Week 10 - EbscoHost

I use the Ebsco databases quite a bit with my elementary-aged students, so I went into this week feeling fairly confident about the exercises.  It was great to explore some of the other databases that I don't typically use and also get to know those that I do use, better.

1. You get to these Ebsco databases a couple of ways. The easiest way is to go to the MARVEL homepage by clicking on the alphabetical list link above. Pick one of the databases mentioned above from the alphabetical list or pick Ebsco Host from the list and then choose the database from that list. 

Academic Search Complete is my ultimate fall back database.  I use it for both general and specific reference queries from both students and staff (and for my own professional development).  

2. One of the first things to figure out is what journals and books are actually indexed in the database. To do that, click on “Publications” in the blue menu bar at the top of the page. Scroll down the list or search for a popular magazine title. Is it covered in the database you’re in? Now, click “Basic Search” and type a search in the search box. Search for answers to the question about zinc in foods posed at the beginning of the post if you can’t think of something else. Review the results, selecting an article to see what kind of information you can find. Discuss your results. 

The depth and breadth of publications available through Academic Search Complete is incredible.  They range from the Aboriginal & Islander Health Worker Journal to the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.  If you can't find what you're looking for here, it might be time to rethink your search term!  (Although, I did note that one popular publication that I read regularly, Yoga Journal, is unavailable here).  

When I did a search for "zinc and food" I got 401 hits, which I then narrowed down to just magazines (since I am not really looking for a scholarly article here).  Very quickly I was able to read about both the benefits of zine in your diet, and also foods that are high in zinc.  There was a range of publications - from the very mainstream Time to the more obscure Environmental Nutrition.

3. Look at 2 or 3 other participants’ blogs to see what they discovered. Comment if you like.

One of the best parts of this MARVEL Invitational is reading what my colleagues all over the state are discovering in their explorations.  Each week it's interesting to see both the similarities and the differences in the ways that people approach the exercises.

Ebsco eBooks
I confess that this is a resource that I am aware of, but don't use consistently.  This exercise was a good reminder!

1. Do a search for a topic that interests you. Note the default search is “full text.” You may want to change the search to keyword. Review your findings and observations.

I did a search for "yoga" and was impressed that there were 28 ebook results.  Some of them were related to yoga only tangentially (like Understanding Negative Body Image, a book for teens).  When I sorted by date descending, though, I was somewhat disappointed to discover that the most recent title was published in 2000.  The majority of the 28 titles were published in the 1990s or before, which doesn't make them automatically out of date, but it does mean that the latest research on yoga is unavailable here in this format.

2. Constitution Day is looming and several students need more material. Search NetLibrary and recommend some appropriate titles.

Assuming that my students are significantly older than my current elementary-aged students, I would recommend The American Republic : Constitution, Tendencies, and Destiny by Orestes Brownson, Representing Popular Sovereignty : The Constitution in American Political Culture by Daniel Levin and Constitution in Congress : The Federalist Period 1789-1801 by David Currie.

3. A class is doing projects on Western history. They have exhausted the library’s print collection. In NetLibrary, click “Advanced Search.” In the Publisher box, type “Nebraska” or “Oklahoma.” Report your findings.

I searched for both "history" and "United States History" and included "Nebraska" in the publisher box.  I got only three results, but they all appear to be good sources for a project on Western history.  They are: Mountains We Have Crossed : Diaries and Letters of the Oregon Mission, 183 by Sarah Smith, Overland Journey from New York to San Francisco in the Summer of 1859 by Horace Greeley, and Cherokee Americans : The Eastern Band of Cherokees in the Twentieth Century by John Finger.