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.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
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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