Competency 6c: Databases - Building Block Search: Library Lit

According to Chu (2003), the building block search is "highly recommended to users." It allows the user to modify searches without completely re-doing them until the desired results are accomplished.

Using Library Lit database, I constructed a building block search for the question, "What effects have the U.S. Patriot Act had on libraries?" I identified my component facets as "usa patriot act," "libraries," and "effect." I then combined my terms with Boolean logic to come up with my keyword search strings as follows:
S1 = (usa and patriot and act) or uspa
S2 = librar*
S3 = effect* or impact*
S1 and S2 and S3 (14 hits)

Selected Hit:

I was very pleased when my initial query produced fourteen articles, most of which seemed to be very relevant, on my chosen topic. Since I want to include more current information, I might consider limiting my search by including a date limiter to produce more current articles. Having learned this search strategy, I would prefer it to other strategies such as browsing because of the organized specificity of combining identified facets without being too restrictive.

Chu, Heting. Information Representation and Retrieval in the Digital Age. Medford, N.J.: Information Today, Inc, 2003.