11-11-11

There are many veterans (and future veterans) in my family. They are honored and remembered on this day.

Looking for information on Armistice Day, I started with our catalog. A subject search armistice day pulled up two ebrary titles. You remember, I'm not thrilled with using ebrary but here we are.

The greatest day in history [electronic resource] : how, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the First World War finally came to an end was published in 2008. I chose it for the positive nature of the title.

Each chapter details a single day leading up to November 11, 1918. November 11th is broken into four chapters. It is easy to go from chapter to chapter by using the Table of Contents on the right side. To turn the page there are arrows at the top of the document in the InfoTools bar. If you're reading the book, when you get to the bottom of the page you need to scroll back up to turn the page. Admittedly, not that big a deal but it would be helpful to have the arrows at the bottom of the screen as well.

Another librarian noted she uses the general search box to look through every ebrary title. A search for armistice day in the general search box at the top of the book, brought thousands of hits. Scrolling through the results showed me it was picking up the individual words. A new search, with 'armistice day' in quotes, narrowed the results to under 500. The ability to search through the full text of all the electronic books is an amazing research tool in any electronic book collection. This quick search provides you with the desired information that might be in just one paragraph.

Read all about the week before and the day of November 11, 1918 in The greatest day in history [electronic resource] : how, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the First World War finally came to an end. Let us not forget.

-kss

Check with your CTC librarian for the login information.

Three copies

Continuing the discussion....

A search in our catalog shows we have three electronic copies of the Readers Companion to Military History.

The catalog MARC records reveal a few differences in the e-books:
-- NetLibrary (now Ebsco) notes "This is a paperbound reprint of a 1996 work" and "This NetLibrary eBook does not include some or all of the images that were part of the original hardcopy book".
-- Ebrary notes it is a 2001 edition.
-- Credo notes it is the 1996 edition with little more information. You may remember from my last blog entry that in Credo itself, the description of the title is quite extensive.

All three MARC records include a hyperlink to access the book. What I found intriguing is the differences in finding the same information within the books.

I started in Credo. The link from the catalog took me directly to the book with the search box open at the top of the screen. A search for marines pulled up 12 articles. The first article was by Allan R. Millett and talked about marines in various countries. It is not specifically about the United States Marines. I decided to use that article as my base for looking in the other two e-books.

To open the Ebsco copy requires clicking on the left side - open ebook full text. To search with in the text you click on the search tool on the right side. A search box opens at the top of the screen. The search for marines pulled up 42 keyword references. I started scrolling through the results to see if I could find the article by Allan R. Millett. Because the search is going through the 'book' you are given page numbers as reference points. I didn't find the section on my first go round. I did a search by Millett. I went back to the Credo article to see what other phrases might help me find the exact article. Finally I found it but it wasn't fast or easy.

The e-brary version of the Readers Companion opened in the book. I admit I'm not as familiar with ebrary as perhaps I should be. After I describe my experience with this search, you may understand my reluctance to use the resource. Here we go. There is a search box at the top of the book. However, upon close inspection that search box looks through all of ebrary's titles. The search box for the specific title we're in, is on the right side, in a column. I entered the word marines. There is an arrow at the top of the screen to go to the next highlighted entry. Is there no list of all the hits? After much looking around, I realized the right side of the screen has a drop down arrow by the word entries. A magnifying glass by the letters is the clue that there is a highlighted word there. This is a reference book and the articles are in alphabetical order. I clicked on M and voila there was the article I was looking for. There is no citation. I couldn't find a durable URL to get to the title in ebrary.

I feel like Goldilocks. Hands down, Credo was the easiest to use but it looks least like the book. Ebrary and Ebsco had different good and bad qualities. Both looked like the print version, if that really matters. I just want to find the information.

And now you know that, although the titles are the same, the search strategies would be different for each e-book.



-kss

Check with your campus librarian for the login to each e-book collection.

575 online

In honor of the US Marines 'birthday' I went looking for information in our collection about the Marines. Our subscription to the complete
Credo Reference gives us access to 575 reference books on-line. The history collection in Credo includes the Readers Companion to Military History. That title did seem to be the most likely source for information about the Marines.

The 'about this book' tab provides an extensive description:

How did war originate? What makes a war popular or unpopular at home? How common is desertion or mutiny? What makes a successful guerrilla insurgency? How have armies been fed throughout history? The Reader's Companion to Military History addresses these and other intriguing aspects of the most destructive, fascinating, and relentless of human enterprises -- war.

Filled with surprising anecdotes, little-known facts, and rare illustrations, The Reader's Companion covers major events and battles, commanders and theorists, weaponry and technological advances, and strategy and tactics. What makes the volume especially distinctive, however, is the range of thematic articles, covering such topics as courage, discipline, the effects of weather on warfare, military justice, surrender, the role of propaganda, the use of animals in war, the evolution of uniforms, psychological warfare, and morale. Unlike many military histories, the volume covers Asian, African, and South American history as well as that of Europe and North America. Subjects range from the Persian Wars of 490 B.C. to contemporary topics such as the revelations of Robert McNamara, gays in the military, and ethnic cleansing. One hundred fifty distinguished military historians, biographers, and journalists produced this volume under the editorship of Robert Cowley, editor of MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, and Geoffrey Parker, Robert A. Lovett Professor of Military and Naval History at Yale University. The result is a remarkable chronicle of warfare that combines compelling historical narrative with the latest in contemporary scholarship..

It is easy to search Credo as a whole or through individual books. A complete Credo search pulled up 1323 references to 'marines'. A search just in The Readers Companion to Military History provided 12 articles.

Semper Fi.

-kss

Check with your campus librarian for the login.

Semper Fidelis

Today is the 'birthday' of the Marine Corps.

In our collection we have fourteen titles that deal with the Marines. Flags of Our Fathers is an "unforgettable chronicle of perhaps the most famous moment in American military history, James Bradley has captured the glory, the triumph, the heartbreak, and the legacy of the six men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima. Here is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America." It is available both online as an e-book and in print.

To access the e-book, contact your campus librarian for the login information.

-kss

Who helps?

CTC offers several programs to train the first responders to an emergency.

A search in the library catalog for 'emergency broadcast system' turned up a single title. Interestingly, a 'find' search for the phrase 'Emergency broadcast system' did not show a hit in this record. The three individual words are in the record but not the phrase. Why was this title pulled in the search?

Looking for the cover to use in this blog, revealed the companion site for the Homeland Security Handbook .

The thought came up, was this a supplement to the 2006 book or just a rehash (and sales pitch) for the 2006 edition? The chapter Section 8 - Emergency Management, Public Health and Medical Preparedness seemed like the section to check for updates. I did a 'find on this page' search for 2009, nothing. A search for 2010 did show multiple resources. The website does have current information to supplement the 2006 print edition!

This is a good example of how the internet can be used to maintain the currency of the printed edition.


-kss

Testing, testing

My question about the emergency alert system being available only on TV, radio, and cable pushed me to go look in GALILEO for a news story about the system. I selected ProQuest databases as a general news source rather than a specific newspaper resource. Admittedly, I'm partial to the ProQuest layout.

My first search term was emergency broadcast. ProQuest offered alternatives. I like how the subject alternatives are in a 'drop down' below the search box. I selected emergency broadcast system. That search turned up more than a few articles. I noticed the sort box to the right. I sorted by 'Publication date (most recent first)'.

The results were interesting but definitely not what I expected. I realized because of the highlighting of the search terms, that ProQuest was searching by individual word. A new search with "emergency broadcast system" in quotes pulled up exactly what I was looking for, current articles on the national test today.

FEMA to launch first national test of emergency broadcast system by Stephen Pytak in the Tribune Business News noted:

"The test (on Wednesday) will not involve other communication devices such as the Internet, LAN and mobile telephones. No other communications networks or devices will be impacted by the test, meaning that people will be able to continue use their cell phones, the Internet and other communications channels during the test," according to the FEMA website. "There will be no disruption of those service."

"FEMA is working on a program to allow cell phone users to receive Emergency Alert System updates. By April 2012, FEMA will have the Personal Localized Alerting Network, according to Niki Edwards, a FEMA spokeswoman based in Philadelphia. It will allow cell phone users to receive geographically targeted, text-like messages alerting them of imminent threats to safety in their area, according to the FEMA website."

That answered some of my questions.

CTC subscribes to e2 campus which is a system where they can text your cell phone or e-mail in case of an emergency. Security used the system when there was a gas leak on the North Metro campus. It is an 'opt in' system. I wonder how the feds will handle all the cell phones in the country? Especially those that may charge for text messages. Will the Feds pay for every text message? Will they insist that there be no charge by the phone companies?

More questions. Stay tuned. Today is only a test!


-kss

GALILEO get the current password from your Georgia librarian
...Databases A-Z
.....P
.......ProQuest databases

This is a test

From USA.gov:

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System tomorrow, Wednesday, November 9 at 2:00 PM Eastern time. It will last 30 seconds.

You may hear a message on radio or television saying, “This is a test.” This national test will help determine the reliability of the system and its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential dangers nationally and regionally.

The Emergency Alert System is a national system to let the President address the public during emergencies. Under the Federal Communications Commission’s rules, radio and television broadcasters, cable operators, satellite providers and wireline video service providers are required to receive and transmit presidential Emergency Alert System messages to the public.

The nationwide test will broadcast across all states and the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.

[More]

My first thought was- what about those of us at work? We don't have access to TV, radio, or cable. We have the internet. Someone might want to think about how to really alert everyone.

-kss

X-rays

Yes, I'm on a pictures roll.
What story does an x-ray tell about a bone?

Today the
Radiography program is celebrating the discovery of x-rays.

The Radiography program is a sequence of courses that prepares students for positions in Radiology departments and related businesses and industries. Learning opportunities develop academic, technical, and professional knowledge and skills required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. The program emphasizes a combination of didactic and clinical instruction necessary for successful employment. Program graduates receive a Radiologic Technology Associate of Applied Science degree, and possess the qualifications of an entry-level radiographer and are eligible to take the national boards administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) once all academic and clinical requirements are met.

For the third year in a row, all our graduates passed the state boards! Congratulations to the instructors and students.


-kss

Photo credit: Rahim Packir Saibo via Flickr/Creative Commons. Broken bone

Renegotiating the image

Using Power Search to look for titles that deal with images and sorting by newest to oldest, pulled up
Digital and other virtualities [electronic resource] : renegotiating the image [N7433.8 ONLINE RESOURCE 2010].

The World Cat summary notes the author draws on concrete practices, ranging from film, video and chatrooms to airport spaces, conceptual art and textiles, to offer critically engaged, sometimes sceptical, analyses of contemporary image worlds in the light of a continuing allegiance to grounded histories and critical practice.

The book description in Amazon has a less than clear beginning. In this transdisciplinary book, major artists, filmmakers, film theorists, philosophers, literary critics, information theorists and cultural analysts examine the twists and turns of the contesting terms of virtuality and indexicality in contemporary cultural theory in relation to history, trauma, sexuality, textuality, anxiety, simulated lives, code, digital cinema, science fiction, and contemporary art.

The World Cat summary would have me trying the book.The beginning of the book description in Amazon does not have the same immediate appeal.

This book is available through our e-book collection. Check with your campus librarian for the log in. Then decide for yourself whether World Cat or the beginning of the book description adequately reflect the written word.

-kss

What is worth a 1000 words?

CTC Library supports the programs offered on each campus. The Design and Media Production program tours the North Metro campus library each term looking at books of images. We've created a Library Guide just for Images : Citing and Finding. There are multiple image resources in GALILEO.

In addition to what we have, Encyclopedia Britannica is offering an early holiday gift to all of Georgia.

Many schools, public libraries, colleges and universities have expressed great interest in being able to help students and faculty find high-quality images that have full permissions for educational use, and we are very excited to be able to offer this amazing collection. You’ll be glad to know that all of the superior providers are included in this collection, and we plan to have over 60 collections in the near future.

FREE GALILEO PREVIEW AT www.quest.eb.com

The best way to see all that Image Quest has to offer is to experience it yourself. We have enabled Galileo statewide so just jump in and enjoy through December 31, 2011.

If there are any access issues, please use username “questpreview” and password “galileo”.

You know the answer to the question - a picture is worth a thousand words. Go look at these images till December 31.

-kss

Protest for real- VOTE

Ask the closest Occupy Wall Street protester- did you vote today? A Google search for 'election November 8' turned up many states having an election - New York, Georgia, Ohio and more.

To get a historic sense about elections, I did a search for 'election' in Annals of American History in GALILEO. There is an article by Daniel Webster (1844) requesting reform on Naturalization Law because some politicians were naturalizing immigrants quickly to get more votes.

What is that saying about the more things change, the more they stay the same?

Go vote!


-kss

GALILEO (get the current password from your Georgia librarian)
...Databases A-Z
....A
......Annals of American History

Vote on Tuesday

November 8th is election day in many parts of the country. In Georgia, we will be voting on local issues like the continuing of a special options tax for schools and whether liquor can be sold on Sunday. Check out the Georgia Secretary of State My Voter Page. You might b e surprised at what your county has on the ballot.

If you want to protest effectively- make sure you're an informed voter and get to your polling place early.


-kss

A portable advisor

In looking for something to read, using an on-line resource like NoveList in GALILEO can be helpful for requesting a title through inter-library loan (WorldCat).

But what if I'm going to a book store, do I have to remember the titles or the author I was interested in? Is there a readers advisory tool that I can tote around?

A search in our catalog for the subject readers advisory turned up 13 titles, all electronic books, all in Ebsco. Each title is available for download onto an e-reader. The books can be 'checked out' for up to 7 days.


There are two titles published in 2011 (audiobooks and Fang Tastic). The other titles range in publication date from 2004 to 2010. You might not get the latest titles but you'd have a plethora of options for your portable readers advisory.

You do need a login and password to use the Ebsco e-books. Check with your campus librarian for that information!

-kss

What to read next?

The chill in the air encourages me to stay home and read. I enjoy reading series that show the main character growing and changing. How do I find another series that I can read and read and read while curled up in front of the fire?


Through GALILEO, NoveList has recently added some new features.
- Goodreads Now Available: All of the NoveList databases now include reader ratings and book reviews from Goodreads.
- Easier to Find Read-alike Content: In addition to the Read-alikes located on the right side of every Title, Author, and Series Detail page, NoveList has added links to Title, Author, and Series Read-alikes at each record in the search results.
- Easy to find Author Information: Author information is located in one easily accessible location. Just enter the author name in the search box and go to the Author Detail page where you can find author read-alikes, author descriptions, a list of all of the books by that author, and a list of all the series by that author (if applicable).

See this announcement from EBSCO for more information.

-kss

GALILEO ask your Georgia librarian for the current password
...Select Databases A-Z
.....Select N
.......Select NoveList

Asking your opinion

Regularly I dread being asked my opinion. Usually the 'asker' is doing it to make the 'askee' feel involved. The 'asker' rarely has any intention of following through on the opinions of the 'askee'.


In the case of GALILEO's annual survey, I say ask away! The staff at GALILEO do listen and follow through on the suggestions, concerns and compliments offered by users. Please take their annual survey. Your response will make a difference.

The annual GALILEO user survey will start Monday, November 7 [that's today], and this year’s incentive is an iPad drawing. An iPad will be awarded in a random drawing of survey respondents. In addition to the drawing, the survey gives users an opportunity to relate their experience with GALILEO and to share their ideas for the future. Please encourage your patrons, students, faculty and teachers, colleagues, and others to participate. The survey link will appear on the GALILEO welcome and home pages November 7-13 and is available at the link below. Take the GALILEO survey: http://galileo2011.questionpro.com

-kss