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MORT 3370: Funeral Service Resources
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Course Instructors:
Librarian: Katherine Chew chewx002@umn.edu
Professor: Michael LuBrant mpl@umn.edu
 

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Associations and Organizations
  • American Board of Funeral Service Education
    The American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) serves as the national academic accreditation agency for college and university programs in Funeral Service and Mortuary Science Education. ABFSE is the sole accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation in this field.
  • Cremation Association of North America
    Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America is an International organization of over 1500 members, composed of cemeterians, cremationists, funeral directors, industry suppliers and consultants.
  • FIAT-IFTA: The World Organization of Funeral Operatives
    FIAT-IFTA developed this website to improve communication between funeral professionals worldwide. This website offers information about the association, its members, exhibitions, suppliers and other interesting items.
  • Funeral Ethics Association
    The FEA works to educate funeral service professionals about ethical practices. It serves as a resource center for members by providing a newsletter, articles, books, and continuing education programs on ethical matters in funeral service.
  • Funeral Service Foundation
    -- Funeral service industry’s charitable foundation. Supports scholarships, consumer assistance programs, research, education and the Howard C. Raether Library, a premier research library about funeral service through the ages.
  • International Cemetery and Funeral Association
    The International Cemetery and Funeral Association (ICFA, was founded in 1887 as the American Cemetery Association. The organization was created by cemetery owners and managers whose goal was to improve the appearance and operations of their properties. ICFA is composed of more than 6,000 cemeteries, funeral homes, memorial designers, crematories and related businesses worldwide.
  • International Conference of Funeral Examing Boards
    The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (ICFSEB or "The Conference") is a not-for-profit voluntary association providing examination services, information and regulatory support to funeral service licensing boards and educators, legislators and other regulatory agencies, and the public at large in various states, districts, provinces, jurisdictions and internationally.
  • International Order of the Golden Rule
    The International Order of the Golden Rule is an international, not-for-profit membership organization of independent locally owned, family owned Golden Rule funeral homes.
  • National Funeral Directors Association
    -- Largest funeral service organization in the world. Links to state associations, career information, continuing education, consumer information. Publishes The Director

Bereavement and Grief Counseling
  • The Compassionate Friends
    The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive. The Compassionate Friends is a national nonprofit, self-help support organization that offers friendship, understanding, and hope to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings. There is no religious affiliation and there are no membership dues or fees.
  • HospiceNet: Bereavement
    Hospice Net provides information and support to patients and families facing life-threatening illnesses. Hospice Net is an independent, nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization.
  • Loss, Grief and Bereavement
    Patient summary on loss, grief, and bereavement adapted from the summary written for health professionals by cancer experts.
  • WidowNet
    Established in 1995, it is the first online information and self-help resource for, and by, widows and widowers. Topics covered include grief, bereavement, recovery, and other information helpful to people, of all ages, religious backgrounds and sexual orientations, who have suffered the death of a spouse or life partner.

Consumer Information
  • Consumer Resource Guide
    From the International Cemetery and Funeral Association.

    "Straight answers to real questions about funeral and cemetery arrangements, cremation, grief and other issues related to the end of life."

  • Funeral Consumers Alliance
    A Federation of Nonprofit Consumer Information Societies protecting a consumer’s right to choose a meaningful, dignified, affordable funeral since 1963

Cremation and Embalming
  • Internet Cremation Society
    The Internet Cremation Society was started in 1994 by a funeral director and cremation society owner in New Hampshire. The Internet Cremation Society has grown to become the largest collection of on-line cremation resources available. The site has evolved to become the only cremation web portal on the Internet.

Cultural Considerations & Burial Rituals
  • Museum of Funeral Customs
    he Museum of Funeral Customs collects, preserves and interprets funeral objects that exemplify the development of multicultural mourning customs and funeral practices and their effect on a global society. To accomplish its mission, the Museum presents fixed and traveling exhibitions; offers educational programming for audiences of all ages; maintains a library and archives; conducts tours; facilitates research; publishes related materials; and maintains a website.
  • National Museum of Funeral History
    With over 20,000 square feet of exhibition space the National Museum of Funeral History is the largest educational center on Funeral Heritage in the United States.

Directories

E-Books / E-Journals
  • Champion Expanding Encyclopedia of Mortuary Practices
    -- The Champion Expanding Encyclopedia of Mortuary Practices is published and disseminated by the Champion Company to the embalming/funeral service profession and related professions. Current installments are available on the Web as pdf files.
  • Death to Dust: What Happens to Dead Bodies?
    -- Selected excerpts from the second edtion of Kenneth V. Iserson’s classic Death to Dust. Includes: decomposition, death investigation factiods, funeral industry jargon and more.
  • Management of Dead Bodies After Disasters: A Field Manual for First Responders
    Pan American Health Organization.

    This manual will be useful during the immediate response to a disaster and where forensic response is unavailable. Furthermore, it will be useful for those preparing mass fatality disaster plans. The recommendations are relevant for local, regional and national authorities as well as for non-governmental organizations. The principles outlined in this document are being implemented and promoted by a variety of organizations, including the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

  • Management of Dead Bodies in Disaster Situations
    The Pan American Health Organization invited a broad range of experts to compile this manual, which analyzes the role of the State in coordinating and carrying out the processes of managing dead bodies, which, along with the assistance provided to disaster survivors and the maintenance of basic services, is a fundamental part of disaster response.
  • The Modern Embalmer
    The Champion Company

    An interactive open forum website hosted by James H. Bedino, our [Champion’s] Embalmer/Chemist, with discussion and commentary concerning modern embalming topics, techniques and problems facing modern embalmers.


General Resources
  • Autopsy: Life's Final Chapter
    From the American Medical Association.

    Covers history of autopsy, the autopsy process, disposition of the body and other concerns and questions.

  • Death: and how people go about doing it.
    An interactive ThinkQuest site that explores why people die and how people in various cultures deal with the process and aftermath. Covers the biological process, the psychology, social implications and cultural aspects.
  • Death: The last taboo
    This online exhibition by the Australian Museum looks at what happens to us after we die; how different cultures dispose of, mourn and remember their dead and takes a remarkable journey through how death has been dealt with through the ages.
  • Grief in a Family Context
    Online course created by Kathleen R. Gilbert, Ph.D, Indiana University. Contains extensive list of resource links
  • Seeing the Difference: A Project on Viewing Death and Dying in Interdisciplinary Perspective
    Center for Humanities, University of California, Berkeley

    ""Seeing the Difference" brings together three angles of perception: those of clinicians, humanists, and artists. These conceptual frameworks offer in turn different ways of understanding the dying body: the medical view of the body as literal text for implementing physical and psychological change; the humanist’s view of the body as the site of complex layers of meaning to be explored through a range of interpretive strategies; and the artist’s creation of the body in terms of alternative explanatory systems that may mediate between the physical and the metaphysical, that may confront an "unknowable" or "inexplicable" and give it form."

    Includes video casts and paper pdfs.

  • MEDLINEplus
    MedlinePlus brings together authoritative information from NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.
  • Project Death in America: Transforming the Culture of Dying
    The Project on Death in America (PDIA), an Open Society Institute initiative, ran from 1994 to 2003. PDIA worked to understand and transform the culture and experience of dying and bereavement. Over the course of nine years, PDIA created funding initiatives in professional and public education, the arts, research, clinical care, and public policy. The website contains copies of the various reports created, as well as links to various resources.
  • Sociology of Death & Dying
    -- This meta-index of death & dying resources includes the following topics: cross-cultural issues; death in the arts and humanities; types of death; life after death; obituaries; memorials; religion; politics; euthanasia and physician assisted suicide; animal rights; grief; funeral customs and planning. It is complied and maintained by Michael C. Kearl, Trinity University.

History / Museums
  • Museum of Funeral Customs
    The Museum of Funeral Customs provides the public with a deeper understanding of the history of American funeral and mourning customs, funerary art and practice; fosters an appreciation of history within the funeral profession; and encourages further study on the subject.

    Located in Springfield, IL. Includes virtual museum tour and historical resources

  • National Museum of Funeral History
    With over 20,000 square feet of exhibition space the National Museum of Funeral History is the largest educational center on Funeral Heritage in the United States and perhaps the world.

    Located in Houston, TX.


Regulations and Ethics
  • Funeral Directors' Handbook on Death Registration and Fetal Death Reporting: 2003 Revision
    Handbook contains instructions for funeral directors for completing and filing records of death and fetal death. These instructions pertain to the 2003 revisions of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Death and the U.S. Standard Report of Fetal Death and the 1992 revision of the Model State Vital Statistics Act and Regulations. From the Centers for Disease Control. National Center for Health Statistics.
    • Complying With the Funeral Rule
      -- Aimed at professionals in the funeral service industry, the Federal Trade Commission defines who in the funeral service profession must follow the Funeral Rule, which was created to protect the interests of consumers needing funeral services or goods.

Safety & Standards

Statistics

Sources of statistics on mortality and the funeral industry
  • Atlas of US Mortality
    "...the first to show all leading causes of death by race and sex for small U.S. geographic areas referred to as Health Service Areas (HSA’s). The 18 causes of death included in this atlas account for 83 percent of all deaths in the United States during 1988-92."

    Produced by the National Center for Health Statistics.

  • Cancer Mortality Maps & Graphs
    "...provides interactive maps, graphs (which are accessible to the blind and visually-impaired), text, tables and figures showing geographic patterns and time trends of cancer death rates for the time period 1950-1994 for more than 40 cancers."
  • Cremation Statistics
    National, international, current and historical statistics on cremation from the Cremation Association of North America. Includes charts and graphs
  • Human Mortality Database
    Created to provide detailed mortality and population data to researchers, students, journalists, and policy analysts. Detailed data from 28 countries. Data is free to use, but requires registration.
  • Social Security Death Index
    The SSDI contains more than 80 million records of death benefits beneficiaries. Information in each record includes the following information: first and last name and middle initial of the deceased; dates of birth and death; Social Security number and last residence of the decease.

Media (Television / Movies)
  • The Undertaking

    Frontline program based on the critically acclaimed book by Thomas Lynch The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade.

Information Resources & Article Indexes
  • MEDLINE (OVID)
    Authentication Required
    MEDLINE includes citations from the fields of medicine, public health, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and the basic biomedical sciences.

    The Libraries’ subscription to this resource allows for 40 users at any one time. If you get a busy signal, please wait a few minutes and try accessing the site again.

    MEDLINE is the National Library of Medicine’s bibliographic database/article index that contains over 17 million references to journal articles. Coverage is from 1949 to the present. Over 5200 journals worldwide in over 37 languages are indexed. Covered are basic biomedical research and the clinical sciences, including nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, allied health and pre-clinical sciences as well as life sciences that are important to practitioners and researchers â€" biology, environmental science, biophysics, chemistry and plant & animal science. Ovid, a software company specializing in text retrieval applications and search interfaces, provides an easy to use interface for searching MEDLINE.
    • MEDLINE Tutorials
      Variety of tutorials on how to search MEDLINE from academic institutions.
        • Video Version
          Scroll down to the bottom of the web-page for the link to a video version of the tutorial
      • MEDLINE Search Instructions
        Covers search strategy, exploding/focusing, subheadings, combing, limiting, search fields and displaying results. (Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library)
      • UM-MEDSEARCH Tutorial
        This tutorial provides an introduction to the UM-MEDSEARCH interface starting with instructions on selecting the appropriate database and concluding with instructions on how to end a UM-MEDSEARCH session. To guide you through the search process, all examples will be based on the question: Does aspirin help in the prevention of heart disease? (University Library, University of Michigan)
      • Welcome to the BUMC MEDLINE Plus/OVID Tutorial
        This interactive BUMC MEDLINE Plus/Ovid Tutorial is designed to show you step-by-step the basic components of a MEDLINE database search using the BUMC MEDLINE Plus/Ovid Web Gateway. (Boston University Medical Center Alumni Medical Library)
    • Research QuickStart
      • Death and Dying
        This subject covers: the psychological, sociological and physical aspects of death and the dying process
      • Forensic Medicine
        This subject covers: the application of medical knowledge to questions of law.
      • Mortuary Science
        This subject covers: the activities associated with the physical burial of the dead.
    • Health Web - Mortuary Science

      -- HealthWeb is a collaborative project of the health sciences libraries of the Greater Midwest Region (GMR) of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) and those of the Committee for Institutional Cooperation.
    • Morgue, The

      -- Author/subject index to 11 English language journals within the field of Mortuary Science. Covers years 1997-present (not all journals all years).
    • Indexes: Social Sciences

      (U of M Internet ID and password may be required).

      This link provides access to 80+ social sciences and related indexes

    • Anatomy@TV

      Interactive web-based anatomy program. 3-D digital photographs,mri, video, quizes and more

Library Resources
  • Bio-Medical Library

    This library serves the areas of dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health. It is also the location of World Health Organization publications.
    • MNCAT Plus
      Search MNCAT, the libraries’ catalog, to find books, journals, etc. owned by the library. Search by keyword, subject, title, or author for materials on your topic.
      • Electronic Books
        This link will take you to the Bio-Medical Library electronic books page. On that page, organized by topic, are links to books that are available in electronic format.
      • Electronic Journals
        This link will take you to the University Libraries Electronic Journals page. On that page you can either search for a specific journal, magazine or newspaper title or enter an e-journal vendor site. You will be presented with a list of results. Click on the appropriate title to begin accessing the online version of that periodical. Keyword searching of more than one journal at a time is sometimes possible, depending upon the search capabilities provided by the vendor who supplied the original journal that you referenced.
      • RefWorks: Personal Citation Manager Authentication Required
        RefWorks is a web-based citation manager that allows you to create your own databases of citations by importing references from MNCAT and other databases, and then in seconds automatically generate bibliographies in all major styles (MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago, etc.).
    • Ask a Librarian -- Bio-Medical Library Reference
      -- Use the web-based forms found here to get individualized library research support. You can ask a quick question, request a literature search, or set up a meeting to consult with a librarian.
    • Assignment Calculator
      Enter in the deadline for your research paper and get a suggested time-line for completing your paper on time plus links to the resources on campus that will help you succeed in each step of the research and writing process.
    • QuickStudy -- Library Research Guide
      This eight-module tutorial provides an overview of the library research process, including these topics: starting your research; designing a research strategy; finding books, articles, and web sites; finding facts; evaluating resources; and citing sources.
    • Reference Sources
      -- Access to dictionaries, encyclopedias, style manuals and much more.


Page Coordinator: Katherine Chew chewx002@umn.edu
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