When I first started this challenge it was almost overwhelming. I was a bit late signing up, so I was behind when I began. I didn't see how I would ever catch up and complete all the assignments! But here we are, at the end already! There were a few frustrations, but on the whole, exploring the databases was fun!
Perhaps the biggest discovery for me was the variety of information available. It was so easy to get distracted from my assignment and go looking at other things! I am reminded of the Family Circus cartoon where the little boy has to go from point A to point B. Instead of going in a straight line, you see his footprints going in a circuitous route all over the page. That's me with these databases! I kept forgetting my mission and going off on other tangents!
I have used World Book with students who have come for library tours. I will continue to do that, but will also make it a point to show them other databases as well. World Book and SIRS Discoverer have some features I can use with library programs.
I will also these databases myself when I need information. I don't how it is with other families, but my relatives regard me as their personal reference librarian and frequently call with questions. Now I have a new source for answers!
This Challenge has been a challenge! But it's been a lot of fun too. Thank You!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Sanborn Maps
I love maps! When we travel, I usually have a map open on my lap so I can see where we are and where we are going. My techie husband loves his GPS, but I maintain that a map is less expensive and has no annoying beeps! And you nver have to replace the batteries!
Looking at the January 1917 and November 1923 maps of Aberdeen was a mini local history lesson. I found the Alexander Mitchell Public Library at it's original location on the corner of 6th Avenue and South Lincoln Street. The library had steam heat and electric lights! Although the library is no longer there, the Methodist Church and Masonic Temple, also shown on the maps, are still in use today.
I know at least one third grade class that does a unit on Aberdeen. I am going to show their teacher this site. I think the kids will have fun looking at the maps and seeing how the city has changed over the years.
Looking at the January 1917 and November 1923 maps of Aberdeen was a mini local history lesson. I found the Alexander Mitchell Public Library at it's original location on the corner of 6th Avenue and South Lincoln Street. The library had steam heat and electric lights! Although the library is no longer there, the Methodist Church and Masonic Temple, also shown on the maps, are still in use today.
I know at least one third grade class that does a unit on Aberdeen. I am going to show their teacher this site. I think the kids will have fun looking at the maps and seeing how the city has changed over the years.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
HeritageQuest
After spending time with AncestryLibrary yesterday, HeritageQuest today was sort of a disappointment. It seemed really slow, and the results were not so helpful. It does have the advantage of being accessible from home, so that's good.
I searched for my hometown (Doylestown, Ohio), figuring there would be a town history or two recording it's 175 year history. I didn't find any. But Doylestown was mentioned in some family histories, so I looked at one of those.
The book mentioned how a local church is known as High Church rather than its "real" name, Emanuel United Church of Christ. High Church sits on a hill about a mile from town. Surrounded by trees, it looks like a picture postcard, especially on a beautiful clear autumn day. At night, it is lit, and visible for miles. As kids, when we'd be driving home from somewhere, we would watch for High Church. As the car would round the curve, whoever saw it first would call out, "High Church," and we knew we were almost home. I admit, on my last trip home, I still watched eagerly and called out "High Church," as my husband and I drove around that curve....
So even though I'm not so fond of HeritageQuest, I am thankful for this little jaunt down Memory Lane.
I searched for my hometown (Doylestown, Ohio), figuring there would be a town history or two recording it's 175 year history. I didn't find any. But Doylestown was mentioned in some family histories, so I looked at one of those.
The book mentioned how a local church is known as High Church rather than its "real" name, Emanuel United Church of Christ. High Church sits on a hill about a mile from town. Surrounded by trees, it looks like a picture postcard, especially on a beautiful clear autumn day. At night, it is lit, and visible for miles. As kids, when we'd be driving home from somewhere, we would watch for High Church. As the car would round the curve, whoever saw it first would call out, "High Church," and we knew we were almost home. I admit, on my last trip home, I still watched eagerly and called out "High Church," as my husband and I drove around that curve....
So even though I'm not so fond of HeritageQuest, I am thankful for this little jaunt down Memory Lane.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
AncestryLibrary
Searching for your roots is easier than ever when using AncestryLibrary. From the comfort of your local library you have access to all sorts of information. Some people may feel it's an inconvenience to have to come to the library to use AncestryLibrary, but it's easier to come to the library than to have to travel to distant cities and/or states to obtain information!
I did find myself listed in the U. S. Phone and Address Directories 1993 - 2002. The neighbors were listed as well! In a way, it's a little scary that all this information about a person is so accessible. Makes me feel like I'm living in a glass house with no curtains!
On the other hand, it was sort of fun to look up my parents and grandparents. I found them all listed in the 1930 Census. I wasn't sure how to spell my maternal grandfather's name, so I used the ? feature (Thornd?ke), which resulted in records for both Thorndike and Thorndyke. I will need to do more research, but I think I found his baptismal record, his name on the passenger list on a ship from England, Census Records from 1900, 1910, and 1920, and his Word War I draft registration! Who knew all this was available?!
One thing I did discover is that spellings and dates are inconsistent. Both his and his mother's names were spelled differently on the various records, and his birth year was listed as 1887, 1888, and 1889, depending on where you looked. The month and day were the same on all the records. So I can't say for sure that I found him, or maybe someone else?
The Picture search for South Dakota yielded over 3,000,000 records! I'm assuming that the terms were searched separately, as some of the photos were from South Carolina, North Dakota, or even elsewhere. Using Quotation marks ("south dakota") resulted in 412,442 records, which is still a lot to look through if you are looking for something specific. Adding more details could help narrow the search further.
It was interesting to look at the various photos of South Dakota towns from the 1930s and 40s. Some looked pretty bleak.
I don't usually encounter library patrons doing genealogical research in my area of the library. But if someone does ask me, now I know where to point them!
I did find myself listed in the U. S. Phone and Address Directories 1993 - 2002. The neighbors were listed as well! In a way, it's a little scary that all this information about a person is so accessible. Makes me feel like I'm living in a glass house with no curtains!
On the other hand, it was sort of fun to look up my parents and grandparents. I found them all listed in the 1930 Census. I wasn't sure how to spell my maternal grandfather's name, so I used the ? feature (Thornd?ke), which resulted in records for both Thorndike and Thorndyke. I will need to do more research, but I think I found his baptismal record, his name on the passenger list on a ship from England, Census Records from 1900, 1910, and 1920, and his Word War I draft registration! Who knew all this was available?!
One thing I did discover is that spellings and dates are inconsistent. Both his and his mother's names were spelled differently on the various records, and his birth year was listed as 1887, 1888, and 1889, depending on where you looked. The month and day were the same on all the records. So I can't say for sure that I found him, or maybe someone else?
The Picture search for South Dakota yielded over 3,000,000 records! I'm assuming that the terms were searched separately, as some of the photos were from South Carolina, North Dakota, or even elsewhere. Using Quotation marks ("south dakota") resulted in 412,442 records, which is still a lot to look through if you are looking for something specific. Adding more details could help narrow the search further.
It was interesting to look at the various photos of South Dakota towns from the 1930s and 40s. Some looked pretty bleak.
I don't usually encounter library patrons doing genealogical research in my area of the library. But if someone does ask me, now I know where to point them!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
CAMIO
Slow day today at the library.... Snow and blizzard warnings are keeping our patrons home, so I've been able to spend the morning investigating CAMIO. I've had fun with this database: it's sort of like a virtual tour of the top museums in the country!
Paul Revere was a silversmith, and a variety of museums own his works. Looking at the tea pots, sugar bowls, etc. reminds me of times past when my mother would get out her fancy silver for special guests. (Me - well I just plop a tea bag in a mug, pour in the hot water and go from there....) I did notice that some records have more detailed descriptions than others. I also thought it was interesting and sort of ironic that the museum in Williamstown, Massachusetts has a sugar basket that it lists as a forgery! I guess it's true what they say - "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!"
The "Sioux" search also turned up a variety of items (clothing, drawings, paintings, photographs, etc.) from many different museums. Most of the items are from the 1800's, but I did notice the star quilt from 1991. One odd item was the French writing table, included because one of the creators was a man named Jean-Charles Sioux....
For my artist search I looked up Norman Rockwell. I thought there would be many records, but there were only six! I also looked up Matthew Brady, the Civil War photographer. Only one photograph was listed, from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
One of my favorite art forms is a quilt, so that's what I did for a subject search. I especially like antique and vintage quilts, and have quite a lot of reproduction fabrics in my stash. There were 50 records to look at. I saved several of the quilts in "Favorites." The goal will be to study them and maybe try to see if I can achieve a similar look in one of my own quilts. (What did I say about imitation?!)
How will patrons use CAMIO? Teachers could use the images in presentations to classes, and students could use them as well. Having to access CAMIO from a library or school may be a negative for some, as it means planning ahead and not waiting until midnight the night before an assignment is due.... I don't think this database will be as popular as some of the others, but it's there for when we are asked just the right question!
Paul Revere was a silversmith, and a variety of museums own his works. Looking at the tea pots, sugar bowls, etc. reminds me of times past when my mother would get out her fancy silver for special guests. (Me - well I just plop a tea bag in a mug, pour in the hot water and go from there....) I did notice that some records have more detailed descriptions than others. I also thought it was interesting and sort of ironic that the museum in Williamstown, Massachusetts has a sugar basket that it lists as a forgery! I guess it's true what they say - "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!"
The "Sioux" search also turned up a variety of items (clothing, drawings, paintings, photographs, etc.) from many different museums. Most of the items are from the 1800's, but I did notice the star quilt from 1991. One odd item was the French writing table, included because one of the creators was a man named Jean-Charles Sioux....
For my artist search I looked up Norman Rockwell. I thought there would be many records, but there were only six! I also looked up Matthew Brady, the Civil War photographer. Only one photograph was listed, from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
One of my favorite art forms is a quilt, so that's what I did for a subject search. I especially like antique and vintage quilts, and have quite a lot of reproduction fabrics in my stash. There were 50 records to look at. I saved several of the quilts in "Favorites." The goal will be to study them and maybe try to see if I can achieve a similar look in one of my own quilts. (What did I say about imitation?!)
How will patrons use CAMIO? Teachers could use the images in presentations to classes, and students could use them as well. Having to access CAMIO from a library or school may be a negative for some, as it means planning ahead and not waiting until midnight the night before an assignment is due.... I don't think this database will be as popular as some of the others, but it's there for when we are asked just the right question!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
ArchiveGrid
On my first attempt, I could not get into ArchiveGrid, but if at first you don't succeed.... When I tried a second time I was able to successfully search for "sitting bull autograph card" and look at one record from Cornell University Library. The notes are quite detailed, so you can get a pretty good idea of what the document is and what it contains.
I'm not sure our library patrons will use this site, unless they are into some serious research. Having to access it from the library (as opposed to home or where ever) may be a negative for some, but if a person is really serious about their research, this site can be very beneficial in locating sources of historical documents.
For my own search, I looked for "laura ingalls wilder" and got 20 records. (I thought there would be more....) Several were for authors who won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, which was not what I was looking for. One of the records is for letters written by some of Caroline Ingalls's family. It is an electronic resource from the Wisconsin Historical Society. When I clicked on the link to the Society, I found that some of the letters have been digitized! I could actually look at them. Lesson plans are also included for teachers.
I confess that I sort of digressed from there and spent more time looking at the Historical Society site, and less time at ArchiveGrid. I was even able to listen to some oral histories of Holocaust survivors that immigrated to Wisconsin after the War. One never knows where a search may lead!
I'm not sure our library patrons will use this site, unless they are into some serious research. Having to access it from the library (as opposed to home or where ever) may be a negative for some, but if a person is really serious about their research, this site can be very beneficial in locating sources of historical documents.
For my own search, I looked for "laura ingalls wilder" and got 20 records. (I thought there would be more....) Several were for authors who won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, which was not what I was looking for. One of the records is for letters written by some of Caroline Ingalls's family. It is an electronic resource from the Wisconsin Historical Society. When I clicked on the link to the Society, I found that some of the letters have been digitized! I could actually look at them. Lesson plans are also included for teachers.
I confess that I sort of digressed from there and spent more time looking at the Historical Society site, and less time at ArchiveGrid. I was even able to listen to some oral histories of Holocaust survivors that immigrated to Wisconsin after the War. One never knows where a search may lead!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
WorldCat
WorldCat is not new to me, as I have searched for titles requested by our patrons. However, I was not familiar with the other databases, so I did learn something new today!
For the first part of this exercise, I looked up a title a patron told me about recently: The Winged Watchman, by Hilda Van Stockum. It's a children's story about a Dutch wind mill operator and his family during World War II. Of the 440 libraries that own a copy of the first record listed, Dakota State University is the only one in South Dakota. The LC "number" for this book is PZ7.V36.
When I did an author search for Hilda Van Stockum, WorldCat listed 145 items (131 books). Our library owns one title that she authored (The Borrowed House), and one that she illustrated (Little Men).
For a subject search, I clicked on "Netherlands - History - German Occupation, 1940-1945 - Juvenile Fiction." There are 83 items, 63 of which are books. Students who enjoy historical fiction set in this time period have many choices! We have access to the libraries of the world (literally!) when we use WorldCat!
OAIster is new to me. I didn't even know it existed before this exercise. It's been interesting to see what documents are available. I'm not sure who will want to read some of the government reports, but it's good to know they are there. I read part of a dissertation on pheasant hunting, and looked at a few old photographs as well. I tried unsuccessfully to view more photos: I kept getting an error message or the dread "webpage cannot be found" screen....
WorldCat has been a fun exercise. I am now starting a list of titles to interlibrary loan when I have more time to read them!
For the first part of this exercise, I looked up a title a patron told me about recently: The Winged Watchman, by Hilda Van Stockum. It's a children's story about a Dutch wind mill operator and his family during World War II. Of the 440 libraries that own a copy of the first record listed, Dakota State University is the only one in South Dakota. The LC "number" for this book is PZ7.V36.
When I did an author search for Hilda Van Stockum, WorldCat listed 145 items (131 books). Our library owns one title that she authored (The Borrowed House), and one that she illustrated (Little Men).
For a subject search, I clicked on "Netherlands - History - German Occupation, 1940-1945 - Juvenile Fiction." There are 83 items, 63 of which are books. Students who enjoy historical fiction set in this time period have many choices! We have access to the libraries of the world (literally!) when we use WorldCat!
OAIster is new to me. I didn't even know it existed before this exercise. It's been interesting to see what documents are available. I'm not sure who will want to read some of the government reports, but it's good to know they are there. I read part of a dissertation on pheasant hunting, and looked at a few old photographs as well. I tried unsuccessfully to view more photos: I kept getting an error message or the dread "webpage cannot be found" screen....
WorldCat has been a fun exercise. I am now starting a list of titles to interlibrary loan when I have more time to read them!
Friday, February 17, 2012
eBooks on EBSCOhost
After playing researching eBooks on EBSCOhost, I had to take a deep breath, step away from my computer, and indulge in a cup of hot cocoa.... This was a most frustrating experience! In the first place, I am not a great fan of ebooks. I do not own a Kindle or a Nook. But I was willing to give eBooks a try, because I know our library does not own all the books in the world, and it's a trustworthy source of information. However, I found the experience to be cumbersome and as stated previously, frustrating.
My first search was for a recipe for a corn soup I ate in Guatemala. I searched for Cookery Guatemala, but had no results. So I tried Cookery Central America, and got two titles: Cooking the Central American Way appeared to be the best choice. Although the recipe I am searching for is not included, the book was interesting. Photos of the prepared food made my mouth water! The Table of Contents was listed at the side of the page, so I could scroll down and click on any recipe I wanted to read.
Then I searched for Quilting: of the various titles listed, I looked at Idiot's Guide to Quilting. I couldn't get the Table of Contents to appear as it did for the cookbook, but when I looked at the full text, I went to the Contents, saw what chapter I wanted to read, and typed in the page number at the bottom and clicked Go....
Moving on to the next part of the assignment, I searched for Constitution and United States, and Constitution Amendments. The resulting titles were definitely more scholarly and detailed than your average public library collection (especially in the Children's Department where I work)! The easiest was probably Idiot's Guide to the Presidents, but that really only deals superficially with the Constitution. I also looked at Companion to the United States Constitution and It's Amendments (3rd edition) by John R. Vile, 2001. It contains background information about events leading to the writing of the Constitution, as well as court cases dealing with various amendments. Working on the assumption that "more is better," I perused another title, Our Elusive Constitution, by Daniel N. Hoffman (1997).
This is when I began to get frustrated.... I wanted to specifically look up the 14th Amendment in the book. I found the index, searched to find the 14th amendment listed, and saw there were about a dozen pages listed. I searched several of those pages, before I gave up, opened a new window on my computer, and googled it! But I figured there must be an easier way to find specific information, so I went back to my ebook and studied the screen. Eureka! I found the "search within" button under Tool on the right side!
So then I figured I should investigate some of the other buttons there on the right.... I created an account so I could have a folder. I want back to my previous searches (quilting and cookery) to find information I wanted to save. I thought I could put a recipe in the folder, but it only puts the entire book in the folder. Then I tried to email pages from the Quilt book to myself, but I got an error message, and was told I had to sign in again, But when I tried to sign in, it wouldn't accept my name or password! So I exited out and started over, only to find that the quilt book was in use.
I decided to print a recipe, but was told I exceeded the print limit (must be because of copyright?). Then I couldn't access the cookbook either, because it said it was in use!
That's when I knew I needed to step back and indulge in some chocolate!
Oh yes, I did do the third part of this exercise. By searching for Nebraska or Oklahoma in the PB Publisher field, results are limited to books published by presses that contain those words (University or Nebraska or University of Oklahoma Press). There were some interesting titles listed. I read the introduction to a book about baseball and the military during World War II, and also looked at a book about an Indian Boarding School in Rapid City.
There is no doubt that there is a lot of information available on eBooks on EBSCOhost, but it was difficult to get to. I am not giving up, but I will need to work with this more before I feel comfortable suggesting it to patrons.
My first search was for a recipe for a corn soup I ate in Guatemala. I searched for Cookery Guatemala, but had no results. So I tried Cookery Central America, and got two titles: Cooking the Central American Way appeared to be the best choice. Although the recipe I am searching for is not included, the book was interesting. Photos of the prepared food made my mouth water! The Table of Contents was listed at the side of the page, so I could scroll down and click on any recipe I wanted to read.
Then I searched for Quilting: of the various titles listed, I looked at Idiot's Guide to Quilting. I couldn't get the Table of Contents to appear as it did for the cookbook, but when I looked at the full text, I went to the Contents, saw what chapter I wanted to read, and typed in the page number at the bottom and clicked Go....
Moving on to the next part of the assignment, I searched for Constitution and United States, and Constitution Amendments. The resulting titles were definitely more scholarly and detailed than your average public library collection (especially in the Children's Department where I work)! The easiest was probably Idiot's Guide to the Presidents, but that really only deals superficially with the Constitution. I also looked at Companion to the United States Constitution and It's Amendments (3rd edition) by John R. Vile, 2001. It contains background information about events leading to the writing of the Constitution, as well as court cases dealing with various amendments. Working on the assumption that "more is better," I perused another title, Our Elusive Constitution, by Daniel N. Hoffman (1997).
This is when I began to get frustrated.... I wanted to specifically look up the 14th Amendment in the book. I found the index, searched to find the 14th amendment listed, and saw there were about a dozen pages listed. I searched several of those pages, before I gave up, opened a new window on my computer, and googled it! But I figured there must be an easier way to find specific information, so I went back to my ebook and studied the screen. Eureka! I found the "search within" button under Tool on the right side!
So then I figured I should investigate some of the other buttons there on the right.... I created an account so I could have a folder. I want back to my previous searches (quilting and cookery) to find information I wanted to save. I thought I could put a recipe in the folder, but it only puts the entire book in the folder. Then I tried to email pages from the Quilt book to myself, but I got an error message, and was told I had to sign in again, But when I tried to sign in, it wouldn't accept my name or password! So I exited out and started over, only to find that the quilt book was in use.
I decided to print a recipe, but was told I exceeded the print limit (must be because of copyright?). Then I couldn't access the cookbook either, because it said it was in use!
That's when I knew I needed to step back and indulge in some chocolate!
Oh yes, I did do the third part of this exercise. By searching for Nebraska or Oklahoma in the PB Publisher field, results are limited to books published by presses that contain those words (University or Nebraska or University of Oklahoma Press). There were some interesting titles listed. I read the introduction to a book about baseball and the military during World War II, and also looked at a book about an Indian Boarding School in Rapid City.
There is no doubt that there is a lot of information available on eBooks on EBSCOhost, but it was difficult to get to. I am not giving up, but I will need to work with this more before I feel comfortable suggesting it to patrons.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Gale Virtual Reference Library
My first impression of the Gale Virtual Reference Library was that there were alot of titles on various topics. Then I thought, "well, that's what a Reference collection is supposed to be like!"
The American Civil War Reference Library caught my attention, and I spent some time looking at biographies of several women listed. Many of them were spies. I think they were successful because men underestimated their skill and determination.
Then I figured I should check out some titles and topics that would be more pertinant for my work. Since we often have students asking about endangered animals for school reports, I looked at Endangered Species (2nd ed. 2004). It contains information on endangered mammals, birds, bugs, and more. Our library does not have books about many of the animals listed (numbats, for example), so this could be a good resource for students.
We also had someone asking about the water cycle, so that was the topic I searched for. There were many articles listed, but I found two especially helpful. Both the UXL Encyclopedia of Water Science and the Gale Encyclopedia of Science had articles on the "hydrologic cycle." The UXL Encyclopedia seemed a bit easier to understand and more helpful to younger students. The listen feature will benefit kids needing extra help to understand more technical vocabulary.
I also emailed an article to myself. Having this option means a student wouldn't have to stay at the library to work on their assignment - they could email it home. Or if students are working on a group project, they could share information easily.
The American Civil War Reference Library caught my attention, and I spent some time looking at biographies of several women listed. Many of them were spies. I think they were successful because men underestimated their skill and determination.
Then I figured I should check out some titles and topics that would be more pertinant for my work. Since we often have students asking about endangered animals for school reports, I looked at Endangered Species (2nd ed. 2004). It contains information on endangered mammals, birds, bugs, and more. Our library does not have books about many of the animals listed (numbats, for example), so this could be a good resource for students.We also had someone asking about the water cycle, so that was the topic I searched for. There were many articles listed, but I found two especially helpful. Both the UXL Encyclopedia of Water Science and the Gale Encyclopedia of Science had articles on the "hydrologic cycle." The UXL Encyclopedia seemed a bit easier to understand and more helpful to younger students. The listen feature will benefit kids needing extra help to understand more technical vocabulary.
I also emailed an article to myself. Having this option means a student wouldn't have to stay at the library to work on their assignment - they could email it home. Or if students are working on a group project, they could share information easily.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Proquest
There are more than 10,000 articles written about Charles Dickens that are available in Proquest, and I attempted to read several of them in this assignment. It was a challenge! I've always thought I have a decent vocabulary, but I needed a dictionary to decipher the article about Dickens's view on slavery! Proquest is definitely more scholarly - for those serious about their research.
My first search was for Quilting, an activity I wish I had more time to do. Most of the articles listed were for book reviews in Library Journal. I think this topic is better searched in a different database....
Then I decided to look up Charles Dickens, whose 200th birthday was February 7. I figured he would be fodder for more scholarly research, and I was correct. The focus of the 10,000+ articles varied, from Dickens's first visit to America in 1842, to his views on slavery, even to the cause of his death in 1870. Articles were from a variety of publications as well. Some were more scholarly than others.
High School and College students doing research should be able to find information using Proquest, but they will need to persevere. It will take time to sift through the articles.
For the third part of this assignment (Publications), I looked for Public Libraries and got one hit: Public Libraries. Then I tried Libraries and got 9 hits for Title, and 72 for In Publication Summary. I was thinking this could be very helpful, since our library has dropped subscriptions to several professional journals. But then I checked out Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, hoping to read current book reviews, only to find that there is a one-year delay. All I can read at this time is an abstract and citation for reviewed titles. So now I am frustrated. It's like they are holding a carrot just out of my reach!
I did check out some of the other blogs, and commented on one of them. It's fun to see what others are looking up and to note their search strategies. (I hope they don't mind if I borrow some of their techniques to help our patrons.) Reading my colleagues posts is also confirmation that I am on the right track in this Challenge.
My first search was for Quilting, an activity I wish I had more time to do. Most of the articles listed were for book reviews in Library Journal. I think this topic is better searched in a different database....
Then I decided to look up Charles Dickens, whose 200th birthday was February 7. I figured he would be fodder for more scholarly research, and I was correct. The focus of the 10,000+ articles varied, from Dickens's first visit to America in 1842, to his views on slavery, even to the cause of his death in 1870. Articles were from a variety of publications as well. Some were more scholarly than others.
High School and College students doing research should be able to find information using Proquest, but they will need to persevere. It will take time to sift through the articles.
For the third part of this assignment (Publications), I looked for Public Libraries and got one hit: Public Libraries. Then I tried Libraries and got 9 hits for Title, and 72 for In Publication Summary. I was thinking this could be very helpful, since our library has dropped subscriptions to several professional journals. But then I checked out Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, hoping to read current book reviews, only to find that there is a one-year delay. All I can read at this time is an abstract and citation for reviewed titles. So now I am frustrated. It's like they are holding a carrot just out of my reach!
I did check out some of the other blogs, and commented on one of them. It's fun to see what others are looking up and to note their search strategies. (I hope they don't mind if I borrow some of their techniques to help our patrons.) Reading my colleagues posts is also confirmation that I am on the right track in this Challenge.
Monday, February 6, 2012
SIRS Issues Researcher
A friend and I were talking this past weekend about how we did research when we were in high school. Both of us have fond (and not so fond) memories of using the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature.... Times have changed! Now we can click our way through SIRS Issues Researcher and have all the information we need to present our side of almost any debate!
The issue I investigated was Alternative Education: homeschooling, vouchers, and same-sex schools. By looking at the Pro/Con Issues and Essential Questions I can learn both sides of the issue, and either form an intelligent opinion or gather facts to support the opinion I already have. The Overview article and Timeline give good background information as well as critical thinking questions to ask and answer.
The Curriculum Pathfinder I chose was Language Arts. I looked at articles on American Literature including websites, magazine articles and even government documents. I also perused Creative Writing and English Literature articles. I did a little tutorial called Hints About Print, which shows how to evaluate a book for usefulness to your topic. I thought the tutorial, while containing good information, was a bit elementary for the intended audience.
SIRS Issues Researcher has been an interesting lesson, but I personally don't think it was as fun as Discoverer!
The issue I investigated was Alternative Education: homeschooling, vouchers, and same-sex schools. By looking at the Pro/Con Issues and Essential Questions I can learn both sides of the issue, and either form an intelligent opinion or gather facts to support the opinion I already have. The Overview article and Timeline give good background information as well as critical thinking questions to ask and answer.
The Curriculum Pathfinder I chose was Language Arts. I looked at articles on American Literature including websites, magazine articles and even government documents. I also perused Creative Writing and English Literature articles. I did a little tutorial called Hints About Print, which shows how to evaluate a book for usefulness to your topic. I thought the tutorial, while containing good information, was a bit elementary for the intended audience.
SIRS Issues Researcher has been an interesting lesson, but I personally don't think it was as fun as Discoverer!
Friday, February 3, 2012
SIRS Discoverer
This is only the first part of the SIRS lesson, but I wanted to post my results while they were fresh....
I must be a rebel at heart, because I did not want to look up armadillos. Yesterday was February 2, so I checked out information about Groundhogs. There was basic information about groundhogs (habitat, diet, lifespan, etc.), but also much more. I found magazine fiction stories, a craft idea from the Akron Beacon Journal, and a plethora of newspaper articles about Punxsutawney Phil and his Groundhog Day predictions. I also checked out a related web site (stormfax.com), where I learned that Phil lives at the Public Library in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania!
Moving on the the Database Features, I checked out both Haiti and Cuba. I think students researching countries for reports will find this very informative. The historical timeline is helpful as well. I did notice that the last date for Haiti was 2010, and for Cuba it was 2008. Students needing more current information will need to check out other databases.
Since I enjoy history, I looked at Historical Maps. There are a lot of them! Besides just being interesting to look at, these maps can be used to illustrate students' research, or even by educators to enhance presentations. I also checked out some of the Outline Maps. Once again, I can see students using them for reports. (Those lucky kids! I'm dating myself here, but I remember when we had to try to draw maps free hand for our reports!)
I investigated Activities as well. I looked at Art Projects, Science and Nature Projects, and Food Projects and Recipes. I'm looking for ideas to use in our Children's Programs, and I think I've found some potential programs!
I must be a rebel at heart, because I did not want to look up armadillos. Yesterday was February 2, so I checked out information about Groundhogs. There was basic information about groundhogs (habitat, diet, lifespan, etc.), but also much more. I found magazine fiction stories, a craft idea from the Akron Beacon Journal, and a plethora of newspaper articles about Punxsutawney Phil and his Groundhog Day predictions. I also checked out a related web site (stormfax.com), where I learned that Phil lives at the Public Library in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania!
Moving on the the Database Features, I checked out both Haiti and Cuba. I think students researching countries for reports will find this very informative. The historical timeline is helpful as well. I did notice that the last date for Haiti was 2010, and for Cuba it was 2008. Students needing more current information will need to check out other databases.
Since I enjoy history, I looked at Historical Maps. There are a lot of them! Besides just being interesting to look at, these maps can be used to illustrate students' research, or even by educators to enhance presentations. I also checked out some of the Outline Maps. Once again, I can see students using them for reports. (Those lucky kids! I'm dating myself here, but I remember when we had to try to draw maps free hand for our reports!)
I investigated Activities as well. I looked at Art Projects, Science and Nature Projects, and Food Projects and Recipes. I'm looking for ideas to use in our Children's Programs, and I think I've found some potential programs!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Learning Express Library
This is the first time I've used Learning Express Library. It was fun to test my knowledge with different tests.
Because I work with children I wanted to see what the tests for elementary students looked like. I took the 4th grade Reading Test, and I am glad to say I passed it! I think this is a good resource for parents to use to give their children reading comprehension practice.
I also took the Citizenship Practice Test. I am ashamed to say I did not get all the answers correct. I need to brush up in the area of government. (I bet I can look it up in the World Book!)
In the area of Job Skills, I signed up for "Determining What You Want from Your Career." If a person is serious and puts some thought into completing the assignments, they will articulate Career Goals, compile an Action Plan, and even delineate education, experiences, and personality traits that will help them achieve their goals.
For my ebook challenge, I choose "Becoming a Culinary Arts Professional," which is actually pretty unbelievable since one rarely uses the words "cook" and "Nancy" in the same sentence. But if I ever want to become a culinary arts professional, I know where I can get the necessary information to begin.
So what have I learned? I learned that Learning Express Library is a good resource for people of all ages preparing for various exams. There is also a wealth of information for those looking to enter the work force, advance in their careers, or even to change careers. (And for all you trivia fans, the tests are a good way to test your knowledge!)
Because I work with children I wanted to see what the tests for elementary students looked like. I took the 4th grade Reading Test, and I am glad to say I passed it! I think this is a good resource for parents to use to give their children reading comprehension practice.
I also took the Citizenship Practice Test. I am ashamed to say I did not get all the answers correct. I need to brush up in the area of government. (I bet I can look it up in the World Book!)
In the area of Job Skills, I signed up for "Determining What You Want from Your Career." If a person is serious and puts some thought into completing the assignments, they will articulate Career Goals, compile an Action Plan, and even delineate education, experiences, and personality traits that will help them achieve their goals.
For my ebook challenge, I choose "Becoming a Culinary Arts Professional," which is actually pretty unbelievable since one rarely uses the words "cook" and "Nancy" in the same sentence. But if I ever want to become a culinary arts professional, I know where I can get the necessary information to begin.
So what have I learned? I learned that Learning Express Library is a good resource for people of all ages preparing for various exams. There is also a wealth of information for those looking to enter the work force, advance in their careers, or even to change careers. (And for all you trivia fans, the tests are a good way to test your knowledge!)
Friday, January 27, 2012
World Book 1c
Investigating the French and Spanish editions has been interesting and actually kind of fun. Trying to make my blog post interesting, however, is challenging!
In our community, I think the Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos will be more useful. I used it to look up my animal, the perrillo de las praderas (prairie dog). I don't speak Spanish, but by studying the text I was able to guess at some words. Listening to the article being read while I followed along enabled me to hear the correct pronunciation of the words. (Personally I thing prairie dogs sound cuter and less "rodenty" in Spanish than in English!) Then I switched over to the English version and compared the words. By doing this I hope to expand my Spanish vocabulary.
Having this edition of World Book available to our young Spanish speaking patrons will enable even non-readers to learn about almost anything. They'll be able to hear the text read aloud in the language they understand. They can then hear the article read in English - a great way to learn a new language! Spanish-speaking parents are able to take an active role in their children's education by using this version.
On the flip side, English speaking students learning Spanish can benefit from this edition. They can read and hear articles in Spanish and compare them to the English versions (as I did). It's a win-win situation for everyone!
In our community, I think the Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos will be more useful. I used it to look up my animal, the perrillo de las praderas (prairie dog). I don't speak Spanish, but by studying the text I was able to guess at some words. Listening to the article being read while I followed along enabled me to hear the correct pronunciation of the words. (Personally I thing prairie dogs sound cuter and less "rodenty" in Spanish than in English!) Then I switched over to the English version and compared the words. By doing this I hope to expand my Spanish vocabulary.
Having this edition of World Book available to our young Spanish speaking patrons will enable even non-readers to learn about almost anything. They'll be able to hear the text read aloud in the language they understand. They can then hear the article read in English - a great way to learn a new language! Spanish-speaking parents are able to take an active role in their children's education by using this version.
On the flip side, English speaking students learning Spanish can benefit from this edition. They can read and hear articles in Spanish and compare them to the English versions (as I did). It's a win-win situation for everyone!
Monday, January 23, 2012
World Book 1b
My choice for this search was the beaver. I need to be "busy as a beaver" to get caught up on my assignments!
The Kid's Edition has very limited information. It tells me that beavers live in North America, Asia, and Europe, but there is no direct information about the beaver's habitat. It does mention that beavers make dams across streams, eat tree bark and water plants, and have lodges with underwater entrances. I know that beavers live in rivers, streams, or lakes near woodlands, but I'm not so sure a first or second grader would figure that out from just reading the text.
The Info Finder has a wealth of beaver information. There is information about habitat, and also much more. It goes into great detail about the beaver's body, literally from head to toe and teeth to tail. We also learn about the beaver's busy life of cutting down trees, constructing dams, and building lodges.
I especially liked the video of the beaver pup trying to climb up on a dam. That little guy wouldn't give up!
I must say I did get distracted from my beaver search by the virtual tours on the Info Finder. I spent more time than I should have learning about pilgrims and romance!
I looked up Moldova in the Reference Center. Since I know very little about Moldova, I appreciated all the information about the land, people, products, and history. It's a very small country - South Dakota is larger in area than Moldova. I used the Read Aloud function to find out how to pronounce Chisinau, the capital city. The Facts in Brief Table is helpful for learning quick bits of information.
World Book 1a
I chose the alpaca for my mammal, mainly because I wanted to know the difference between and alpaca and a llama. The Kid's version did not even mention llamas - it said only that alpacas are related to camels. Alpacas live in the Andes mountains, and have very soft wool. As a knitter, I have worked with alpaca yarn and it is wonderful.
World Book Student edition has a bit more information about alpacas. There is more detail about alpaca wool and its uses. It also mentions that they are related to domesticated llamas.
Links are provided for llamas, guanacos, and vicunas. I checked out the llama article and found that alpacas are smaller than llamas.
The country I investigated in World Book Advanced is Guatemala. I have traveled to Guatemala, and can identify personally with information presented in the articles. There is a lot of basic information about the country and its people, as well as separate articles about various cities, important people, and Mayan culture. The information in the right-hand column is mostly presidential papers, but they're interesting to read as well. A person could spend hours clicking from one article, map, or chart to another!
I used World Book Discover to check out Citizenship. Being able to read the article in another language would be very helpful to patrons who do not speak or read English fluently. Being able to listen to the article is also a useful feature. I can see that this could be a good resource for ESL learners.
On a pracitcal note: Two weeks ago (before I even started this Challenge) we had a class of 5th graders visit the library. They arrived with lists of books needed for their reports. To supplement their bibiographies, and provide even more current information, we showed them the World Book Student edition!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Here We Go Again!
The last time I wrote anything for this blog it was at the conclusion of the Library 2.0 Challenge. I vowed to keep posting to my blog. Yeah, right.... We can see how that turned out! But it's a new year, and a new Challenge, so I will try to faithfully complete my lessons and record my findings in a timely manner.
Seriously though, I'm glad for this push to investigate the different data bases. I have used some of them here at the library, but am woefully ignorant of others. This will give me an excuse to play with them.
I am a bit afraid that I will become addicted though. It's so fun to see where searches can take you, and I can see myself ignoring my other tasks in order to delve deeper and deeper into my queries.
Seriously though, I'm glad for this push to investigate the different data bases. I have used some of them here at the library, but am woefully ignorant of others. This will give me an excuse to play with them.
I am a bit afraid that I will become addicted though. It's so fun to see where searches can take you, and I can see myself ignoring my other tasks in order to delve deeper and deeper into my queries.
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