1. My biggest discovery is that I'm a lazy researcher! True story! Somehow, in the age of digital information, I've gotten accustomed to expecting the answers to just "be there" with little exertion on my part. As I did the exercises, it became apparent to me that my skills in searching have fallen by the wayside and I needed to hone them again. That's the nice thing about the lessons provided in the challenge. It motivated me to dig a little deeper, to check another link or tool provided in the databases. Jane's helpful guidance was also a great assist, when she commented on my blog entries. Maybe this isn't the kind of "big discovery" the ERC leaders were anticipating, but this is the biggest thing I learned.
In the ERC itself, I did discover how to navigate many of the databases more fluently, given the guidelines and lessons during the challenge. I've found that some of them are really a lot of fun to use, while there are a couple that nearly put me in a coma from boredom. That's okay, however, because all of the databases we covered in the challenge offered something valuable and not everything HAS to be fun all the time. I am very grateful to have these resources available in the SDSL system! Once I have had the opportunity to peruse the database further, I'm sure even the "boring" sites will prove less taxing on my patience. ;) All in all, I appreciate all I learned in this challenge and am so glad I participated!
2. The final query of the ERC asks me how I will promote or use the resources with patrons, colleagues or students. This is something I've been sharing since first introduced to the Electronics Resource Challenge and plan to continue for as long as I'm in a position to do so. Our library here in Clark, SD is a small public library. Since there aren't a lot of patrons who come in on a regular basis, I've taken to utilizing some of the social media (Facebook, for example) to remind patrons about the many databases the State Library system offers to patrons. If a patron does come in, searching for something in particular, I go straight to the Resources now, to attempt to find what they seek. When we get a new patron, I also tell them about the SDSL system, the E-card that they can get for free from the SDSL website and then about the resources available there. They know they can come in at any time & I am glad to assist them in their searches or if they need some guidance on using the system.
This is such an excellent tool, in the right hands, and is a very valuable gift which our library (or any other, for that matter) can offer the community. It's so nice to know there are helpful tools like these out there for anyone who wants to learn anything. Thank you, to the leaders of this ERC, for all of the great lessons & help they provided in the past few weeks. Thank you so very much!
So, now that it's over, I will still use it, keep digging deeper (and not so lazily) to see what other resources are there, so it will be easier to be a good librarian for my community. First though... finishing the challenge calls for a Recess break! Who's up for a game of tetherball?
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Lesson 9 -- History and Genealogy Resources—Ancestry Library, Heritage Quest and Sanborn Maps
1. At AncestryLibrary, I entered my name & birth year, as well as one of the many cities I have enjoyed living in... Bellingham, WA. When I hit the search button, the number of results really floored me! Over 6 million hits, from just that little bit of information. Bear in mind, the results were not for exact matches, but any & all that were similar enough by one or more factors (name, second initial, birth year, city of dwelling at any time) in the search. This database allows the user to alter the number of responses a query can receive on the page, once the results come up, from ten (10), twenty (20), or fifty (50). After I'd been given over 6 million responses, I thought it best to go for 50 hits per page. Forgive me, but I only went through the first few pages and then realized I'd be working on this exercise for days, if I were to go through every result of my query. Suffice it to say, there were a lot of women with the same name, all born in the same era, with my name. In my search of the first few pages, I didn't locate "me", but that's not to say I'm not listed. This librarian just could not find the time to peruse every one of the pages offered. This does not mean, however, that I shan't return and see if I do find myself listed, at a later date. :)
2. In exercise 2, I was instructed to search for either a grandparent or great grandparent, to see if I can locate them within any census. This search, for a grandparent, gave better, less frustrating results! I discovered my paternal grandparents in a 1930 census, simply by typing in one of their names and the location where one of them may have lived. The database gave 750 results for my query, many of which were for my grandparent(s) in the search. While there, I also discovered a couple of uncles and aunts, within the confines of this same search, no doubt due to the unusual last name and the location data I provided. Now that I've found these long, lost relatives, I shall attempt to contact them & see if we can reconnect. This is so cool! I'd thought my paternal side of the family was to forever elude me, but maybe not now. :)
3. The 3rd exercise instructs to search for South Dakota, then review the "pictures" option from the menu to the left of the screen. I entered the requested term and received 220,983,931 results. The first photo/image I looked at was of some Brooklyn baseball players. They wore some funny uniforms back then. The images on this photograph resembled those often seen on old-time baseball cards. Pretty cool, actually, to see the names and photos of these ball stars of way back when. The second image I viewed was... wait a second! I looked right at it, without actually seeing it, but once I got to the "pictures" point, where each individual image is listed, there is a new menu to the left of the listed images (where I'd clicked on "pictures" previously). This menu is an index of the various categories under which the photos/images are listed. So, instead of scrolling through every single baseball photo, then the individual school pictures, I can check the index to determine whether I want to look under a different category and avoid the snail's pace of scrolling one by one! Does that make sense? I sure hope so, for the reader's sake.
Anyhow, I checked over the index and saw there are images in categories like Library of Congress Photo Collection 1840 - 2000, U. S. Historical Postcards, U.S. Panoramic Photos 1851 -
1991, Professional Baseball Players 1876 - 2004, and more. Lots more! Each category also informs the user of how many listings are available per category, which is extremely helpful. :)
My second choice is for U.S. Civil War Photos 1860 - 1865. There are 6,846 results for this search. I looked at a couple of the photos, one of the Alexandria, VA Cooks in the kitchen of Soldier's Rest, taken July 1865. Nice open air kitchen, great for summer, but probably not so fun in winter. Another photo I examined from the same category was Yorktown, VA (vicinity). Topographical Engineers, Camp Winfield Scott from May, 1862. This photograph has the image duplicated on the same photo, as if viewed through one of those old "View-Finder" toys, or through binoculars. I like looking at old photos, so I could sit here for hours and peruse this alone! I really like this feature!
4. In HeritageQuest, there are over 28,000 family and local histories in their online historical books. Search for a place or browse the publications. Report back on something that interested you.
My search in the Heritage Quest database came up with several "No results found" messages, when I attempted to look up people and some places. So, I tried searching for an older town that I once lived near, back in Montana. Plains, MT is a lovely little town, set on Hwy 200, in the NW corner of the state. It's a very lovely, small town with some very warm-hearted locals. I thought it might be nice to find some information about this place where I once lived.
The ProQuest Site has been uncooperative, when I attempted to use the links provided on the http://sdlibrarychallenge.blogspot.com page. The handout link, the video links, and tutorial videos all gave me the same response, when I attempted to view them...
so, I gave up on trying to use them for help. Today, on a whim, I tried those links again, with the same results as previously attempted. So, I did my searching the best I could, with the tools at my disposal. :)
When I entered the search info, 58 results came up for the term, "Plains, MT". This database offers the ability to do a more refined search, if one chooses. Once the results come up, the user is then able to sort the results, according to Relevance, Date of publication (ascending or descending), Author, or Title. I discovered that many of the responses that came up from my search are only listed because the word "plains", "Montana" or a combination of both words are located within the text of the publication. A feature I really like here is the "hit" button, located at the bottom of the individual entry (choose a title and then see what opens up), where the user may click the button and be taken to the page where the "hit" is in the publication. This could save the reader a lot of time, with not having to scroll through several pages to find/determine the relevancy of a hit to the search. More on this feature later...
The first two results led to a Directory of churches in Montana, where I located some in Plains, Montana. The second book, "Society of Montana Pioneers" (1899) provides the Constitution, the list of State & County Societies, the Society of the Sons & Daughters of Montana Pioneers, a list of members, officers and more. There are maps and ports and even more info on the people listed in this book. The database offers the user a total sum of "hits" in the text of the book & this book has 68. The hits on this book, are all within the "membership" chapter of this book. Upon perusing the list of hits in this book, I learned the majority of those hits were related to the phrase, "traveled across the plains..." and "Montana".
Now back to the "hits" feature I spoke of earlier ~ Some of the other places I searched were cities/towns where I once lived, or am living now. Those other searches gave similar results, where the state name counts as a "hit", so any books with the state name show up in the relevancy of results. This can be rather frustrating, if one is trying to locate something quickly. Even with the relevancy option, combined with the "hits per search", I still had to scroll through the "hit pages" to see if the "match" was related to my query. *sigh* How much more helpful this database could be, if they enabled a more in depth search tools, or at the very least, to offer an "exact word(s)" option for the user, so they might avoid the challenge of perusing so many pages to find the one actual result the reader seeks.
My search in the Heritage Quest database came up with several "No results found" messages, when I attempted to look up people and some places. So, I tried searching for an older town that I once lived near, back in Montana. Plains, MT is a lovely little town, set on Hwy 200, in the NW corner of the state. It's a very lovely, small town with some very warm-hearted locals. I thought it might be nice to find some information about this place where I once lived.
The ProQuest Site has been uncooperative, when I attempted to use the links provided on the http://sdlibrarychallenge.blogspot.com page. The handout link, the video links, and tutorial videos all gave me the same response, when I attempted to view them...
Oops!
Something went wrong. Sorry, we couldn't find your page.
so, I gave up on trying to use them for help. Today, on a whim, I tried those links again, with the same results as previously attempted. So, I did my searching the best I could, with the tools at my disposal. :)
When I entered the search info, 58 results came up for the term, "Plains, MT". This database offers the ability to do a more refined search, if one chooses. Once the results come up, the user is then able to sort the results, according to Relevance, Date of publication (ascending or descending), Author, or Title. I discovered that many of the responses that came up from my search are only listed because the word "plains", "Montana" or a combination of both words are located within the text of the publication. A feature I really like here is the "hit" button, located at the bottom of the individual entry (choose a title and then see what opens up), where the user may click the button and be taken to the page where the "hit" is in the publication. This could save the reader a lot of time, with not having to scroll through several pages to find/determine the relevancy of a hit to the search. More on this feature later...
The first two results led to a Directory of churches in Montana, where I located some in Plains, Montana. The second book, "Society of Montana Pioneers" (1899) provides the Constitution, the list of State & County Societies, the Society of the Sons & Daughters of Montana Pioneers, a list of members, officers and more. There are maps and ports and even more info on the people listed in this book. The database offers the user a total sum of "hits" in the text of the book & this book has 68. The hits on this book, are all within the "membership" chapter of this book. Upon perusing the list of hits in this book, I learned the majority of those hits were related to the phrase, "traveled across the plains..." and "Montana".
Now back to the "hits" feature I spoke of earlier ~ Some of the other places I searched were cities/towns where I once lived, or am living now. Those other searches gave similar results, where the state name counts as a "hit", so any books with the state name show up in the relevancy of results. This can be rather frustrating, if one is trying to locate something quickly. Even with the relevancy option, combined with the "hits per search", I still had to scroll through the "hit pages" to see if the "match" was related to my query. *sigh* How much more helpful this database could be, if they enabled a more in depth search tools, or at the very least, to offer an "exact word(s)" option for the user, so they might avoid the challenge of perusing so many pages to find the one actual result the reader seeks.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Lesson 8 - WorldCat, CAMIO and More
1. Oh boy! This is one cool search tool! I had a lot of fun investigating the many options available to the user with the drop down menu under the "keywords" box. I was pleasantly surprised to see the headings, some with sub-headings, that help break down the search further. These include, but are not limited to: Access Method, Accession Number, Author (broken down to 5 sub-headings: Author Phrase, Corporate and Conference Name, Corporate and Conference Name Phrase, Personal Name & Personal Name Phrase), Language Phrase, Material Type, Material Type Phrase, Musical Composition, Musical Composition Phrase, Notes/Comments, Publisher, Publisher Location, Standard Number (breaks down to ISBN or ISSN), Subject (breaks down to: Subject Phrase, Descriptor, Genre/Form, Geographic Coverage, Named Corporation and Conference, and Named Person), and Title (breaks down to Title Phrase & Series Title ). Those are a lot of options, for keyword searching. When the user adds the the other search features offered, such as limiting the year, language & number of libraries, as well as the type limits one can choose (books, visual materials, archival materials, musical scores, maps, etc) and even more, they really help narrow the search down. I did a search for a title that one of my patrons is trying to find, but didn't find any titles of the same name, nor with the Author's name. I'll try with the other exercises.
2. The title I was searching for is, "Why Are You Here" by David Christenson. Following the exercise instructions, I was presented with 34 records that matched my query, The first record, while not the book I was looking for, is found in 527 worldwide libraries. The top library, for this result, is the Burlington Public Library in Iowa. This first title is not the book I am seeking, but that only means the book is not in this catalog system. It's sure to show up somewhere, so I'll continue searching for this book.
3. Per the instructions, I opened the first record that shows on my search for the book, "Why Are You Here?" by David Christenson. Bear in mind, the first record was not the book I am seeking for a patron, but another titled, "Preaching With Sacred Fire: An Anthology of African American Sermons, 1750 to the present" edited by Martha J. Simmons and Frank A. Thomas. The call number (class descriptor) for this book is LC: BV4241.5; Dewey: 252.0089/96073. When I clicked on the first author's name (Martha J. Simmons), I learned she has written &/or edited 12 books, most of which are on the subject of preaching. Clicking on Frank A. Thomas' name resulted in 17 titles authored &/edited/co-authored by him, again mostly based upon preaching. When I clicked on the subject button, the results gave 1,223 (1,216 are in English) total titles. When all was broken down into categories, the following results appeared: Sound 610, Books 403, Visual 123, Internet 62, Archival 20, Serials 3, Computer 1, and Articles 1. There are an amazing number of books on preaching! I discovered a book of old sermons by black women preachers from 1850 - 1979! For whatever reason, when I clicked on the subject and got this search result, the first title was related to the great Martin Luther King, Jr. and his preaching. Hence, the majority of the titles listed in this search resulted in the subject matter being on black preaching/preachers. That led me to finding some books I am interested in reading, that I had previously never heard of before!
Other FirstSearch Indexes
It was good to learn WorldCat offers the access to other databases. I really appreciate the "i" icon feature that opens a pop-up window which explains the primary function of the particular database. It was even more helpful to view the guide/chart for the RACE participants, created by the SDSL with Jane Healy & Julie Erickson! They did a phenomenal job on this asset! Hopefully, these two women understand how beneficial this is to librarians and how appreciated they are for creating it. I've printed up a copy, for reference & future use. :)
Discovery Exercise part 2
On the final exercise of this lesson, I did as instructed, by selecting "Subject Phrase" and typing South Dakota in the search window. This gave OAIster results - records found 1,152. My choice was # 71, "Log Shanty with Flag, Woman and Seven Boys". Upon clicking on the "access" hyperlink, a page opened, with a photograph and information related to the image. This was not a book, nor an article provided, but just a single photograph with tons of information/hyperlinks within the page. This is a lovely feature, which helps the user locate some pretty specific information, for the most part. There is a good history behind the photograph, so the user might locate the information they particularly need. I like that it includes photographs with history, as one of my passions is photography.
2. The title I was searching for is, "Why Are You Here" by David Christenson. Following the exercise instructions, I was presented with 34 records that matched my query, The first record, while not the book I was looking for, is found in 527 worldwide libraries. The top library, for this result, is the Burlington Public Library in Iowa. This first title is not the book I am seeking, but that only means the book is not in this catalog system. It's sure to show up somewhere, so I'll continue searching for this book.
3. Per the instructions, I opened the first record that shows on my search for the book, "Why Are You Here?" by David Christenson. Bear in mind, the first record was not the book I am seeking for a patron, but another titled, "Preaching With Sacred Fire: An Anthology of African American Sermons, 1750 to the present" edited by Martha J. Simmons and Frank A. Thomas. The call number (class descriptor) for this book is LC: BV4241.5; Dewey: 252.0089/96073. When I clicked on the first author's name (Martha J. Simmons), I learned she has written &/or edited 12 books, most of which are on the subject of preaching. Clicking on Frank A. Thomas' name resulted in 17 titles authored &/edited/co-authored by him, again mostly based upon preaching. When I clicked on the subject button, the results gave 1,223 (1,216 are in English) total titles. When all was broken down into categories, the following results appeared: Sound 610, Books 403, Visual 123, Internet 62, Archival 20, Serials 3, Computer 1, and Articles 1. There are an amazing number of books on preaching! I discovered a book of old sermons by black women preachers from 1850 - 1979! For whatever reason, when I clicked on the subject and got this search result, the first title was related to the great Martin Luther King, Jr. and his preaching. Hence, the majority of the titles listed in this search resulted in the subject matter being on black preaching/preachers. That led me to finding some books I am interested in reading, that I had previously never heard of before!
Other FirstSearch Indexes
It was good to learn WorldCat offers the access to other databases. I really appreciate the "i" icon feature that opens a pop-up window which explains the primary function of the particular database. It was even more helpful to view the guide/chart for the RACE participants, created by the SDSL with Jane Healy & Julie Erickson! They did a phenomenal job on this asset! Hopefully, these two women understand how beneficial this is to librarians and how appreciated they are for creating it. I've printed up a copy, for reference & future use. :)
Discovery Exercise part 2
On the final exercise of this lesson, I did as instructed, by selecting "Subject Phrase" and typing South Dakota in the search window. This gave OAIster results - records found 1,152. My choice was # 71, "Log Shanty with Flag, Woman and Seven Boys". Upon clicking on the "access" hyperlink, a page opened, with a photograph and information related to the image. This was not a book, nor an article provided, but just a single photograph with tons of information/hyperlinks within the page. This is a lovely feature, which helps the user locate some pretty specific information, for the most part. There is a good history behind the photograph, so the user might locate the information they particularly need. I like that it includes photographs with history, as one of my passions is photography.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Lesson 7 - EBooks on EbscoHost
1. My search attempts were met with few results, when I used the default search feature. As a hobby quilter, I thought a search for fabric/fiber arts/quilting might lead to some interesting results. The results, using the "advanced search" feature, combined with the search terms I just mentioned, led to a big zero. Zip. Zilch. Uh oh. That's not good.
So, I decided to poke around on the site, to see if there was any sort of index of genres available. Once I discovered the "EBooks" button & clicked on it, it felt like hitting the lottery! On the left of the page, is that elusive index I was hoping to find earlier. That gave me a better understanding of the various genres of books within the EbscoHost system. As I have been learning, during the research on this and previous exercises, the search terms we use are highly important when it comes to achieving the results one might hope.
Hence, I switched my search to a different goal - this time I entered "cliff notes" in the search box. This produced a total of 158 titles, a much better result than my previous requests had given. The list of titles provide a variety of other information related to each result. Some include the "subject", while all offer the year, a Table of Contents and "most relevant pages" options.
This is a terrific tool for research, one that will come in quite handy for the patrons and for Librarians needing good information and fast. :)
2. This exercise requires finding appropriate titles to assist a few students with researching "Constitution Day". These titles include, but are not limited to:
"Our Elusive Constitution: Silences, Paradoxes and Priorities" by Daniel N. Hoffman
"Constitution of the Confederate States" - a Project Gutenberg eBook
The Constitution of the United States - a Project Gutenberg eBook.
"U.S. Government and Politics" by Pamela K. Lamb (eBook/study guide)
Out of the 174 possible appropriate titles, these, were on the first couple of pages. Any or all of these 4 titles would benefit the researcher (aka our students), with more options available, if the student is willing to dig through the many titles provided.
"Our Elusive Constitution: Silences, Paradoxes and Priorities" by Daniel N. Hoffman
"Constitution of the Confederate States" - a Project Gutenberg eBook
The Constitution of the United States - a Project Gutenberg eBook.
"U.S. Government and Politics" by Pamela K. Lamb (eBook/study guide)
Out of the 174 possible appropriate titles, these, were on the first couple of pages. Any or all of these 4 titles would benefit the researcher (aka our students), with more options available, if the student is willing to dig through the many titles provided.
3. This exercise gave me the option of choose Nebraska or Oklahoma, so I chose the state where I lived most of my teen years. Oklahoma is a beautiful state, rich with a history of adventure, tradition and Native American Legends. My search results, following the standard set within the exercise,
There were 80 results from my search and they subject matter varied from "Indians of North America" to "Sacred Language" The Nature of Supernatural Discourse in Lakota" to biographies of Great Native American warriors and Chiefs to "Documents of American Indian Diplomacy: Treaties, Agreements and Conventions 1775 -1979." The ebscohost site has a lot of really valuable titles that will aid the student in their research.
There were 80 results from my search and they subject matter varied from "Indians of North America" to "Sacred Language" The Nature of Supernatural Discourse in Lakota" to biographies of Great Native American warriors and Chiefs to "Documents of American Indian Diplomacy: Treaties, Agreements and Conventions 1775 -1979." The ebscohost site has a lot of really valuable titles that will aid the student in their research.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Lesson 6 - Gale Virtual Reference Library
1. From the "Title List", I clicked on "Endangered Species, 2004" for my choice of book. As an animal enthusiast, this topic is very dear to my heart. When the title opened, I noticed an option to choose a volume, from the book, which gave the choices of: (1) mammals; (2) arachnids, birds, crustaceans, insects, mollusks; (3) amphibians,fish, plants, reptiles. The animal of my choice was the Bactrian Camel.
The things I noticed while searching for an article is there are a few ways of accessing any article, using the toolbar that is just above the topic overview. One has the options of printing, emailing, downloading, listening, downloading mp3, or downloading a pdf to an eReader. There is also a tab that allows for translations, if need be. If I were to prepare a presentation on the Bactrian Camel, in order for more of my community to be aware of their endangered status, I'd be able to create a nice PowerPoint piece, given all of the choices available.
2. At the top of the page, type a search term in the search box. Search for answers to the two questions posed at the beginning of the post: zinc or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn if you can't think of something else. Review the results, selecting an article to see what kind of information you can find. Test the "Listen" feature. Discuss your results.
With my first search term, "What causes Rheumatoid Arthritis?", there was a total of one result, but it was a good one. It wasn't as case specific, as the resulting volume covered several types of arthritis. The information I found was helpful enough that I've saved the article, for future reference. Being able to save it will be such a time saver in the future, when I want to re-read it.
My second search term, "literary criticism of Huckleberry Finn", must have been too vague, as this is the message I got -
Your library's collection of 94,047 documents were searched and no results matching your search term(s) were found.
Please check your spelling or try other search term(s).
Revise Search
So, I tried again, using the Revise Search option. I searched for "literary criticism" and found 25 results. From these choices, I was able to narrow down the search, using the menu on the left of the screen. Here I was able to choose from several keywords that allows the user to limit the search to document type, publication title, subjects, publication languages and even with images. The user can also sort by relevence within the confines of the search.
3. Look at 2 or 3 other participants' blogs to see what they discovered. Comment if you like.
The things I noticed while searching for an article is there are a few ways of accessing any article, using the toolbar that is just above the topic overview. One has the options of printing, emailing, downloading, listening, downloading mp3, or downloading a pdf to an eReader. There is also a tab that allows for translations, if need be. If I were to prepare a presentation on the Bactrian Camel, in order for more of my community to be aware of their endangered status, I'd be able to create a nice PowerPoint piece, given all of the choices available.
2. At the top of the page, type a search term in the search box. Search for answers to the two questions posed at the beginning of the post: zinc or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn if you can't think of something else. Review the results, selecting an article to see what kind of information you can find. Test the "Listen" feature. Discuss your results.
With my first search term, "What causes Rheumatoid Arthritis?", there was a total of one result, but it was a good one. It wasn't as case specific, as the resulting volume covered several types of arthritis. The information I found was helpful enough that I've saved the article, for future reference. Being able to save it will be such a time saver in the future, when I want to re-read it.
My second search term, "literary criticism of Huckleberry Finn", must have been too vague, as this is the message I got -
Your library's collection of 94,047 documents were searched and no results matching your search term(s) were found.
Please check your spelling or try other search term(s).
Revise Search
So, I tried again, using the Revise Search option. I searched for "literary criticism" and found 25 results. From these choices, I was able to narrow down the search, using the menu on the left of the screen. Here I was able to choose from several keywords that allows the user to limit the search to document type, publication title, subjects, publication languages and even with images. The user can also sort by relevence within the confines of the search.
3. Look at 2 or 3 other participants' blogs to see what they discovered. Comment if you like.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Lesson 5 - ProQuest
1. My search was for the subject "Entlebucher Sennenhund", which is the rare breed, Swiss Mountain Cattle Dogs I raise. The search gave me a total of 5 results, of which one was completely relevant to my query. The other four (4) results provide information to two (2) of the other Swiss Sennenhund (Sennenhund means "Herdsmen's Hound") breeds that are related to the Entlebucher. Hopefully, there will be more articles on this wonderful rare breed of dog, so others can learn about their delightful characteristics in the future. *oh D'oh! - fewer articles because it's a RARE breed... ya think?*
http://search.proquest.com/docview/848439222/AC55C70EDAE64740PQ/1?accountid=47336
What I did appreciate about ProQuest, is the ability to email any of the articles to myself, for future use/reference. The site offers the user the ability to save searches, create alerts, print, create RSS, and more. There is also the option to sort, whether by date or relevance and results may be narrowed further by choosing full text, peer reviewed, source type (my search has 5 magazine sources listed), location, language, date, and more. When there is more time for me to do so, I would like to return and do further searches, for something less rare... like llamas. ;^)
1.a There are three (3) cohorts' blogs that I visited, for this section of the exercises. The first one was Mike Sanders. I read two of his entries, both of which are related to this week's exercise. I really learned something new, related to his search, about the shipping industry and it's contribution to global warming. A very nicely written blog entry, to be certain. :)
The second blog, by Elizabeth Ketterling, was visited because she commented on a previous blog entry of mine. I am unsure if she is a cohort, because her name isn't listed to the roster of participants in the ERC2014. Still, she has a lovely blog, related to food/recipes/saving a buck or two on groceries. The reader can locate her blog here: delectabledinnersdonedirtcheap.blogspot.com
Finally, I perused "Shawn on the Road", simply because I've had the great pleasure of meeting her in person & she's so smart! She writes a nice blog, too. Very concise, informative and interesting to read. Shawn's blog entry offered some good clues as to how I might improve my search technique. Thanks, Shawn!
2. My search for this exercise was done on "Language", as this is an important aspect of reading, writing and even speaking, when it comes to the library. As a librarian, I find books in other languages, but am unable to translate them, as well as having patrons who don't speak English as a first language. When my results came up on the screen, I found there are 34 publications related to the language search. On the side menu, the user is able to further advance the search by including/excluding the Publication Subject, which was really helpful for me. This function also displays how many (count) of the results apply to the subjects. I selected literature, then excluded the remaining choices, as they did not seem as relevant to my query. That decision gave the result of one (1) publication, Romance Quarterly. ProQuest has a great database here, with some excellent filters for the user. This is a database I believe will benefit anyone wishing to research new and old publications for information related to their particular subject. I think I might just go explore when I get home, using my SDSL e-card. Yes, I think that sounds like a good way to spend some time online. :)
Oh, one more thing... Happy Valentine's Day! <3
http://search.proquest.com/docview/848439222/AC55C70EDAE64740PQ/1?accountid=47336
What I did appreciate about ProQuest, is the ability to email any of the articles to myself, for future use/reference. The site offers the user the ability to save searches, create alerts, print, create RSS, and more. There is also the option to sort, whether by date or relevance and results may be narrowed further by choosing full text, peer reviewed, source type (my search has 5 magazine sources listed), location, language, date, and more. When there is more time for me to do so, I would like to return and do further searches, for something less rare... like llamas. ;^)
1.a There are three (3) cohorts' blogs that I visited, for this section of the exercises. The first one was Mike Sanders. I read two of his entries, both of which are related to this week's exercise. I really learned something new, related to his search, about the shipping industry and it's contribution to global warming. A very nicely written blog entry, to be certain. :)
The second blog, by Elizabeth Ketterling, was visited because she commented on a previous blog entry of mine. I am unsure if she is a cohort, because her name isn't listed to the roster of participants in the ERC2014. Still, she has a lovely blog, related to food/recipes/saving a buck or two on groceries. The reader can locate her blog here: delectabledinnersdonedirtcheap.blogspot.com
Finally, I perused "Shawn on the Road", simply because I've had the great pleasure of meeting her in person & she's so smart! She writes a nice blog, too. Very concise, informative and interesting to read. Shawn's blog entry offered some good clues as to how I might improve my search technique. Thanks, Shawn!
2. My search for this exercise was done on "Language", as this is an important aspect of reading, writing and even speaking, when it comes to the library. As a librarian, I find books in other languages, but am unable to translate them, as well as having patrons who don't speak English as a first language. When my results came up on the screen, I found there are 34 publications related to the language search. On the side menu, the user is able to further advance the search by including/excluding the Publication Subject, which was really helpful for me. This function also displays how many (count) of the results apply to the subjects. I selected literature, then excluded the remaining choices, as they did not seem as relevant to my query. That decision gave the result of one (1) publication, Romance Quarterly. ProQuest has a great database here, with some excellent filters for the user. This is a database I believe will benefit anyone wishing to research new and old publications for information related to their particular subject. I think I might just go explore when I get home, using my SDSL e-card. Yes, I think that sounds like a good way to spend some time online. :)
Oh, one more thing... Happy Valentine's Day! <3
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Lesson 4 - SIRS Discoverer/SIRS Issues Researcher
SIRS Discoverer
1. Now THIS is nice!! I was delighted to see the easy navigation tools on the SIRS Discoverer site. It's great to see they've broken the findings of my search for llamas down into the various results, as in newspapers, magazines, reference, graphics and webfinds. It's also a nice touch to have a dictionary and thesaurus handy at the top of the page! To make everything even better, each individual result found from my search comes with Reading Levels/Source & Summary icons. The icons aid in making a quick assessment as to whether any particular search result is what the reader might be seeking. One of the best features is located on the bottom of the page, where one is able to specify which reading level is desired, as far as getting results in a search. That's a very handy bonus.
The exercise had me look up my favorite animal, but I had to settle for my second favorite, the llama. My first favorite is the Entlebucher Sennenhund, which is a rare Swiss Mountain Cattle Dog. It didn't come up when I searched, so there it is. There are some limits to this, as far as specific breeds of some animals, I am going to guess. Had I just looked up dog, I'm sure a plethora of related items would have inundated my search results!
During my research, as I perused the various resources listed, such as Newspaper, Magazine, Graphics, Reference, and the others, it was disappointing to discover there were no graphics on the llama. The tab, at the top of the page, states there are 17 graphics, but none show up when I clicked on the link. So, I thought perhaps the graphics are accompanying the magazine articles! That page won't even load for me, so I gave up and checked out the References, the Newspaper articles and the "All Articles" tabs. When I visited the "All Articles" page, I was able to locate various magazine articles, some which declared graphics were included in the article. I chose one and learned the magazine links work, via this page, as well as the graphics links associated with each article. That helps a lot, if one has the time/inclination to "go around" in this way to complete research. I really expected to see a list of thumbnail photos, at the least, on the "Graphics" page, once the link was selected. Perhaps this is still a work in progress, I don't know. At this point, the tab for graphics is unnecessary, as well as the magazine tab, since neither one works. It's still a good resource!
2(a). Instructed to choose a country from the "Database Features", my choice was Peru, as it's the country where llamas are most commonly found. The information about the country is presented in a concise format, with facts such as Official Name ,Capital, Population, Size, Continent/Region, Government Type, Government Official, Agriculture, Currency, Languages, and Observed Holidays. Other information available includes a map, a graphic of the country's flag and Major Historical Events. There is a link provided that leads the reader to further information about the country, by returning to the SIRS Discoverer page of resources on Peru. There are quite a few articles I'd like to read there, now that I've been teased by the headlines!
2(b). Choosing the "Maps of the World", I chose Peru as my country of choice. Three (3) maps came up and each is very interesting, in regard to the data attached to it. The maps, 1531-1533: Conquest of Peru shows who the Conquerors were of the various regions of this country. 500-1000: Early Civilizations in Peru displays what it says it is. The final map of Peru shows the country and the many cities, the capital(s), the borders and more. These are pretty nice maps and they have the potential to be good tools when it comes to writing a report on this country, just for starters.
2(c). This led me to choosing "Skills Discoverer" on the Database Features, for the final leg of this exercise with the SIRS Discoverer. I could spend hours here, as it's chock full of interactive play, learning exercises and so much fun! This resource has several subjects, with sub-categories under each heading. This would definitely be a great tool for children, in that it comes more like play than "schooling" in its approach to the reader. Very nice tool. I'll definitely be going back and will share this with the students coming into the library.
1. The Leading Issue I selected is Animal Cruelty. The Topic Overview covers information regarding Animal Rights, with references to various laws enacted to protect animals and assist advocates in the animal welfare arena. Other tools available on the Overview page include, but are not limited to: Pro & Con Essential Questions, Perspectives, Statistics, Global Impact and additional resources. They provide "terms to know' related to the Leading Issue, as well as give the definition of each term. The research tools offered on this site are very helpful. There are, besides the tools mentioned above, My Analysis, Timeline and Note Organizer. These could benefit the researcher who is doing an in depth report on a topic.
This issue has provoked some very heated discussion amongst advocates and those who
against animals receiving any protections/rights. There are a number of ways to narrow down your search here. A feature provides links (and snapshot views) of newspaper articles, magazine articles, graphics & multimedia, references and viewpoints related to this topic. I like how the page gives a brief view into the newspaper article or other informational source here. This could be very helpful to someone trying to hasten their search results. With this function, the reader can see a summary of the text in any article/magazine, along with the what page the article/column might be on in which media platform (newspaper, magazine) and the Lexile score. The reader is even granted an "add to my list" feature, which has to be beneficial to the researcher perusing several leads on any issue. This is a very thorough site, complete with many links to the subjects related to the issue I chose. All in all, a very well-thought out website/resource for the researcher. :)
2. Select "Curriculum Pathfinders" on the right hand side of the window and mouse over the course subjects, noting the range of topics covered. Pick your favorite subject and discuss the information located there.
There is a nice variety of subjects one can choose .from under the "Curriculum Pathfinders" section on this site. The choices cover the average courses offered by most schools, including Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Fine Arts and Health. Each course, once you "hover" over with your mouse, displays the break-down of the course, giving the sub-topics under the umbrella of said course. For example, I chose Language Arts for my course, because I'm a lover of words and books. The break-down shows American Literature, Composition, Creative Writing, Drama, English Literature and Journalism. Following that break-down, another is given which covers the History of the Language Arts. These sub-categories range from American Literature, English Literature (19th Century), English Literature (Middle English - 1100 to 1500), Medieval Literature, Canon Literacy and Modern Literature (20th century). Following those categories, there are categories of different languages, as well as writing and reading helps. All of these fall under the left hand column on the page with the title, "My Courses". In the center column, Research Ideas are given, with hyperlinks to a page, per tag word, to a page with links to many websites, news articles and more, that are related to the topic. In my case, still under the Language Arts, I chose Creative Writing, then under Research Ideas and clicked on the link for Utopian Literature. The page that opens has several hyperlinks to newspaper, magazine and ezine articles. I plan on reading one of those later tonight, as the summary was very enticing.
One may think this resource has given enough, but wait! There's more!! Below the Research Ideas area, there are a few more tidbits of information provided. There is a 'How Do I?" where you can learn how to analyze a work of poetry or fiction. There's a "Literary Criticism and Interpretation", which is a Virtual Interactive Fiction Tutorial (takes the reader even further in depth into the realm of Fiction and its' elements, the Cultural Contexts for Fiction and the Critical Approaches to Fiction), which allows the researcher/student an opportunity to learn about an author of a story (3 are given) and to start writing about the story in a virtual notebook. This site provides an eBook, in this case, "Beowulf in Hypertext" and a link to a Notable Person in Language Arts (Wm. Shakespeare), which is a fun page to visit, actually. One part of it is written in Ye Olde English, just like back in old Bill's day. The Wm. Shakespeare page is chock full of hyperlinks to some amazing sources of information that ye old librarian would not have considered checking, until I saw it on the page. This resource is a gold mine!
Finally, in the third column, the reader will discover interactive tools to help make their research a bit more fun. There is an interactive game here, "Lord Of the Flies" that, once I learned how to play it, was very educational and quite fun! Another interactive tool provided is the "Printing Press", which enables the researcher to create Newspapers, Brochures or Flyers/Signs/Posters. They offer templates, which you can select and edit at your pace. The ability to save drafts to your computer is handy, as well as the options to add images and edit the fonts, size, alignment and many other editing tools one might find in Word. Once the reader/writer's document is completed, they are able to print it with the tools given within the program. This is a lovely feature and could easily encourage young writers to take a running leap at the realm of creative writing!
All in all, I was sort of bored, upon first examination of this site, but soon fell head over heels in "Oh Yippeee!" with it. Once I began perusing the many features, it began to reel me in. This may be a site that is geared towards young people, but this adult really appreciates the easy navigation, the plethora of incredible information provided and the fun aspects of the interactive tools. This is a great resource and I've already shared bits about it with a couple of the teen patrons who frequent our library. That makes for a good week, I think. :)
1. Now THIS is nice!! I was delighted to see the easy navigation tools on the SIRS Discoverer site. It's great to see they've broken the findings of my search for llamas down into the various results, as in newspapers, magazines, reference, graphics and webfinds. It's also a nice touch to have a dictionary and thesaurus handy at the top of the page! To make everything even better, each individual result found from my search comes with Reading Levels/Source & Summary icons. The icons aid in making a quick assessment as to whether any particular search result is what the reader might be seeking. One of the best features is located on the bottom of the page, where one is able to specify which reading level is desired, as far as getting results in a search. That's a very handy bonus.
The exercise had me look up my favorite animal, but I had to settle for my second favorite, the llama. My first favorite is the Entlebucher Sennenhund, which is a rare Swiss Mountain Cattle Dog. It didn't come up when I searched, so there it is. There are some limits to this, as far as specific breeds of some animals, I am going to guess. Had I just looked up dog, I'm sure a plethora of related items would have inundated my search results!
During my research, as I perused the various resources listed, such as Newspaper, Magazine, Graphics, Reference, and the others, it was disappointing to discover there were no graphics on the llama. The tab, at the top of the page, states there are 17 graphics, but none show up when I clicked on the link. So, I thought perhaps the graphics are accompanying the magazine articles! That page won't even load for me, so I gave up and checked out the References, the Newspaper articles and the "All Articles" tabs. When I visited the "All Articles" page, I was able to locate various magazine articles, some which declared graphics were included in the article. I chose one and learned the magazine links work, via this page, as well as the graphics links associated with each article. That helps a lot, if one has the time/inclination to "go around" in this way to complete research. I really expected to see a list of thumbnail photos, at the least, on the "Graphics" page, once the link was selected. Perhaps this is still a work in progress, I don't know. At this point, the tab for graphics is unnecessary, as well as the magazine tab, since neither one works. It's still a good resource!
2(a). Instructed to choose a country from the "Database Features", my choice was Peru, as it's the country where llamas are most commonly found. The information about the country is presented in a concise format, with facts such as Official Name ,Capital, Population, Size, Continent/Region, Government Type, Government Official, Agriculture, Currency, Languages, and Observed Holidays. Other information available includes a map, a graphic of the country's flag and Major Historical Events. There is a link provided that leads the reader to further information about the country, by returning to the SIRS Discoverer page of resources on Peru. There are quite a few articles I'd like to read there, now that I've been teased by the headlines!
2(b). Choosing the "Maps of the World", I chose Peru as my country of choice. Three (3) maps came up and each is very interesting, in regard to the data attached to it. The maps, 1531-1533: Conquest of Peru shows who the Conquerors were of the various regions of this country. 500-1000: Early Civilizations in Peru displays what it says it is. The final map of Peru shows the country and the many cities, the capital(s), the borders and more. These are pretty nice maps and they have the potential to be good tools when it comes to writing a report on this country, just for starters.
2(c). This led me to choosing "Skills Discoverer" on the Database Features, for the final leg of this exercise with the SIRS Discoverer. I could spend hours here, as it's chock full of interactive play, learning exercises and so much fun! This resource has several subjects, with sub-categories under each heading. This would definitely be a great tool for children, in that it comes more like play than "schooling" in its approach to the reader. Very nice tool. I'll definitely be going back and will share this with the students coming into the library.
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SIRS Issues Researcher1. The Leading Issue I selected is Animal Cruelty. The Topic Overview covers information regarding Animal Rights, with references to various laws enacted to protect animals and assist advocates in the animal welfare arena. Other tools available on the Overview page include, but are not limited to: Pro & Con Essential Questions, Perspectives, Statistics, Global Impact and additional resources. They provide "terms to know' related to the Leading Issue, as well as give the definition of each term. The research tools offered on this site are very helpful. There are, besides the tools mentioned above, My Analysis, Timeline and Note Organizer. These could benefit the researcher who is doing an in depth report on a topic.
This issue has provoked some very heated discussion amongst advocates and those who
against animals receiving any protections/rights. There are a number of ways to narrow down your search here. A feature provides links (and snapshot views) of newspaper articles, magazine articles, graphics & multimedia, references and viewpoints related to this topic. I like how the page gives a brief view into the newspaper article or other informational source here. This could be very helpful to someone trying to hasten their search results. With this function, the reader can see a summary of the text in any article/magazine, along with the what page the article/column might be on in which media platform (newspaper, magazine) and the Lexile score. The reader is even granted an "add to my list" feature, which has to be beneficial to the researcher perusing several leads on any issue. This is a very thorough site, complete with many links to the subjects related to the issue I chose. All in all, a very well-thought out website/resource for the researcher. :)
2. Select "Curriculum Pathfinders" on the right hand side of the window and mouse over the course subjects, noting the range of topics covered. Pick your favorite subject and discuss the information located there.
There is a nice variety of subjects one can choose .from under the "Curriculum Pathfinders" section on this site. The choices cover the average courses offered by most schools, including Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Fine Arts and Health. Each course, once you "hover" over with your mouse, displays the break-down of the course, giving the sub-topics under the umbrella of said course. For example, I chose Language Arts for my course, because I'm a lover of words and books. The break-down shows American Literature, Composition, Creative Writing, Drama, English Literature and Journalism. Following that break-down, another is given which covers the History of the Language Arts. These sub-categories range from American Literature, English Literature (19th Century), English Literature (Middle English - 1100 to 1500), Medieval Literature, Canon Literacy and Modern Literature (20th century). Following those categories, there are categories of different languages, as well as writing and reading helps. All of these fall under the left hand column on the page with the title, "My Courses". In the center column, Research Ideas are given, with hyperlinks to a page, per tag word, to a page with links to many websites, news articles and more, that are related to the topic. In my case, still under the Language Arts, I chose Creative Writing, then under Research Ideas and clicked on the link for Utopian Literature. The page that opens has several hyperlinks to newspaper, magazine and ezine articles. I plan on reading one of those later tonight, as the summary was very enticing.
One may think this resource has given enough, but wait! There's more!! Below the Research Ideas area, there are a few more tidbits of information provided. There is a 'How Do I?" where you can learn how to analyze a work of poetry or fiction. There's a "Literary Criticism and Interpretation", which is a Virtual Interactive Fiction Tutorial (takes the reader even further in depth into the realm of Fiction and its' elements, the Cultural Contexts for Fiction and the Critical Approaches to Fiction), which allows the researcher/student an opportunity to learn about an author of a story (3 are given) and to start writing about the story in a virtual notebook. This site provides an eBook, in this case, "Beowulf in Hypertext" and a link to a Notable Person in Language Arts (Wm. Shakespeare), which is a fun page to visit, actually. One part of it is written in Ye Olde English, just like back in old Bill's day. The Wm. Shakespeare page is chock full of hyperlinks to some amazing sources of information that ye old librarian would not have considered checking, until I saw it on the page. This resource is a gold mine!
Finally, in the third column, the reader will discover interactive tools to help make their research a bit more fun. There is an interactive game here, "Lord Of the Flies" that, once I learned how to play it, was very educational and quite fun! Another interactive tool provided is the "Printing Press", which enables the researcher to create Newspapers, Brochures or Flyers/Signs/Posters. They offer templates, which you can select and edit at your pace. The ability to save drafts to your computer is handy, as well as the options to add images and edit the fonts, size, alignment and many other editing tools one might find in Word. Once the reader/writer's document is completed, they are able to print it with the tools given within the program. This is a lovely feature and could easily encourage young writers to take a running leap at the realm of creative writing!
All in all, I was sort of bored, upon first examination of this site, but soon fell head over heels in "Oh Yippeee!" with it. Once I began perusing the many features, it began to reel me in. This may be a site that is geared towards young people, but this adult really appreciates the easy navigation, the plethora of incredible information provided and the fun aspects of the interactive tools. This is a great resource and I've already shared bits about it with a couple of the teen patrons who frequent our library. That makes for a good week, I think. :)
Friday, January 31, 2014
Lesson 3 - Learning Library
As I followed the instructions on this exercise, I learned there are a lot of sub-categories in each of the testing options. For example, I chose the Skill Building for Adults tab, to find a test that I thought might not embarrass me when I clicked on "score this test". That led to a page with many options to choose a subject matter, such as:
Each of these subjects break down into further detailed options, as far as learning tools and testing. My choice, the Writing and Grammar Skills Improvement, provided these sub-categories, each of which breaks down even further with the individual tests & lessons!
Practice Essays
Grammar Practice
Grammar Skills for Writing Courses
Writing Practice
Fundamentals of Writing Courses
Grammar Practice
Grammar Skills for Writing Courses
Writing Practice
Fundamentals of Writing Courses
From this menu, I selected Grammar Practice, because a little practice never hurts anyone. From here, I discovered another list of choices. This is where I chose the test: Grammar Practice 1, out of the eight (8) tests offered. This resource really offers a lot of bang for your buck, that's for sure! So, having chosen a test to take, I'm going to hop over there and will get back to you as soon as I've aced a few queries... brb.
So much for acing everything! Out of the eight (8) questions I answered, two (2) (glaringly obvious) mistakes were discovered after the scoring took place. I really like how the site provides not only the correct answer, but it also gives the reason for the "grammar rule". The diagnostic tools on this resource are really going to be helpful for the student trying to not only learn the answers, but who also want to understand the why any given answer is either correct or wrong. Now that I've taken the practice test, it would not hurt for me to go back in and do some dusting off of the gray cells. This Resource is a gold mine of information and help! I plan on telling all of my student patrons who visit our library about it, both young and adult. From what I've observed during this exercise, a visit to this site, for any student interested in really growing and improving their test scores, can only be beneficial. The site is easy to navigate and there are many helpful links for the student who wishes to delve deeper into the learning realm.
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The next exercise had me visit the Career Resources. I chose the Career Course: Succeeding on the Job. The first page, once I made my selection, gives a brief description of the course, as well as listing the lesson topics. A small, but important detail to mention is the handy little button that offers more "Instructions" for how to use the platform, if the student struggles anywhere during the lessons.
This course offers good suggestions on how to be better at one's job, in order to work more efficiently with time management, as well as offering many helpful hints on how to excel in human relations in the workplace. Some of those hints would go a very long way in one's personal relationships, also, if one were of a mind to improve self both career-wise and personally. There is a menu on the left side of the screen, which helps the student to track the next lesson topic. Once a page has been completed, a little check mark appears next to the topic in the menu. That's a nice touch, as it helps me to remember where I've read , should I get distracted or lose my place.
Another great point I like about this is the course "saves" your work, automatically, once you being a course. In this course I chose, I found some of the material did not really apply to my position at this library, but I read it for the sake of the exercise. The course offers little tools that help to discover how one might be mismanaging their time, as well as how to amend that in a way to benefit the individual and their employer/colleagues. Next to the "instructions" button at the top of the page, is also a link to the "my center" and to a "notebook" where the student can take notes and save them for future reference. I really like how the course does the saving, when it comes to the tools used, like the time management tool, so I am able to return to it at a later time. Anything saved can be edited, another plus, if one needs to do so, in the future. All in all, this is a nice resource that may be very helpful to anyone wishing to enhance their skills and possibly prepare themselves for advancement.
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The final exercise was to type a search for a skills improvement or a career topic. From this, I must select an eBook and peruse its pages. My search, for "Business Communications" led me to an eBook on "Business Writing Clear and Simple". This book is one I'd really like to read, as I feel it is vital to the business I am in to have healthy and proper writing skills, in order to effectively communicate with patrons, write grants, and more.
The book has been broken down into sections, all listed clearly in the Table of Contents. The first section, Basic Training, offers several suggestions to aid the student in a number of ways. This eBook looks like it would be a wonderful tool to have access to at any time, if something is needed. The first section covers things like organizing thoughts, the necessity of avoiding certain words, keeping the transcript positive, simple, clear and concise and more.
Section 2 approaches the Composition basics. These basics cover everything from using the proper formats, the parts of a letter & how to use them, electronic communications, resumes, cover letters and even covers the paper and envelope discussion. This section is really nice, because it provides examples of the correct format for the topics covered. As the type of learner who tends to "get it" faster when an example is available, I truly appreciate this aspect of the course!
Section 3 gives a large variety of sample letters, with explanations for when each might be used. There are also suggestions as to when it's appropriate to send which type of letter. This eBook would be a very valuable tool for those folks who don't have time to go hunting through volumes of grammar books for an answer to any questions related to Business Communications/Writing Skills and Grammar. This eBook seems to have covered a multitude of very important facts that writers need to know and blunders that writers tend to practice.
The final section, Section 4 approaches Grammar, which is a very vital aspect of effective communicating. We all know and have experienced that one individual on Facebook and elsewhere in life, whom tends to correct our typos and bad grammar. Having access to this Section alone could bring the Grammar Police to their knees, or at the very least, get them off of our backs! This section covers the parts of speech, punctuation (Do I have too, too many commas in this sentence, yet?), capitalization, spelling and more. All are very useful tools for the writer who wishes to excel in their craft or field of work.
This exercise has been a very profitable one for this librarian. This weekend, my plan is to purchase a ream of paper, so I can print this eBook. Yes, this decision is not a very green choice, but this book is going to be very helpful for a very long, long time. Thank you, to the Learning Express Library for this very valuable tool!
The book has been broken down into sections, all listed clearly in the Table of Contents. The first section, Basic Training, offers several suggestions to aid the student in a number of ways. This eBook looks like it would be a wonderful tool to have access to at any time, if something is needed. The first section covers things like organizing thoughts, the necessity of avoiding certain words, keeping the transcript positive, simple, clear and concise and more.
Section 2 approaches the Composition basics. These basics cover everything from using the proper formats, the parts of a letter & how to use them, electronic communications, resumes, cover letters and even covers the paper and envelope discussion. This section is really nice, because it provides examples of the correct format for the topics covered. As the type of learner who tends to "get it" faster when an example is available, I truly appreciate this aspect of the course!
Section 3 gives a large variety of sample letters, with explanations for when each might be used. There are also suggestions as to when it's appropriate to send which type of letter. This eBook would be a very valuable tool for those folks who don't have time to go hunting through volumes of grammar books for an answer to any questions related to Business Communications/Writing Skills and Grammar. This eBook seems to have covered a multitude of very important facts that writers need to know and blunders that writers tend to practice.
The final section, Section 4 approaches Grammar, which is a very vital aspect of effective communicating. We all know and have experienced that one individual on Facebook and elsewhere in life, whom tends to correct our typos and bad grammar. Having access to this Section alone could bring the Grammar Police to their knees, or at the very least, get them off of our backs! This section covers the parts of speech, punctuation (Do I have too, too many commas in this sentence, yet?), capitalization, spelling and more. All are very useful tools for the writer who wishes to excel in their craft or field of work.
This exercise has been a very profitable one for this librarian. This weekend, my plan is to purchase a ream of paper, so I can print this eBook. Yes, this decision is not a very green choice, but this book is going to be very helpful for a very long, long time. Thank you, to the Learning Express Library for this very valuable tool!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Lesson 2 -Chilton Library and Mango Languages
This certainly challenged me, when it comes to the search of criteria stipulated in the challenge. The first exercise instructed me to search for my vehicle & the maintenance schedule. Perhaps it's just me, but I could not locate the 30,000 mile maintenance schedule for my particular car. There is, however, a 3,000 mile schedule mentioned, as well as a recommendation to replace engine coolant every 45,000 miles or 36 months. For the sake of the exercise, I shall list the recommendations for the 3,000 miles recommended maintenance details.
Service/Inspect Exhaust system
Service/Inspect Rotate tires
Service/Inspect Suspension ball joints
I was glad to find these recommendations, so I might be sure everything is up to date on my vehicle. It surprised me to find only the three above suggestions and then one for the 45,000.
That having been said, after my initial confusion and surprise, I recalled the last exercises we did and went back to the Chilton's site and looked for avenues which might bear more fruit than my prior search. Sure enough, there in the upper corner of the page was a link to the "full chart list". Obviously, my ranger skills are slipping, but that's a different blog entry. Upon locating the more extensive list, I found the correct mileage and details requested in the exercise. Success! Here was a far more detailed list, which included the 3 above suggestions, with a total of 9 offered for the 30K mileage. I did not even realize my car has upper knuckle ball studs, whatever those are!
Once I've figured out I need to pay better attention to "Links" and other elements on the site, it was much easier to navigate. Apparently, the PIC (person in chair) factor plays a major role in efficiently being able to assist others with the site, as well as one's self.
The second exercise requested information regarding the most recent Technical Service Bulletin or Recall notice and when it was issued. There are several listed, over the years my vehicle has been driven. The most recent listing is a Technical Service Bulletin, which mentions something about "Blending Clearcoat During the Refinish process" from January 31, 2013. This database, once I got all of my "dots" connected really is fantastic! It was sweet to learn that there are videos and pop-up windows that provide more information and instructions on various recommended maintenance and Service Bulletins. It was especially pleasing to see the correct repair details, so if/when I took my own car in for service, I could look this up and avoid being "scammed" by unscrupulous mechanics. As a single woman, sometimes I do find some mechanics are occasionally prone to overcharging or repairing things that really are not in need of fixing. With this site available, I will be able to educate myself prior to visiting a mechanic, and deciding whether I can do the repairs or should have it done via mechanic. There are some really helpful videos, giving very detailed instructions on how to do repairs, as well as mentioning any specialized tools necessary to complete any repair. It's been a few years since I've attempted fixing any vehicles of my own, but that's because I was leary of the more computerized vehicles of today. With the Chilton's site to help, my fears may just have been quashed a little more.
The most recent recall, which I noticed was back in 2013, does little to interest me, as it's based on cosmetic service. However, I did see a recall notice that dates back in 2009, which is related to the seated heat sensors. My car's heated seats only work when they decide to work, so I'll be contacting my Jeep dealer shortly regarding this hazardous issue! Thank goodness for this database, as well as the exercise. I had no idea I was sitting on a match just waiting to be lit at it's discretion! :)
Service/Inspect Exhaust system
Service/Inspect Rotate tires
Service/Inspect Suspension ball joints
I was glad to find these recommendations, so I might be sure everything is up to date on my vehicle. It surprised me to find only the three above suggestions and then one for the 45,000.
That having been said, after my initial confusion and surprise, I recalled the last exercises we did and went back to the Chilton's site and looked for avenues which might bear more fruit than my prior search. Sure enough, there in the upper corner of the page was a link to the "full chart list". Obviously, my ranger skills are slipping, but that's a different blog entry. Upon locating the more extensive list, I found the correct mileage and details requested in the exercise. Success! Here was a far more detailed list, which included the 3 above suggestions, with a total of 9 offered for the 30K mileage. I did not even realize my car has upper knuckle ball studs, whatever those are!
Once I've figured out I need to pay better attention to "Links" and other elements on the site, it was much easier to navigate. Apparently, the PIC (person in chair) factor plays a major role in efficiently being able to assist others with the site, as well as one's self.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The second exercise requested information regarding the most recent Technical Service Bulletin or Recall notice and when it was issued. There are several listed, over the years my vehicle has been driven. The most recent listing is a Technical Service Bulletin, which mentions something about "Blending Clearcoat During the Refinish process" from January 31, 2013. This database, once I got all of my "dots" connected really is fantastic! It was sweet to learn that there are videos and pop-up windows that provide more information and instructions on various recommended maintenance and Service Bulletins. It was especially pleasing to see the correct repair details, so if/when I took my own car in for service, I could look this up and avoid being "scammed" by unscrupulous mechanics. As a single woman, sometimes I do find some mechanics are occasionally prone to overcharging or repairing things that really are not in need of fixing. With this site available, I will be able to educate myself prior to visiting a mechanic, and deciding whether I can do the repairs or should have it done via mechanic. There are some really helpful videos, giving very detailed instructions on how to do repairs, as well as mentioning any specialized tools necessary to complete any repair. It's been a few years since I've attempted fixing any vehicles of my own, but that's because I was leary of the more computerized vehicles of today. With the Chilton's site to help, my fears may just have been quashed a little more.
The most recent recall, which I noticed was back in 2013, does little to interest me, as it's based on cosmetic service. However, I did see a recall notice that dates back in 2009, which is related to the seated heat sensors. My car's heated seats only work when they decide to work, so I'll be contacting my Jeep dealer shortly regarding this hazardous issue! Thank goodness for this database, as well as the exercise. I had no idea I was sitting on a match just waiting to be lit at it's discretion! :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The final exercise was given to research the Brakes system of my vehicle under the Repairs banner. There is more information than my mind can process, just on the Brakes system alone on this site! The links provided led me to calipers and wheel speed sensors, as well as several windows that provide Diagnostics and testing, related to most specific repairs. I've investigated the component diagrams, which show the reader what the various parts look like & where they would be found within the vehicle. At this point, if I chose to follow the instructions given here, to change my own brake, I feel I could do it. If I were still a young thing, able to crawl into the engine compartment of any car, I might go for it. At least with these tools available, I can pay attention to the mechanic and understand better what he might be trying to communicate as far as repairs. :) Should I choose to service my own vehicle, someday, it's a comfort to know there are wonderful, well prepared videos that will aid my attempts to bleed the brakes or attempt any number of brake repairs. The site includes detailed diagrams, concise videos and written instructions to help the Do-It-Yourself individual attempt their own repairs. The Chilton's Manual website is a treasure trove of useful and very educational information that will be a tremendous tool for anyone in the mechanical field or the layman wanting to stretch his/her dollars in today's economy by doing their own repairs.
All in all, the Chilton's site is a blessing, an incredible, in depth database sure to be a tremendous asset to the SDSL Electronics Resource. I am so thrilled to have access to this, just to bring peace of mind, when it comes to my personal vehicular repairs. Now, I'm really looking forward to sharing more about this site with my patrons. With the help of this exercise, too, I've learned more about how to navigate the site and how frequently it will boot me off, so I have to "re-enter". A small price to pay, for excellent information. :)
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Mango! What a terrific tool when it comes to learning languages! I read the FAQs page and learned there are even lessons on ESL (English Sign Language) available for many different languages. The language I chose to learn, however is Malay, because I have friends who live there. How nice it might be for them to have me try to communicate in their natural tongue, instead of them always having to understand mine. The Mango Languages program really is fairly easy to navigate and use. Upon entering the site and choosing a language, I was taken to a page that offers information about the country/region from which the language originates. On a margin, there are links to information regarding how many people speak the language, where it is spoken and the statistics with that information. The links did not open for my computer, but I'd like to hope they lead to more in depth data related to the language. I did contact someone at the SDSL regarding my difficulties and am waiting on a response, as she is looking into the matter.
The course itself is/was available and I've really enjoyed taking it on as a personal challenge. I like how the language is taught in this course. The various situations which may apply to an individual and the language one might need in any of those situations are listed, as in "greetings/salutations", for example. The individual lessons are split into two different, but related goals - the Conversational Goals and the Grammar Goals. What I appreciate about this, is being able to not only learn how to correctly pronounce the words but to use them with proper grammar.
The lessons are easy to follow, the translations provided are clear and I am excited about this way to learn. At this point, I've yet to discover any dislikes I might have for this learning tool. Whether I find any exist or not, is up to the future and how easily my noggin retains any learned information. For now, let's just leave it at khabir baik... I am good. :)
Monday, January 13, 2014
Lesson 1b - World Book Public Library Edition
The first challenge, using World Book Online Kids, was to find information on an mammal of my choosing, a picture of this mammal and information about its' habitat. The mammal I chose was the llama, because I used to own llamas. My thinking was it may prove beneficial to have a little knowledge to start with, to determine the breadth of information provided by World Book Online Kids, in comparison to the other WBO related databases.
The World Book Online Kids gives a photograph of a beautiful llama, and a good amount of basic information related to the llama. Two short paragraphs, describing the llama physically, where it originates and some details regarding how they are used by the people whom own one of these great working animals. All in all, a nice and concise introduction to the llama. Just right for the age group audience it's aimed toward. I am loathe to mention it, but the video shared is inaccurate, in that's footage of the Guanaco, not llamas, although the page states the animals are brown and white llamas. In the photo below is a brown and white llama, but not then it is not same creature as the guanaco that is shown in the same video listed on both of the Kids' pages. Call me strange, but I believe the video needs to be either removed or the information corrected, in order for the resource to maintain integrity.
This is a llama ~
When I repeated the search, via the World Book Online Info Finder, there was more information related to the llama. This time, the first page grants a peek at the llama, as well as many subjects related to them. It was good to see there is more variety of information for the researcher, two pages worth, in fact! I clicked on the "Llama" link and was taken to a page that shows, again, a photograph and a video (same video as mentioned above) are offered for the reader to gain a better visual of the animal. The information given about the llama, while still somewhat limited, is more than one finds on the previous search with World Book Online Kids. The information basically expands on the details given during the previous search. When this information is compiled with the info gained via visiting the related links, one might be able to come up with a better understanding of the llama. Good information for an older audience, as long as the reader is interested in pursuing the many options available on these pages.. One good point to mention is the list of sources cited for the information given here. The older kids will most likely appreciate access to the resources cited and may even learn how to add citations to their own reports, given this example. That's always a good habit for them to get into.
This (as seen in the aforementioned video) is a Guacano ~
Finally, the third exercise instructed me to visit the World Book Online Reference Center and search for a country. My choice was Peru, a native home to the llama. The information that appeared on the first screen was really a huge surprise, as I wrongly assumed there would be just a "little bit more" than the previous two searches had provided! In the left column, the search results are listed, including maps, Presidential papers, sounds and so much more! This page offers much more than the first two, which makes it an excellent resource for the students seeking a wider range of data for their research. I was also delighted to see there are e-books listed, primary sources and a plethora of data links on this first page.
Once I chose the link for my country of choice, Peru, I was taken to a page that has an amazing amount of detail information about this country, more than I anticipated! Along with details on the economy, geography, government, climate, history and so on, I learned things about Peru that I'd not yet learned. I LOVE this WBO Reference Center! From now on, when I need to research a country, this shall be my "go-to" resource. It contains shortcuts that will allow me (or the reader) to print subsections of my choosing on a topic. The sources are sited, as well, at the bottom of the page, which aids the reader. There were a couple of the links, in the left column, which did not work, but that may be a temporary glitch in the internet or on the site itself. All in all, however, this is a great resource that can be extremely beneficial to those individuals requiring good, accurate information on any given subject.
The final question of this exercise proves the most difficult to respond to for me. What types of information will be most valuable to my patrons? These databases/resources are so terrific, especially in that they are geared toward age appropriate audiences. I feel there is a lot of good information, but am challenged to pinpoint how it might meet any one patron's needs. The important thing to remember, when our patrons do seek our counsel, it's "out there" and we have the ability to lead them to this vast gold mine of knowledge. That, my friends, is a very good thing. :)
The World Book Online Kids gives a photograph of a beautiful llama, and a good amount of basic information related to the llama. Two short paragraphs, describing the llama physically, where it originates and some details regarding how they are used by the people whom own one of these great working animals. All in all, a nice and concise introduction to the llama. Just right for the age group audience it's aimed toward. I am loathe to mention it, but the video shared is inaccurate, in that's footage of the Guanaco, not llamas, although the page states the animals are brown and white llamas. In the photo below is a brown and white llama, but not then it is not same creature as the guanaco that is shown in the same video listed on both of the Kids' pages. Call me strange, but I believe the video needs to be either removed or the information corrected, in order for the resource to maintain integrity.
This is a llama ~
When I repeated the search, via the World Book Online Info Finder, there was more information related to the llama. This time, the first page grants a peek at the llama, as well as many subjects related to them. It was good to see there is more variety of information for the researcher, two pages worth, in fact! I clicked on the "Llama" link and was taken to a page that shows, again, a photograph and a video (same video as mentioned above) are offered for the reader to gain a better visual of the animal. The information given about the llama, while still somewhat limited, is more than one finds on the previous search with World Book Online Kids. The information basically expands on the details given during the previous search. When this information is compiled with the info gained via visiting the related links, one might be able to come up with a better understanding of the llama. Good information for an older audience, as long as the reader is interested in pursuing the many options available on these pages.. One good point to mention is the list of sources cited for the information given here. The older kids will most likely appreciate access to the resources cited and may even learn how to add citations to their own reports, given this example. That's always a good habit for them to get into.
This (as seen in the aforementioned video) is a Guacano ~
Finally, the third exercise instructed me to visit the World Book Online Reference Center and search for a country. My choice was Peru, a native home to the llama. The information that appeared on the first screen was really a huge surprise, as I wrongly assumed there would be just a "little bit more" than the previous two searches had provided! In the left column, the search results are listed, including maps, Presidential papers, sounds and so much more! This page offers much more than the first two, which makes it an excellent resource for the students seeking a wider range of data for their research. I was also delighted to see there are e-books listed, primary sources and a plethora of data links on this first page.
Once I chose the link for my country of choice, Peru, I was taken to a page that has an amazing amount of detail information about this country, more than I anticipated! Along with details on the economy, geography, government, climate, history and so on, I learned things about Peru that I'd not yet learned. I LOVE this WBO Reference Center! From now on, when I need to research a country, this shall be my "go-to" resource. It contains shortcuts that will allow me (or the reader) to print subsections of my choosing on a topic. The sources are sited, as well, at the bottom of the page, which aids the reader. There were a couple of the links, in the left column, which did not work, but that may be a temporary glitch in the internet or on the site itself. All in all, however, this is a great resource that can be extremely beneficial to those individuals requiring good, accurate information on any given subject.
The final question of this exercise proves the most difficult to respond to for me. What types of information will be most valuable to my patrons? These databases/resources are so terrific, especially in that they are geared toward age appropriate audiences. I feel there is a lot of good information, but am challenged to pinpoint how it might meet any one patron's needs. The important thing to remember, when our patrons do seek our counsel, it's "out there" and we have the ability to lead them to this vast gold mine of knowledge. That, my friends, is a very good thing. :)
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
And so the journey begins...
Welcome to The Tatted Librarian! This blog has been developed to be a tool to use during the South Dakota Library Challenge: Electronic Resources Edition. It is my intent, as the Tatted Librarian, to learn as much as possible about the Electronic Resources available to patrons of the SD State Library. Hopefully, the reader will enjoy reading the perspectives of this small town girl, with big city history. School is about to begin, so with no further adieu, sit back, relax and hang on. This little school bus hasn't been driven in a while. This might get muddy. ;)
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