What do you think of when you hear the word encyclopedia? Several shelves of dark colored thick volumes with gold lettering on the spines and big numbers or letters at the bottom of the spine...the traditional 22 volumes of print....with an index that you might consider using if you're really into cross referencing?
Yes, that was the style encyclopedia I used for many years. In my earliest library days there were CD's that could be loaded on a computer. Then encyclopedias became available through a subscription service online. Wiki-pedia, the people's encyclopedia, became the free way online to find pop culture information (and quick facts). So what was a self respecting encyclopedia publisher to do?
Encyclopedia Britannica has moved well into the 21st century. I attended one of their webinars and came away thinking - this isn't the encyclopedia anymore!
It's a portal of information- full text articles from EB, magazine and journal articles from ProQuest and Ebsco, web sites vetted by humans, images, video-clips, and time lines. There are enough links within each page to make the most ardent web surfer happy.
Best of all you can create Workspaces and collect all those links into your personal library on a topic. We're going to use the workspace option for our History classes and English classes. We have collected web sites on delicious but this will add another dimension- best of all the link to the workspace can be e-mailed (or saved on delicious)!
What a wonderful well rounded resource the encyclopedia has become. It's available through GALILEO. You may get the password to use GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian!
-kls
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Serendipity
Yesterday I mentioned the phase of the moon in my entry. Shortly afterwards I read what Mary Ludwick on LM_NET posted from the NASA Science News for December 9, 2008 -Not all full Moons are the same. This Friday's is the biggest and brightest full Moon of the year.
The full story may be found at NASA's page!
Isn't serendipity fun!
From Encyclopedia Britannica via GALILEO:
Main Entry: ser·en·dip·i·ty
Pronunciation: -'di-p&-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: from its possession by the heroes of the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip
: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for
You get the current password to access GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian
-kls
The full story may be found at NASA's page!
Isn't serendipity fun!
From Encyclopedia Britannica via GALILEO:
Main Entry: ser·en·dip·i·ty
Pronunciation: -'di-p&-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: from its possession by the heroes of the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip
: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for
You get the current password to access GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian
-kls
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
What phase is the moon in>
A cartoon co-incidence today -Rhymes with Orange refers to T. Oedipus Rex in paleo-psychiatry while One Big Happy plays on the word Rex as wrecks.
I started thinking about Oedipus Rex and realized - my brain is turning to jello and I couldn't remember anything- was it Shakespeare or Greeks? Who wrote it?
To get a quick answer I could have done a Google search but I thought better of it- and went to our OPAC and searched. We have four titles - two print and two electronic books. All looked like more information than I really wanted.
We purchase the full Credo Reference and have a search box on the library page. A search in Credo brought me 171 results. I chose The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Houghton Mifflin (yes, it was first on the list). I was reminded of the Greek myth and the play by Sophocless with a reference to Freud.
All in a paragraph in a reputable source- just as easy as Google without the angst of worrying if this is a credible resource!
-kls
I started thinking about Oedipus Rex and realized - my brain is turning to jello and I couldn't remember anything- was it Shakespeare or Greeks? Who wrote it?
To get a quick answer I could have done a Google search but I thought better of it- and went to our OPAC and searched. We have four titles - two print and two electronic books. All looked like more information than I really wanted.
We purchase the full Credo Reference and have a search box on the library page. A search in Credo brought me 171 results. I chose The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Houghton Mifflin (yes, it was first on the list). I was reminded of the Greek myth and the play by Sophocless with a reference to Freud.
All in a paragraph in a reputable source- just as easy as Google without the angst of worrying if this is a credible resource!
-kls
The perfect gift
Can you guess what this item is?
- No assembly required
- No batteries needed
- Does not become obsolete
- Can be taken anywhere
- Does not cause carpel tunnel syndrome
- No small parts to lose
- No annoying sound effects
- No updates or upgrades needed
- Never needs ironing
- Easy to wrap
- Good for hours of entertainment
- Easy to store
- Always fits
- Will not cause strife at airport security
- User friendly
- Easy to share files with friends
- Doesn't need extension cord
- Bookmarks easy to manage
- Great topics of conversation
- Never comes in the wrong color or size
- Doesn't need to be serviced by a dealer
- Doesn't need spare parts
- Easier to wrap than footballs
- Looks good with any decor
- Doesn't need watering or fertilizing
- Won't irritate your allergies
- Doesn't go out of style
- Doesn't get aphids or draw ants
- Doesn't bark or need to be walked in the middle of the night
- Won't stretch, shrink or fade
- Won't scratch the coffee table
- Won't get stale
- Doesn't have zippers that break
- Can be used over and over by many people
- Not empty when finished
- You can open this again and again
----it's a book!
I smiled as I went through the list. My youngest has asked for a complete set of the Ian Fleming, James Bond books. Nice- very nice- no batteries....
-kls
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
the House of Lords
Greetings,
Most Sunday evenings I tune in to watch the delayed broadcast of the Prime Minister's Question Time on C-SPAN. Question Time occurs live on Wednesdays from the British House of Commons in London. The House of Commons is the lower house of the British Parliament, and serves as the equivalent of our legislative branch and most of our executive branch of government. During Question Time, any Member of Parliament, or MP, can ask the current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, a question, to which the Prime Minister replies. The 30 minute show is a jostling affair, with the members of the three main political parties hollering and cheering as their respective leaders get in various jabs and jarbs with questions and responses. The Speaker of the House tries to referee it all.
This Sunday the Question Time did not air. Instead, C-SPAN aired delayed footage of the ceremonial opening of the parliamentary session. This opening involves the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, and the upper house of the Parliament, the House of Lords.
The House of Lords was once the domain of the titled nobility. Nobles were given membership based upon their birth into a titled house. Over time, the power of the House of Lords, like that of the monarch, declined and became rather ceremonial in nature, with most power resting in the hands of the House of Commons. Her Majesty's Government is controlled by the party that wins the most seats in the Commons, although there are members of the Government's cabinet who come from the House of Lords.
Today the Lords serves as a bit of a reviewing body on laws passed by Her Majesty's Government. Interestingly, the Lords is also the highest judiciary body in Great Britain, with a small group of 12 members of the House of Lords fulfilling this duty.
Members of the House of Lords are called 'peers.' As mentioned above, membership was once dominated by 'hereditary peers,' those peers who inherited title by birth from their families. A dark time for the House of Lords was the Commonwealth period following the English Civil War. During this time both the monarchy and the Lords were abolished, and England was ruled by general and Parliamentarian Oliver Cromwell. The Lords was restored after Cromwell's death, when the monarchy was restored.
During the mid-twentieth century, legislation was passsed which enabled the creation of Life Peerages. Life Peers are those who are given title for service to Britain. These titles are not passed down to their children but expire when they die. Many former Prime Ministers and other notable members of the House of Commons, such as former PM Margaret Thatcher, have been made life peers. (Interestingly, the last Hereditary Peerage, which can be passed on to children, given to a non-member of the royal family, went to Thatcher's husband Dennis.)
Some peers are referred to as the Lords Spiritual. These members sit because of their office within the Church of England, which is the official state church. Unlike the other peers, Lords Spiritual may not show a preference for or identify with a particular political party. Other peers may choose to identify as Labour, Conservative, or Liberal Democrat. A few peers do not identify with any of the three major political parties.
The Labour Party has been more outspoken on the issue of reforming the nature of the House of Lords when compared to the Conservative Party. At one time, the Labour Party called for the abolition of the House of Lords. One of the platforms of Tony Blair's 'New Labour' election campaign in 1997 was reform of the House of Lords. This succeed in limiting the number of hereditary peers to 92 members, a minority of the members in the House of Lords. Votes on further reform showed support for making the House either 80% elected or 100% elected. However, these votes were not binding. The current government position is to move the House into a body of which 1/3 is up for election every general election, with an elected composition of either 80% or 100%.
Regardless, of future reforms, the House of Lords is a fascinating example of an upper house of government as compared to our own US Senate here in the United States.
BBC Guide to the House of Lords
JWF
Most Sunday evenings I tune in to watch the delayed broadcast of the Prime Minister's Question Time on C-SPAN. Question Time occurs live on Wednesdays from the British House of Commons in London. The House of Commons is the lower house of the British Parliament, and serves as the equivalent of our legislative branch and most of our executive branch of government. During Question Time, any Member of Parliament, or MP, can ask the current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, a question, to which the Prime Minister replies. The 30 minute show is a jostling affair, with the members of the three main political parties hollering and cheering as their respective leaders get in various jabs and jarbs with questions and responses. The Speaker of the House tries to referee it all.
This Sunday the Question Time did not air. Instead, C-SPAN aired delayed footage of the ceremonial opening of the parliamentary session. This opening involves the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, and the upper house of the Parliament, the House of Lords.
The House of Lords was once the domain of the titled nobility. Nobles were given membership based upon their birth into a titled house. Over time, the power of the House of Lords, like that of the monarch, declined and became rather ceremonial in nature, with most power resting in the hands of the House of Commons. Her Majesty's Government is controlled by the party that wins the most seats in the Commons, although there are members of the Government's cabinet who come from the House of Lords.
Today the Lords serves as a bit of a reviewing body on laws passed by Her Majesty's Government. Interestingly, the Lords is also the highest judiciary body in Great Britain, with a small group of 12 members of the House of Lords fulfilling this duty.
Members of the House of Lords are called 'peers.' As mentioned above, membership was once dominated by 'hereditary peers,' those peers who inherited title by birth from their families. A dark time for the House of Lords was the Commonwealth period following the English Civil War. During this time both the monarchy and the Lords were abolished, and England was ruled by general and Parliamentarian Oliver Cromwell. The Lords was restored after Cromwell's death, when the monarchy was restored.
During the mid-twentieth century, legislation was passsed which enabled the creation of Life Peerages. Life Peers are those who are given title for service to Britain. These titles are not passed down to their children but expire when they die. Many former Prime Ministers and other notable members of the House of Commons, such as former PM Margaret Thatcher, have been made life peers. (Interestingly, the last Hereditary Peerage, which can be passed on to children, given to a non-member of the royal family, went to Thatcher's husband Dennis.)
Some peers are referred to as the Lords Spiritual. These members sit because of their office within the Church of England, which is the official state church. Unlike the other peers, Lords Spiritual may not show a preference for or identify with a particular political party. Other peers may choose to identify as Labour, Conservative, or Liberal Democrat. A few peers do not identify with any of the three major political parties.
The Labour Party has been more outspoken on the issue of reforming the nature of the House of Lords when compared to the Conservative Party. At one time, the Labour Party called for the abolition of the House of Lords. One of the platforms of Tony Blair's 'New Labour' election campaign in 1997 was reform of the House of Lords. This succeed in limiting the number of hereditary peers to 92 members, a minority of the members in the House of Lords. Votes on further reform showed support for making the House either 80% elected or 100% elected. However, these votes were not binding. The current government position is to move the House into a body of which 1/3 is up for election every general election, with an elected composition of either 80% or 100%.
Regardless, of future reforms, the House of Lords is a fascinating example of an upper house of government as compared to our own US Senate here in the United States.
BBC Guide to the House of Lords
JWF
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