I can't believe the challenge is already over! It was a great opportunity to brush up on all the wonderful resources available, and I feel a lot more prepared to help with research projects of all types now. Choosing just one of the resources as my favorite discovery is a very hard decision...there are so many different resources, with so many possibilities! I know that I will definitely be using SIRS now that I know more about how to utilize it; but I suppose that my biggest discovery would be Learning Express Library, and just how large and varied the possibilities are in their selection. I know that it will be a great tool to have, a just-in-case sort of knowledge that I am very thankful to have. You know, just in case.
Thank you so much for making this learning experience available!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Lesson 9 - Ancestry Library, Heritage Quest, and Sanborn Maps
Ancestry Library is a pretty exciting resource to rediscover. I really appreciate just how easy it is to navigate around the site, and the various options available to help people find exactly what they're looking for.
In searching for the Titanic's sister ships, I went to the "Immigration and Travel" record collection, and refined my search to "Ship Pictures and Descriptions", and simply searched the Titanic. I really like the way that they organize all the material, and I was easily able to find the record, history, and numerous pictures of the Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic.
Searching for information about the Hindenburg was a little bit trickier, since there was less refining that I could do. But I was still able to find several articles with information about the construction, size and design, speed, etc. I'm glad I tried that challenge - I never would have thought of using Ancestry Library for anything outside of just ancestral research.
Heritage Quest is very nicely laid out as well. The search options are clearly marked, and easy to figure out. To find historical information about my town, I went the the "Books" search, then clicked on the "Places" option, and then searched the name of my town. The way that everything is organized is pretty impressive, and it didn't really take that much searching before I found some references to the history of my town, including the founding, size, and original name. Once again, a very useful resource, for many different types of research.
In searching for the Titanic's sister ships, I went to the "Immigration and Travel" record collection, and refined my search to "Ship Pictures and Descriptions", and simply searched the Titanic. I really like the way that they organize all the material, and I was easily able to find the record, history, and numerous pictures of the Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic.
Searching for information about the Hindenburg was a little bit trickier, since there was less refining that I could do. But I was still able to find several articles with information about the construction, size and design, speed, etc. I'm glad I tried that challenge - I never would have thought of using Ancestry Library for anything outside of just ancestral research.
Heritage Quest is very nicely laid out as well. The search options are clearly marked, and easy to figure out. To find historical information about my town, I went the the "Books" search, then clicked on the "Places" option, and then searched the name of my town. The way that everything is organized is pretty impressive, and it didn't really take that much searching before I found some references to the history of my town, including the founding, size, and original name. Once again, a very useful resource, for many different types of research.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Lesson 8 - ArchiveGrid and CAMIO
ArchiveGrid is a useful tool for a library to have, and even more useful if the librarians know how to use it. From family geneologies to detailed or rather obscure researching, I can see plenty of possibilities for this more specific resource.
To read the papers of Nobel Prize winningTheodore Schultz, I discovered that I would have to go to the University Archives of the University of Iowa, where they have such publications, newspapers reports, correspondances and other such handy research information all stored away in a document box. The information is all available for public research, and the contact information for the University Library is handily included right along with the search results. This is good to know - I'm excited for the next chance to use this resource!
CAMIO has an incredible amount of information, and it would be very helpful with art or culture studies. I think I went about studying Victorian era fashions the wrong way for awhile, but I eventually found that the simplest way was to use the Advanced search to use the keywords for the Victorian era, and then refine it by dates, to simply get everything within the time period I was looking for. Probably a more complicated method than it had to be, but I ended up with the right information, and that's enough to get started with. At least now I know that there is a good resource for this kind of search now!
To read the papers of Nobel Prize winningTheodore Schultz, I discovered that I would have to go to the University Archives of the University of Iowa, where they have such publications, newspapers reports, correspondances and other such handy research information all stored away in a document box. The information is all available for public research, and the contact information for the University Library is handily included right along with the search results. This is good to know - I'm excited for the next chance to use this resource!
CAMIO has an incredible amount of information, and it would be very helpful with art or culture studies. I think I went about studying Victorian era fashions the wrong way for awhile, but I eventually found that the simplest way was to use the Advanced search to use the keywords for the Victorian era, and then refine it by dates, to simply get everything within the time period I was looking for. Probably a more complicated method than it had to be, but I ended up with the right information, and that's enough to get started with. At least now I know that there is a good resource for this kind of search now!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Lesson 7 - WorldCat
I have to admit, I did have a bit of trouble learning how to use WorldCat efficiently. It's just so huge, it took me awhile to figure out how to refine my searches effectively enough to concentrate the results I wanted. But after I used the advanced search, I was able to find many Martin Luther books that would work wonderfully for a 4th - 5th grade Sunday school class; I think the biggest help was when I figured out I could filter the several thousand Martin Luther King Jr. books that came up in the basic search. Then I refined the search to only juvenile materials, and so I can know easily recommend books to my patron, such as "Martin Luther" by May McNeer, or the same title by Henry Emerson Fosdick. Both of which can be easily found at the Augustana College Library.
I have to say, I'm feeling very accomplished right now.
That feeling vanished, of course, as soon as I tried the next step. Apparently I was over refining my searches in my excitement, so my results were rather disappointing. Finally I just gave up on that and typed "graphic novel" and "classic" in the keyword boxes. Instant results. The one I would probably recommend to my library would be the adaptation of "Beowulf", published by Candlewick Press.
The third part was easy enough, having finally figured out the set-up of WorldCat. I just went to the advanced search and typed in the title, and selected "Musical Scores" as the document type. The one that I clicked on said "vocal score" in the description, so I decided that that would work just fine. The title is "My Fair Lady", and the accession number is 26429906.
Though I must admit to a bit of trouble getting started on this assignment, it's a good resource to have, and I'm glad to have figured it out.
I have to say, I'm feeling very accomplished right now.
That feeling vanished, of course, as soon as I tried the next step. Apparently I was over refining my searches in my excitement, so my results were rather disappointing. Finally I just gave up on that and typed "graphic novel" and "classic" in the keyword boxes. Instant results. The one I would probably recommend to my library would be the adaptation of "Beowulf", published by Candlewick Press.
The third part was easy enough, having finally figured out the set-up of WorldCat. I just went to the advanced search and typed in the title, and selected "Musical Scores" as the document type. The one that I clicked on said "vocal score" in the description, so I decided that that would work just fine. The title is "My Fair Lady", and the accession number is 26429906.
Though I must admit to a bit of trouble getting started on this assignment, it's a good resource to have, and I'm glad to have figured it out.
Lesson 6 - EBSCOhost
EBSCOhost is an interesting resource, and one that could certainly come in very handy. I have to admit it does a few drawbacks, but I'm certainly not going to complain about yet another helpful resource to fall back on. I really like how well the visual search organizes everything, though it took me awhile to figure out how it was all laid out. Personally, I like using the visual search, but I think some people with less time to figure it all out might just enjoy the old fashioned search bar better. Either way, the results are the same.
And then, searching for the colored fairy tales, I tried typing in "fairy tales" (which seemed the easiest way to start the search); right away I found some ebooks by Andrew Lang, under titles like "The Red Fairy Book", "The Violet Fairy Book", "The Yellow Fairy Book" and so on. So that was pretty simple. I went though the same search using the Visual Search option as well, and found the same results right away.
This resource seems like it will make handy back up for many research projects; and I'm glad to broaden the scope of possibilities even more when it comes to ways to help people out.
And then, searching for the colored fairy tales, I tried typing in "fairy tales" (which seemed the easiest way to start the search); right away I found some ebooks by Andrew Lang, under titles like "The Red Fairy Book", "The Violet Fairy Book", "The Yellow Fairy Book" and so on. So that was pretty simple. I went though the same search using the Visual Search option as well, and found the same results right away.
This resource seems like it will make handy back up for many research projects; and I'm glad to broaden the scope of possibilities even more when it comes to ways to help people out.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Lesson 5 - GVRL
The Gale Virtual Reference Library is a resource that I have actually been using semi-regularly already for reference and research, but I still find it helpful to do a bit more exploring into it's possibilities and potential.
Using GVRL to search for spring holiday traditions around the world (which is a really cool idea, by the way), I was able to come up with quite a bit of information, mostly going off of the "Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Holidays". I found festival traditions from Iran (The Nouruz Festival, going back about 3,000 years), China (The Ching Ming Festival, going back 1,800 years), Ukraine (The Velykden Festival, now celebrating Easter), Norway (Constitution Day), and the more well known Western holidays.
Finding food recipes was harder, though I found mention of the traditional foods with a little bit of searching. Usually information on the foods and games of a festival were included in the same article that I was reading off of, but then I did find another reference "The Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World" which turned out to be much more specific.
I used the Advanced Search and found plenty of new books; apparently there were around 29,000 added in 2012, ranging through every subject imaginable.
Glad I went through this again, to brush up my knowledge of this great resource! I can already think of several projects for which some of the information I just searched would be useful for.
Using GVRL to search for spring holiday traditions around the world (which is a really cool idea, by the way), I was able to come up with quite a bit of information, mostly going off of the "Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Holidays". I found festival traditions from Iran (The Nouruz Festival, going back about 3,000 years), China (The Ching Ming Festival, going back 1,800 years), Ukraine (The Velykden Festival, now celebrating Easter), Norway (Constitution Day), and the more well known Western holidays.
Finding food recipes was harder, though I found mention of the traditional foods with a little bit of searching. Usually information on the foods and games of a festival were included in the same article that I was reading off of, but then I did find another reference "The Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World" which turned out to be much more specific.
I used the Advanced Search and found plenty of new books; apparently there were around 29,000 added in 2012, ranging through every subject imaginable.
Glad I went through this again, to brush up my knowledge of this great resource! I can already think of several projects for which some of the information I just searched would be useful for.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Lesson 4 - ProQuest
ProQuest is yet another very handy resource to have around the library, to answer all those random little questions that might not be found in an ordinary news source. For a small town library, I think this could be invaluable.
In trying to search for book reviews on "Les Miserables", I had a bit of fun with trying out all the search refining tools. Once you get into the actual search, there are quite a few options to help you find exactly what you are looking for. I really liked the "include/exclude" possibility, that would help you specify the subjects that you did and did not want to pull up. I might have been just a little too specific, though, because I didn't come up with quite as much as I was hoping for in the way of book reviews. But I still came up with several good articles to work with.
Searching for the impact of Hurricane Sandy on libraries was kind of an interesting challenge. I tried using keywords at first, and then played around with the search refining tools some more, and then used the results sorting tool to come up with the most recent articles first. The most recent information I could find on Hurricane Sandy and the impact on libraries was an article from Feb. 13, titled "Library Announces National Recording Preservation Plan", which only mentioned Hurricane Sandy in passing (and so probably wasn't the best source for this example) but was the most recent article.
There are lots of possibilities! I'm quite glad that I have the chance to go through all these once again.
In trying to search for book reviews on "Les Miserables", I had a bit of fun with trying out all the search refining tools. Once you get into the actual search, there are quite a few options to help you find exactly what you are looking for. I really liked the "include/exclude" possibility, that would help you specify the subjects that you did and did not want to pull up. I might have been just a little too specific, though, because I didn't come up with quite as much as I was hoping for in the way of book reviews. But I still came up with several good articles to work with.
Searching for the impact of Hurricane Sandy on libraries was kind of an interesting challenge. I tried using keywords at first, and then played around with the search refining tools some more, and then used the results sorting tool to come up with the most recent articles first. The most recent information I could find on Hurricane Sandy and the impact on libraries was an article from Feb. 13, titled "Library Announces National Recording Preservation Plan", which only mentioned Hurricane Sandy in passing (and so probably wasn't the best source for this example) but was the most recent article.
There are lots of possibilities! I'm quite glad that I have the chance to go through all these once again.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Lesson 3 - SIRS
SIRS Discoverer:
SIRS Discoverer is a great resource for kids who need information that wouldn't necessarily be found in World Book or in ordinary library materials. I can see this being very useful for all sorts of research projects for kids, especially ones who are a little older, and need a little more in depth information.
The Advanced Search option is definitely helpful too, if you're trying to specify a reading level or an exact article. For the third grader looking up information on the solar system, I could pull up a variety of articles from some wonderful sources, and organize them according to the child's reading level. And there's a handy link for if the user wants to review the information later, to simply send the article to the user's email address. Love that!
To come up with pictures and maps of volcanoes, I simply used the search box. "Volcano" brought up almost 1,000 articles, most of which had pictures and maps attached. A more roundabout way was to go to the science section, then choose articles on geology/geography, and then select volcanoes. That brought up a more specified range of articles, less than 200. Using the "Pictures" or "Maps of the World" choices also brought up plenty of material to choose from. I almost wish that I was doing a science report; there's just so much to choose from!
SIRS Issues Researcher:
SIRS Issues Researcher is a very professional site, that would be great for a lot of modern events researching. I can see this site being helpful both to patrons and to me for my own personal use.
For the committee of teachers looking for websites and articles on suicide prevention for teens, I found it simple enough to pull up numerous articles on the subject. What I really liked was that as I started clicking on tags, I was able to refine my search to a few specific subject tags. SIRS would be helpful for the teachers not only because it has such great searching and refining tools, but it is a very professional site with very professional articles that can be trusted to lead you to exactly what you are looking for.
If I needed to find accurate information on water conservation and its pros and cons, I could easily find various articles to suite the purpose by clicking on the "Water Use" group in the leading issues list, or by just using the search box to look up "water conservation". There is so much information available through this site; I'm very glad to be reminded.
SIRS Discoverer is a great resource for kids who need information that wouldn't necessarily be found in World Book or in ordinary library materials. I can see this being very useful for all sorts of research projects for kids, especially ones who are a little older, and need a little more in depth information.
The Advanced Search option is definitely helpful too, if you're trying to specify a reading level or an exact article. For the third grader looking up information on the solar system, I could pull up a variety of articles from some wonderful sources, and organize them according to the child's reading level. And there's a handy link for if the user wants to review the information later, to simply send the article to the user's email address. Love that!
To come up with pictures and maps of volcanoes, I simply used the search box. "Volcano" brought up almost 1,000 articles, most of which had pictures and maps attached. A more roundabout way was to go to the science section, then choose articles on geology/geography, and then select volcanoes. That brought up a more specified range of articles, less than 200. Using the "Pictures" or "Maps of the World" choices also brought up plenty of material to choose from. I almost wish that I was doing a science report; there's just so much to choose from!
SIRS Issues Researcher:
SIRS Issues Researcher is a very professional site, that would be great for a lot of modern events researching. I can see this site being helpful both to patrons and to me for my own personal use.
For the committee of teachers looking for websites and articles on suicide prevention for teens, I found it simple enough to pull up numerous articles on the subject. What I really liked was that as I started clicking on tags, I was able to refine my search to a few specific subject tags. SIRS would be helpful for the teachers not only because it has such great searching and refining tools, but it is a very professional site with very professional articles that can be trusted to lead you to exactly what you are looking for.
If I needed to find accurate information on water conservation and its pros and cons, I could easily find various articles to suite the purpose by clicking on the "Water Use" group in the leading issues list, or by just using the search box to look up "water conservation". There is so much information available through this site; I'm very glad to be reminded.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Lesson 2 - Learning Express Library
Learning Express Library is a wonderful resource. Just amazing. I can see using this resource for all sorts of situations in my library. I have the feeling that I am going to be a much more helpful librarian by the end of this course.
For example, if some poor fourth grader pops up needing some help with reading comprehension (as a random example), I could easily point him to the Learning Express Library, under the elementary school section, to such materials as the reading practice courses. Or to tests which help with learning to read informational articles, poetry, and persuasive writing. I could also point out some diagnostic tests. Actually, I might have to involve the parents in some of that...but I could certainly help him get started!
If I were ever called upon to help a high school graduate looking for a job in office management, I would go the the "Jobs and Workplace Skills" and easily point her to some of the Business Writing courses, some Job Search courses, as well as some Resume and Interview helps.
For the student doing a report on a nursing or pharmaceutical career, I would first direct them to the Career Guidance section under the "Nursing and Allied Health" in "Jobs and Careers", which has a lot of basic information. Then if they wanted more in depth information, I could point them to the practice tests, which there are plenty of for every specialized field.
I'm very glad to have refreshed myself on this resource, and I can see how useful it will be in a library, for many situations. And now I'm looking forward to my next lesson in all the great resources there are out there!
For example, if some poor fourth grader pops up needing some help with reading comprehension (as a random example), I could easily point him to the Learning Express Library, under the elementary school section, to such materials as the reading practice courses. Or to tests which help with learning to read informational articles, poetry, and persuasive writing. I could also point out some diagnostic tests. Actually, I might have to involve the parents in some of that...but I could certainly help him get started!
If I were ever called upon to help a high school graduate looking for a job in office management, I would go the the "Jobs and Workplace Skills" and easily point her to some of the Business Writing courses, some Job Search courses, as well as some Resume and Interview helps.
For the student doing a report on a nursing or pharmaceutical career, I would first direct them to the Career Guidance section under the "Nursing and Allied Health" in "Jobs and Careers", which has a lot of basic information. Then if they wanted more in depth information, I could point them to the practice tests, which there are plenty of for every specialized field.
I'm very glad to have refreshed myself on this resource, and I can see how useful it will be in a library, for many situations. And now I'm looking forward to my next lesson in all the great resources there are out there!
Friday, February 1, 2013
Electronic Resources Challenge Lesson 1: World Book
World Book Kids:
The last time I took the Challenge was about two years ago. I have to say, I've missed out by not keeping myself up to date on these incredible resources! The World Book Kids resource is something that I can see using regularly. Working in a small town library is sometimes challenging when it comes to providing all the materials needed for a variety of kids research projects, but there is plenty of information for all types of projects and reports, which I'm sure the kids would have as much fun with as I did. The site is well laid out and easy to explore, and I really enjoyed looking through it. Not only that, but I can see this resource being helpful to me as well, with designing activities and crafts for the children's summer reading programs.
World Book Info Finder:
The Information Finder seems to be very similiar to the Kids site, but obviously a bit more advanced. The ideas and easy to use information will be very useful in helping kids find the resources they need to complete assignments. I really enjoyed looking through the maps and biographies, and the science project ideas are just wonderful.
World Book Reference Center:
Even more exciting to me was the Reference Center; the tools they have would supplement a library perfectly. The e-books would be very helpful for anyone needing a classic book right away, and the Primary Source documents are right there for any student who might need them. I loved the timelines as well, being a bit of a history geek, and I can see myself having a lot of fun just going through for a personal research project. I also like the fact that they have current events articles, making this source a perfect place to go for all sorts of research needs. And I will definitely be using it more often than I have previously!
The last time I took the Challenge was about two years ago. I have to say, I've missed out by not keeping myself up to date on these incredible resources! The World Book Kids resource is something that I can see using regularly. Working in a small town library is sometimes challenging when it comes to providing all the materials needed for a variety of kids research projects, but there is plenty of information for all types of projects and reports, which I'm sure the kids would have as much fun with as I did. The site is well laid out and easy to explore, and I really enjoyed looking through it. Not only that, but I can see this resource being helpful to me as well, with designing activities and crafts for the children's summer reading programs.
World Book Info Finder:
The Information Finder seems to be very similiar to the Kids site, but obviously a bit more advanced. The ideas and easy to use information will be very useful in helping kids find the resources they need to complete assignments. I really enjoyed looking through the maps and biographies, and the science project ideas are just wonderful.
World Book Reference Center:
Even more exciting to me was the Reference Center; the tools they have would supplement a library perfectly. The e-books would be very helpful for anyone needing a classic book right away, and the Primary Source documents are right there for any student who might need them. I loved the timelines as well, being a bit of a history geek, and I can see myself having a lot of fun just going through for a personal research project. I also like the fact that they have current events articles, making this source a perfect place to go for all sorts of research needs. And I will definitely be using it more often than I have previously!
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