A Four-Part Reference Question by Another Library Patron

A library patron asks a four-part question during a reference interview:

• My son is interested in starting a coin collection. Can you tell me the name of that hobby?
• He is very much interested in the history of the U.S. Mint. Do you have a brief reading about its history?
• I, personally, am interested in knowing if there were ever any $5,000 bills printed. If so, how many are in circulation as of 2006 and who appears on it?
• While, I want to get my wife some books on Irish and/or French cooking. Do you know of any titles that are in print?

Q: My son is interested in starting a coin collection. Can you tell me the name of that hobby?

Let's use a specialized glossary.

Specifically, we'll use "Coin Collecting Words and their Meanings: A Glossary of Coin Collecting Acronyms Words and Definitions," a page on the Lynn Coins and Sports Card Shop Website: http://lynncoins.com/dictionary_of_coin_collecting_terms.htm

By using "CTRL-F", I'll search for the string of letters "collect" to see if we find the answer in this document.

Sure enough, after a few moments I find the answer:

numismatist
- a coin collector. Often used to indicate someone who is a serious coin hobbiest or one who studies an area of coin collecting.
numistmatics
- the hobby of coin collecting.

Q: He is very much interested in the history of the U.S. Mint. Do you have a brief reading about its history?

The U.S. Mint has an official website: http://www.usmint.gov. Let's use that to find some basic historical information.

The results of clicking on this link include further links to:

History of the Mint
Nuggets from the Vault
Coin Image Library
Archives


This should give you enough brief historical information.

Q: I, personally, am interested in knowing if there were ever any $5,000 bills printed. If so, how many are in circulation as of 2006 and who appears on it?

The US Mint deals with coins. According to the US Department of Treasury, we should look at the website for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

We'll see if this pulls up some possible links to help us...

We'll see what it says about the "Five Thousand Blue Seal".

According to the U.S. Bureau of Printing and Engraving's webpage entitled, "For Collectors: Large Denominations”:

Currency notes of denominations above $100 are not available from the Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve System, or the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. On July 14, 1969, the Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve System announced that currency notes in denominations of $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 would be discontinued immediately due to lack of use. Although they were issued until 1969, they were last printed in 1945.

These notes are legal tender and may be found in circulation today; however, most notes still in circulation are probably in the hands of private numismatic dealers and collectors. If you are interested in purchasing these larger denominations, it is suggested that you contact private dealers or collectors who are usually listed in the classified section of the telephone directory under the headings of “Coins” and “Hobbies.”

Therefore, $5,000 bills were printed, and it looks like it is unknown as to how many are currently in circulation, or were in 2006.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Printing and Engraving's webpage entitled,"For Collectors: Large Denominations: Five Thousand Blue Seal," $5000 bills were printed in 1918. The front of the bill featured James Madison, and the back featured Washington Resigning his Commission.

Global Books in Print is a database that should help us with this inquiry.

We'llsearch for the key words “irish cookbook”...

By first doing search for the key words “irish cookbook”, we find that there are 185 results for books in print.

We'll search for they key words “french cookbook” ...

Searching for they key words “french cookbook” provides 969 results for books in print.

Patron Two.
Four Part Question:
Part 1.
Q: My son is interested in starting a coin collection. Can you tell me the name of that hobby?

Source:
Lynn, John. "Coin Collecting Words and their Meanings: A Glossary of Coin Collecting Acronyms Words and Definitions." Lynn Coins and Sports Card Shop Website. 31 Jul 2008 <http://lynncoins.com/dictionary_of_coin_collecting_terms.htm>.

Answer:
The above source provides the following pertinent definitions:

numismatist - a coin collector. Often used to indicate someone who is a serious coin hobbiest or one who studies an area of coin collecting.
numistmatics - the hobby of coin collecting.

Part 2.
Q: He is very much interested in the history of the U.S. Mint. Do you have a brief reading about its history?

Source:
"Historian's Corner." U.S.Mint.gov. United States Mint. 31 Jul 2008 <http://www.usmint.gov/historianscorner/>.

Answer:
The results of clicking on this link include further links to:

History of the Mint
Nuggets from the Vault
Coin Image Library
Archives

This should give you enough brief historical information.

Part 3.
Q: I, personally, am interested in knowing if there were ever any $5,000 bills printed. If so, how many are in circulation as of 2006 and who appears on it?

Sources:
"For Collectors: Large Denominations." U.S. Bureau of Printing and Engraving. United State Government. 1 Aug 2008 <http://www.moneyfactory.gov/section.cfm/5/42/159>.

and

"For Collectors: Large Denominations: Five Thousand Blue Seal." U.S. Bureau of Printing and Engraving. United State Government. 1 Aug 2008 <http://www.moneyfactory.gov/section.cfm/5/42/159>.

Answer:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Printing and Engraving's webpage entitled, "For Collectors: Large Denominations”:

Currency notes of denominations above $100 are not available from the Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve System, or the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. On July 14, 1969, the Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve System announced that currency notes in denominations of $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 would be discontinued immediately due to lack of use. Although they were issued until 1969, they were last printed in 1945.

These notes are legal tender and may be found in circulation today; however, most notes still in circulation are probably in the hands of private numismatic dealers and collectors. If you are interested in purchasing these larger denominations, it is suggested that you contact private dealers or collectors who are usually listed in the classified section of the telephone directory under the headings of “Coins” and “Hobbies.”

Therefore, $5,000 bills were printed, and it looks like it is unknown as to how many are currently in circulation, or were in 2006.

Furthermore, according to the U.S. Bureau of Printing and Engraving's webpage entitled,"For Collectors: Large Denominations: Five Thousand Blue Seal," $5000 bills were printed in 1918. The front of the bill featured James Madison, and the back featured Washington Resigning his Commission.

Part 4.
Q:
While, I want to get my wife some books on Irish and/or French cooking. Do you know of any titles that are in print?

Source:
R.R. Bowker Company. Global Books in Print. New Providence, N.J.: R.R. Bowker, 1998. IUPUI Libraries. 1 Aug. 2008 <http://www.globalbooksinprint.com/GlobalBooksInPrint/>.

Answer:
By first doing search for the key words "œirish cookbook", we find that there are 185 results for books in print. Searching for they key words "french cookbook" provides 969 results for books in print.

NOTE: To view my process for Patron Two's 4-Part Inquiry: Please refer to:
https://www.instructables.com/id/A_Four_Part_reference_question_by_another_library_/