Monday, November 26, 2012
Week 9 - Learning Express
Once again, this is an intriguing resource that I have never used. After poking around a little bit, I settled in to explore the ebook offerings:
From the home page, bottom right, click the link for eBooks. The list will open in a new window. Browse the titles and take a look at one that interests you.
Because I am an elementary school librarian, I of course started by clicking on the category "elementary" (and appreciated that the books were divided by age group/ theme). There was only one book for elementary aged students and it was a "Getting Ready for 4th Grade Assessments" text, which seemed like it would be a stretch for most 4th graders to sit down and read.
For older kids and adults, however, the offerings are exceptional. I thought this resource would be particularly useful for adults looking for a job, or looking to expand their skills within the job that they hold. For public libraries, this would be absolutely a gold mine. I appreciated also that there were several titles on passing the U.S Citizenship test, and a number of those were available in Spanish.
All in all, LearningExpress appears to be an empowering tool for adults and young people seeking to improve their skills and knowledge!
Week 8 - Genealogy Resources
This week's assignment took me a while because I found it hard to get to a public library during open hours (ironic, I know). I even looked into getting a trial subscription for my school, but I was directed by the ProQuest representative to contact Ancestry.com directly and they told me that they would provide free access for three months provided it would be used in connection with a curricular unit. So, finally I made it to the public library!
1. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be dead to be listed in Ancestry Library and can frequently find useful information in the U.S. Phone and Address Directories, 1993-2002. You may even find your marriage license. Search for your own name in Ancestry Library and report the results.
When I searched my name and birth date, I was indeed somewhat surprised to find my marriage record! Even more exciting, I could view a scan of the original license. I found some other basic address information, but the marriage license was definitely the highlight of the search.
2. In Ancestry Library, search for a grandparent or great-grandparent and see if you can locate them in the census. Report your findings.
I was very interested to look up my great-uncle by marriage, as I knew that he was born in Maine, but left at an early age. The family knows next to nothing about his ancestry, and once he left Maine, he never returned.
I was delighted to find him in the 1910 and 1920 census, listed as living in Houlton. Interestingly, I discovered that both his parents were from Canada and his father was listed in the 1910 census, but not in 1920 (making me wonder if he passed away when my great uncle was just a small child). In the 1930 census he is listed as living in Barnstable, MA. Finally, there is a record of him in the Veterans Gravesite source, correctly identifying his burial place as Rock Island, IL.
My only disappointment here is that I couldn't find any additional information about my uncle's time in the Navy. One of our great family stories is that both he and my great-aunt were spies during World War II, but neither would ever talk about that experience.
3. In Ancestry Library, perform a search under the “Photos and Maps” tab for “Maine” as the keyword. Report your findings.
I found an overwhelming amount of information available when I searched "Maine" by photos and maps. Clearly one would need to narrow their search to get specific information, but the wealth of offerings demonstrated to me that just about any historical map/atlas on Maine can be found here!
I really enjoyed exploring this resource! I only wish that it was available at home - I would be much more likely to delve more deeply if I could do so from my own desk (at an hour and day when my public library is not open).
1. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be dead to be listed in Ancestry Library and can frequently find useful information in the U.S. Phone and Address Directories, 1993-2002. You may even find your marriage license. Search for your own name in Ancestry Library and report the results.
When I searched my name and birth date, I was indeed somewhat surprised to find my marriage record! Even more exciting, I could view a scan of the original license. I found some other basic address information, but the marriage license was definitely the highlight of the search.
2. In Ancestry Library, search for a grandparent or great-grandparent and see if you can locate them in the census. Report your findings.
I was very interested to look up my great-uncle by marriage, as I knew that he was born in Maine, but left at an early age. The family knows next to nothing about his ancestry, and once he left Maine, he never returned.
I was delighted to find him in the 1910 and 1920 census, listed as living in Houlton. Interestingly, I discovered that both his parents were from Canada and his father was listed in the 1910 census, but not in 1920 (making me wonder if he passed away when my great uncle was just a small child). In the 1930 census he is listed as living in Barnstable, MA. Finally, there is a record of him in the Veterans Gravesite source, correctly identifying his burial place as Rock Island, IL.
My only disappointment here is that I couldn't find any additional information about my uncle's time in the Navy. One of our great family stories is that both he and my great-aunt were spies during World War II, but neither would ever talk about that experience.
3. In Ancestry Library, perform a search under the “Photos and Maps” tab for “Maine” as the keyword. Report your findings.
I found an overwhelming amount of information available when I searched "Maine" by photos and maps. Clearly one would need to narrow their search to get specific information, but the wealth of offerings demonstrated to me that just about any historical map/atlas on Maine can be found here!
I really enjoyed exploring this resource! I only wish that it was available at home - I would be much more likely to delve more deeply if I could do so from my own desk (at an hour and day when my public library is not open).
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Week 7 - Consumer Health Resources
This assignment was a relief after last week's business adventure!
Health Source - Consumer Edition:
I searched for "basal cell carcinoma" in this database and there were 252 hits. When I limited the publication dates to 2006-2012, that number shrunk to 105 (which means there's quite a bit of up to date info available on this topic). The articles were a mix of scholarly and and more consumer friendly.
Medline Plus Discovery Exercise:
1. Look at a few of the links on the main page. What’s in the news column on the right side? Indicate in your blog post what some of the top searches are as listed on the left side of the page.
The top searches are predominantly posted on the right side of the page. They include: aspirin, asthma, autism, breast cancer, calcium, diabetes, dietary fats and hypertension. Obviously they are listed in alphabetical order and one click will expand the list beyond "d."
2. Click on tab “Drugs and Supplements” and search for a medication you take or you have seen ads about recently such as Prilosec or Cymbalta. Note the kind of information available.
I clicked on "drugs and supplements" and then on "Herbs and Supplements" and was disappointed that neither of the two supplements I searched for were included (eyebright and triphala). Undaunted, I checked one that I knew had to be there - green tea. There were two articles available - one from the NIH and the other from the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database). Both articles provided quite extensive information.
4. Click on “Health Topics” and search for the same disease or condition you looked at in Health Source. How does the information in MedlinePlus differ from that in Health Source?
There were 948 hits in response to the search query "basal cell carcinoma" in MedlinePlus. The first few pages of hits appeared to be more user friendly than what came up in Health Source and are geared towards a "regular" information seeker.
5. Look at the list of videos available by clicking on “Videos and Cool Tools” tab. Pick one video and launch it so you have an idea of what a patron would experience. What did you think of the video?
I watched the video on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome surgery, which was gory enough to make me hope to never need the surgery! (Actually, it wasn't that gory - I am just squeamish). For a patient going in to surgery who would like to know exactly what will happen, these videos will be comforting. For someone who would rather just have a vague idea, this would be way too much!
Health Source - Consumer Edition:
I searched for "basal cell carcinoma" in this database and there were 252 hits. When I limited the publication dates to 2006-2012, that number shrunk to 105 (which means there's quite a bit of up to date info available on this topic). The articles were a mix of scholarly and and more consumer friendly.
Medline Plus Discovery Exercise:
1. Look at a few of the links on the main page. What’s in the news column on the right side? Indicate in your blog post what some of the top searches are as listed on the left side of the page.
The top searches are predominantly posted on the right side of the page. They include: aspirin, asthma, autism, breast cancer, calcium, diabetes, dietary fats and hypertension. Obviously they are listed in alphabetical order and one click will expand the list beyond "d."
2. Click on tab “Drugs and Supplements” and search for a medication you take or you have seen ads about recently such as Prilosec or Cymbalta. Note the kind of information available.
I clicked on "drugs and supplements" and then on "Herbs and Supplements" and was disappointed that neither of the two supplements I searched for were included (eyebright and triphala). Undaunted, I checked one that I knew had to be there - green tea. There were two articles available - one from the NIH and the other from the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database). Both articles provided quite extensive information.
4. Click on “Health Topics” and search for the same disease or condition you looked at in Health Source. How does the information in MedlinePlus differ from that in Health Source?
There were 948 hits in response to the search query "basal cell carcinoma" in MedlinePlus. The first few pages of hits appeared to be more user friendly than what came up in Health Source and are geared towards a "regular" information seeker.
5. Look at the list of videos available by clicking on “Videos and Cool Tools” tab. Pick one video and launch it so you have an idea of what a patron would experience. What did you think of the video?
I watched the video on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome surgery, which was gory enough to make me hope to never need the surgery! (Actually, it wasn't that gory - I am just squeamish). For a patient going in to surgery who would like to know exactly what will happen, these videos will be comforting. For someone who would rather just have a vague idea, this would be way too much!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Week 6 - Business Resources
Admittedly, I came to this week's exercise with less enthusiasm than previous weeks. None of the discovery exercises appealed to me personally and I am a K-5 librarian, so obviously the relevance is limited there as well.
But, I was game to give it a go and worked on the Regional Business News question:
1. Pick a nationally known company. Search under the company’s name and look at the results.
I chose "Tim Horton's" as my nationally known company and got back 34 hits. Most of the articles were about the company's expansion and growth and came from a variety of journals (some Canadian, which makes sense since Tim Horton's is a Canadian company).
2. Narrow the regional search to something more appropriate for this area of the country.
For my regional search, I chose "Hannaford's" and was somewhat surprised that there were only 10 hits. The articles were a mix of hard news (a data security breach at Hannaford's) and soft news and again surprisingly, the most up to date article came from 2008 (not that up to date for business news).
3. Choose a Maine company to see what information is available about either the company or its industry.
I was quite disappointed to find that "Gelato Fiasco" did not return any hits (despite getting some national press, I know, for their business model). My second attempt was more fruitful - "Tom's of Maine" returned 29 hits, the most recent of which was published in September.
But, I was game to give it a go and worked on the Regional Business News question:
1. Pick a nationally known company. Search under the company’s name and look at the results.
I chose "Tim Horton's" as my nationally known company and got back 34 hits. Most of the articles were about the company's expansion and growth and came from a variety of journals (some Canadian, which makes sense since Tim Horton's is a Canadian company).
2. Narrow the regional search to something more appropriate for this area of the country.
For my regional search, I chose "Hannaford's" and was somewhat surprised that there were only 10 hits. The articles were a mix of hard news (a data security breach at Hannaford's) and soft news and again surprisingly, the most up to date article came from 2008 (not that up to date for business news).
3. Choose a Maine company to see what information is available about either the company or its industry.
I was quite disappointed to find that "Gelato Fiasco" did not return any hits (despite getting some national press, I know, for their business model). My second attempt was more fruitful - "Tom's of Maine" returned 29 hits, the most recent of which was published in September.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Week 5 - Novelist Plus
1. The basic search bar appears on every page in all of the NoveList
products. Pick a series that you would like to read. Type that series
into the search box, check “series” then select search. Right above your
results you will see a bar that includes “sort by” and “view.” Post on
your blog how the use of the “view” component could make your job
connecting readers with books easier.
I searched for the series "Books of Beginning" because it is one that I missed when it first came out and now I'm reading glowing reviews of the second in the series. The "sort by" feature is most useful when you (or your patron) is not sure what the sequence of the series is. Sorting by date (ascending or descending) would be extremely helpful with series that have many, many books that need to be read in order. I often find myself Googling for that information when kids come into my library looking for the next book in the series that they are reading. The "view" feature provides nice options for how much information is presented at once. For many students, the "detailed" view is great because they can see the cover and read a short description of each book, helping them identify whether or not it is a good fit for them.
2. You have just finished the last David Baldacci book. You really enjoy plot-driven, fast paced suspense stories. How can you find something new to read that is similar to Baldacci’s style? Type into the search box “David Baldacci,” check “author” then select search. David Baldacci will appear on the screen. There will be a brief description of his writing style, information about the appeal factors for his work and a listing of all the books he has written. Look to the right of the page and you will see “Read-alikes from NoveList.” In this case there are 9 authors recommended. The first three are displayed underneath. By hovering over the magnifying glass a box will pop up to tell you why this is a solid read-alike choice. If you click on the author link it will give you the same information for that author. If you hit the “Print All” you will get a page with all 9 authors listed and a brief reason for their placement in this category. In your blog, tell us how using this tool could make your job easier and promote better customer service in your library.
The "read-alike" feature is a wonderful resource for my students. When both avid and struggling readers come to me for a book suggestion, I often start with what they've read and loved. The NoveList read-alike feature enables students to find something similar to what they already love. This feature also enables students to become more independent library users - once they know it exists, it is very user friendly, so they can pursue read-alikes on their own.
3. Take some time to explore this robust database. How can using NoveList Plus help you to increase awareness of the collection you have worked so hard to build, for both new and older items? Share what you take away from this exercise on your blog.
I love NoveList K-8 Plus and this exercise reminded me that it is a tool I need to highlight early on in the year with all my students. Although I am not a fan of the Lexile as a measure of readability, the fact that it is available gives kids at least a guiding number by which to determine whether a book might be a good fit in terms of readability. The "Books to Movies" section is also something I've never used (maybe it is new?) but I can see that it would be hugely popular with my students, for whom movies often come first.
4. Take a few minutes to read what your fellow participants have said about the previous question on their blog.
I am so impressed with the vast number of librarians taking part in this learning opportunity! It has been really informative to see how people have responded so differently to the same questions, and reading my fellow librarians' responses has been almost as illuminating as doing the exercises myself.
I searched for the series "Books of Beginning" because it is one that I missed when it first came out and now I'm reading glowing reviews of the second in the series. The "sort by" feature is most useful when you (or your patron) is not sure what the sequence of the series is. Sorting by date (ascending or descending) would be extremely helpful with series that have many, many books that need to be read in order. I often find myself Googling for that information when kids come into my library looking for the next book in the series that they are reading. The "view" feature provides nice options for how much information is presented at once. For many students, the "detailed" view is great because they can see the cover and read a short description of each book, helping them identify whether or not it is a good fit for them.
2. You have just finished the last David Baldacci book. You really enjoy plot-driven, fast paced suspense stories. How can you find something new to read that is similar to Baldacci’s style? Type into the search box “David Baldacci,” check “author” then select search. David Baldacci will appear on the screen. There will be a brief description of his writing style, information about the appeal factors for his work and a listing of all the books he has written. Look to the right of the page and you will see “Read-alikes from NoveList.” In this case there are 9 authors recommended. The first three are displayed underneath. By hovering over the magnifying glass a box will pop up to tell you why this is a solid read-alike choice. If you click on the author link it will give you the same information for that author. If you hit the “Print All” you will get a page with all 9 authors listed and a brief reason for their placement in this category. In your blog, tell us how using this tool could make your job easier and promote better customer service in your library.
The "read-alike" feature is a wonderful resource for my students. When both avid and struggling readers come to me for a book suggestion, I often start with what they've read and loved. The NoveList read-alike feature enables students to find something similar to what they already love. This feature also enables students to become more independent library users - once they know it exists, it is very user friendly, so they can pursue read-alikes on their own.
3. Take some time to explore this robust database. How can using NoveList Plus help you to increase awareness of the collection you have worked so hard to build, for both new and older items? Share what you take away from this exercise on your blog.
I love NoveList K-8 Plus and this exercise reminded me that it is a tool I need to highlight early on in the year with all my students. Although I am not a fan of the Lexile as a measure of readability, the fact that it is available gives kids at least a guiding number by which to determine whether a book might be a good fit in terms of readability. The "Books to Movies" section is also something I've never used (maybe it is new?) but I can see that it would be hugely popular with my students, for whom movies often come first.
4. Take a few minutes to read what your fellow participants have said about the previous question on their blog.
I am so impressed with the vast number of librarians taking part in this learning opportunity! It has been really informative to see how people have responded so differently to the same questions, and reading my fellow librarians' responses has been almost as illuminating as doing the exercises myself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)