Per Social Science & Medicine. Edinburgh, United Kingdom: 1967-. (Library
holdings: 1995-).

This journal contains international scholarly articles with the focus on social
science and the research on health. Many of the articles inform researchers on
current research that is being conducted and the practiced in different medical
areas. The language of the articles is written in a medical format. Many of the
articles published in the journal are peer-reviewed articles.
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Chaufan, C., Hollister, B., Nazareno, J., & Fox, P. (2012). Medical ideology as
a double-edged sword: The politics of cure and care in the making of
Alzheimer’s disease. Social Science & Medicine, 74(5), 788-795.
doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.10.033

Biographical Sources

Ref American National Biography. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1999. (24
CT vol.)
213
.A68 This twenty-four-volume title contains around 19,000 entries, ranging from
biographies of significant and influential individuals from American history. The
entries were written by prominent scholarly authors. The volumes also included a
wide range of illustrations to help the reader understand the concepts and ideas
found within the biography. The biography can be used by all level of researching.
eBook Dictionary of World Biography. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian
National University Press, 2015.

This second edition title contains over eight thousand entries, ranging from pop
cultural references to politics. Some of the information was obtained through
interviews with the individual who has the biographical entry. Information about
Alois Alzheimer is found on page 18, providing the reading with background
information on the individual who discovered the Alzheimer disease.

Directories, Handbooks, Almanacs/Annuals

Directories

Ref Encyclopedia of Associations: National Organizations of the United States.

AS Detroit: Gale Research, Inc., 1991. (2 vol.)
22
.E51 This source provides information for researchers who are searching for
1991 organizations on a national level. The directory is organized by the
organizations title and the organization’s address and contact information.
There was a wide variety of Alzheimer’s disease organizations that focused
solely on providing researchers and patients with more information. Some of
the organizations dedicating their time to the disease are as follows:
Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, Alzheimer’s
Impact Movement, and Betty’s Foundation for the Elimination of Alzheimer’s
disease.
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Ref The Foundation Directory: New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 1960 (3
AS vol.)
911
.A2 This source includes information for different organizations across America.
F65 There are over six hundred organizations listed in the directory. The directory
focuses on philanthropy and connecting nonprofits to individuals and other
organizations. It also gives the readers information on the nation’s top founders
and the assets made during their life time.

Handbooks

Ref Physicians’ Desk Reference: Thomson PDR, 2017. (61st edition)

OTC
717 This source provides researchers with information on different medicines being
used in the medical field. The handbook was originally written to be used by
physicians and giving medication information for prescribing to patients. The
source is also used by pharmacies, clinics and libraries. When patients are
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, physicians may prescribe patients the
prescription, “memantine hydrochloride”, which helps reduce the dementia
associated with the Alzheimer’s disease.

Ref The Merck Manual of Geriatrics: Whitehouse Station, N.J.: Merck Research
RC Laboratories, 2000. (3rd edition)
952.55
.M47 This source provides information focuses on geriatric patients and medical care
2000 associated with this group. The handbook begins with explaining the physical
changes associated with geriatrics, the quality of life in geriatrics patients, and
drug therapy in older adults. This is important because the treatment provided
to geriatric patients is very different from other patients.

Almanac/Annual

Ref Medical and Health Annual. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1977- .
R (Library holdings: 1979- )
5
.M38
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This source is useful for individuals in the medical profession because it

continues to provide updated information on events occurring in the medical
field. The language in the manual is written on a beginning level for
researching purposes.

Ref Standard Medical Almanac. Chicago: Marquis Academic Media, 1979-.

RA
407.3 A source written for the medical profession, providing medical information on
.S73 the medical care practices and facilities available in the United States. The
1979 almanac also gives insight into the medical statistics on research that is
occurring in different medical areas.

Geographical Sources

Not Applicable.

Government Publications

Ref United States. President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in
R Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. (1983). Summing up :
724 Final report on studies of the ethical and legal problems in medicine and
.U55 biomedical and behavioral research. WA: The Commission.

This source provides detailed information on different areas in the medical

field. There is information that focuses on death, informed consent, genetic
screening and counseling, the different forms of healthcare available, life-
sustaining treatments, along with biomedical research. Each section of the
book also provides information on the Commission’s study and the report of
the study. The source takes the research behind all these medical areas and
explains the ethical problems in the medicine and how the government is
involved in the process solving the problems. The chapter “Studies on
Biomedical and Behavioral Research” (pg.39-63) is useful because it explains
the issues around genetic testing and how many groups find it unnatural to
conduct genetic testing.

Ref United States. President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in
R Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. (1983). Securing access to
724 health care: A report on the ethical implications of differences in the
.U54 availability of health services. Washington: The Commission.

This source focuses on the different health services available to the public and
the ethical implications that goes along with obtaining health care services.
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The source explains the information provided explains the problems

individuals have when trying to obtain health care and difficulty in getting
access to necessary medicines. The chapter “An Ethical
Framework for Access to Health Care” (pg. 11-46) gives the researcher
information on understanding the difference between equality and equity when
it comes to healthcare and the role the government should take on making sure
each individual has access to healthcare.

Audio-Visuals

Media Alzheimer’s Disease the Patient’s Perspective. [Videorecording] Baltimore,

DVD MD: Video Press, UMB School of Medicine, 2005.
216
This 20-minute videorecording presents the patient’s perspective of living with
Alzheimer’s disease. It gives in depth interview footage of the patient, Shana,
and how she reacted to the diagnosis of onset stages of Alzheimer’s disease,
how she is taking the new diagnosis day by day, and how her husband has
been dealing with the change in his wife’s memory. The videorecording does
provide interviews with Shana’s medical team and how they are treating and
supporting the patient.
Media The Alzheimer's mystery. [Videorecording] Princeton, NJ: Films for the
DVD Humanities and Science, 2003.
2014
This 48-minute videorecording provides an insight look at the lives of
celebrities who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and how this media
spotlight on these celebrities has brought new attention to the disease that
affects a patient’s memory. The video also provides information on Alois
Alzheimer, who first described the disease. There is information about the
medical field and the research taking place to help find a cure to Alzheimer’s
disease.

Machine Readable Data Bases

For more information on the TWU Library’s machine-readable databases, please reference the
“Online Databases” titles listed in the “Abstracts and Indexes” section of the pathfinder.

Conference Proceedings

Electronic Alzheimer's Disease. (1998). Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 59.

Resource
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This source provides information on Alzheimer’s disease by explaining what

the disease is, the first signs and symptoms of a patient developing Alzheimer’s
disease, and individuals who are most likely to develop the disease. Within the
article, there is information on the neuroimaging technology that is being used
to diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and the other strategies used in the
diagnosis process.

Electronic Hasegawa, K. (1998). How to cope with Alzheimer's disease? Neurobiology of

Resource Aging, 19, S107-S108.

This source focuses on the action that is taking place to help development
treatments and information on the causes of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
in patients. Researchers in this source give information on the development of
treatment that is being developed, and the health care facilities available to take
care of patients suffering with AD.

State-of-the-Art Reviews, Agencies

Agencies

The following agencies from the Directory: of Associations provides sources with
information on Alzheimer’s disease. The information found within the sources are
written for either a beginner or advanced researcher.

BrightFocus Foundation. (22512 Gateway Center Dr., Clarksburg, MD 20871. Phone

#: 800-437-2423) Founded in 1973, this association facilitates research focusing on the
causes of Alzheimer’s disease, the treatment and cures for the disease, and supporting
patients through training on positive behavioral patterns when in public. Their research
focuses mainly on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
Publications include Journal and newsletters.
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. (322 8th Ave., 7th Fl., New York, NY 10001.
Phone #: (646)638-1542). Founded in 2002, this association provides patients and their
families with support, services and education about Alzheimer’s disease, and also
focuses on funding research nationwide to help find a cure for the disease. This
association also provides patients and families with a helpline, where the association
provides support and assistance to the caller. Publications includes a newsletter and
magazine.

Music & Memory Inc. (160 1st St., Mineola, NY 11501. Email:
carequestions@musicandmemory.org) Founded in 2010, this association works towards
improving the lives of patients living with Alzheimer’s disease by personalizing
therapeutic music for these patients. Publications include newsletters and guides.
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Evaluation

The making of the pathfinder has been an eye-opening experiencing into the day to day
operations of a reference librarian. It was a way for new librarians to truly experience what goes
into making a pathfinder for a library patron or patrons who will be using this resource to
research their topic of study. The pathfinder project allowed me to located a wide variety of
sources on “Alzheimer’s disease”. My comfortability level of using an online academic library
catalog has become high and this has helped me become very familiar with navigating the
catalog.

When beginning the pathfinder project, locating the sources on the TWU Library Catalog
was very difficult and confusing. I had previously used the TWU Library Catalog for database
articles searching but the main page of the catalog had been undiscovered during my courses.
The first step in locating sources on the TWU Library Catalog was understanding how to use
keywords in the search box. Many times, there were too many words in the search box, which
causes the computer to have difficulty finding the correct source needed. Starting with simple
key words, like Alzheimer’s disease or Alzheimers, helped in getting basic sources. When
completing the different areas of the pathfinder, there were sections that had a wide variety of
sources available to use in research. Some of the areas with large numbers of sources included
databases and encyclopedias. There were quite a few sections that were difficult to locate sources
on in the TWU Library Catalog. When searching for Indexes and Abstracts, it took quite a bit of
time learning how to input the correct verbiage to get any accurate results in the catalog. Most of
the sources available were electronic sources and not available in the physical library. One area
that was difficult locating sources was the geographical sources. This area was mainly focused
on geographical maps and guides that did not focus on the medical profession and research.

When working on the call numbers for Alzheimer’s disease, it was slow at first learning
how to find exactly what sections there were sources available on the topic and locating similar
topics that also played a part in the disease (i.e. dementia, memory loss) to record those call
numbers as well. The more call numbers available to the researcher using this pathfinder, the
better chance of them locating useful sources to aid in their informational search. This area also
was difficult because I was not familiar with the Library of Congress Classification system and
understanding the abbreviations at the beginning of the source call number was a slow process in
identifying where the books were located.

When beginning this project, it was overwhelming because there were so many areas of
focus in the project and locating sources on a catalog that was unfamiliar intimated me. If I was
to do this type of project again, I would take the time to consult with a reference librarian at the
TWU Library and explain the type of project and the area of focus. Many of the sources in the
TWU Library Catalog did not have descriptions of the sources or explain any insight as to what
the source had inside. This caused many challenges along the way because I was using the online
catalog instead of being in the physical library setting. By visiting the physical library, I would
have been able to glance inside the books and read intro ductions of the sources. Another area
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that I would have got more information on was identifying the different call numbers on the
references. When writing the call numbers for audio-visuals, the sources were labeled on the
TWU Library Catalog as DVD, but knowing the library classification for this type of source
would have helped in entering it in the pathfinder. Lastly, organizing my time more efficiently
would have helped in locating more on target sources for the pathfinder. All of the sources in the
pathfinder focus on the topic of Alzheimer’s disease but having the time to contact a reference
librarian and communicated on developing this pathfinder would have been beneficial to the
pathfinder project.