Pathfinders, Subject Guides, & Thematic Resources

As long as there have been classrooms and libraries, people have been pulling resources together to produce effective research and learning environments. Once organized, librarians often created lists to distribute to children, parents, and teachers.

With the introduction of electronic materials, many more resources are now available both inside and outside the walls of the library. Librarians are still helping patrons by organized materials.

Let's say young people are reading novels related to weather. One group might be reading Blizzard by Jim Murphy, Blizzard's Wake by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, or Blizzard Disaster by Peg Kehret. Another group might be reading books about tornadoes, drought, floods, fires, or hurricanes. You might want to create a set of web resources related to weather such as Scholastic Weather Watch, NOAA Weather, and 42explore: Weather.

Some of these resources are listed in subject guides and thematic resource lists. Other guides also contain information and assistance that go beyond simply listing materials. Sometimes called pathfinders, these subject guides help direct users to resources for answering questions and helping with research on specific topics.

Read each of the following sections to learn about pathfinders, subject guides, and thematic resources:

• Pathfinders Defined
  • Pathfinder Options
  • Collaboration
  • Beyond Pathfinders
• Designing Pathfinders for Children and Young Adults
  • Pathfinder Design
  • Resource Selection
  • Pathfinder Elements
  • Pathfinder Activity
• Pathfinder Links
  • Pathfinder Creation Resources
  • Pathfinder Collections
    • Public Libraries
    • Elementary Level
    • Middle School Level
    • High School Level
    • K-12 School Levels
• Web Subject Guides and Thematic Resources for Children and Young Adults

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