Money, money, and more money

The holidays are over and the gift buying bills are starting to appear. I went looking for a resource in GALILEO that might have timely articles on credit use. Scrolling through the Databases A-Z list I noticed Banking Information Source (ProQuest).

The description notes: Banking Information Source (ProQuest) combines the currency of the Internet and the perspective of industry journals to provide the ultimate financial services research tool. With over 500 of the most authoritative sources of information, there is simply no better way to keep informed.

I haven't used the new ProQuest interface a lot. This quest for financial information is giving me an opportunity to play.

The cool blue appeals to me visually. The larger search box and the limiter for full text on the front screen simplifies searching.

There is no Scholarly Journal limiter on the front page of Banking Information Source (ProQuest). The Scholarly Journals limiter is on the front page of the main ProQuest database. You can limit to scholarly journals in ProQuest Banking Information Source by going to the Advanced Search screen and using the Source type boxes to limit to Scholarly Journals. They do provide a visual clue of a graduation cap icon before an article that is in a scholarly journal.

ProQuest completes the text as you type and offers a list of topics. I discovered I did need to put a phrase in quotes or it would search for the words individually.

I could sort by date after the search was completed if I neglected to limit the search by date range.

ProQuest provides a search tips link which has a plethora of hints, tips, and very useful tricks for getting the most out of a search!

I was amused to note there is a scholarly journal titled The Journal of Money Laundering Control. Who would have thought such a thing existed! You may get the current GALILEO password from your Georgia librarian.



-kls

Still judging

What started my thought process about judging a book by its cover* was the Book Case blog entry, Best Book Jackets of 2010. It is helpful (and appropriate) that there are links to the Book Page where one can read reviews. The best part of Book Page is the box in the bottom left corner with links to Independent Booksellers, WorldCat (where you can see the closest library that owns the book), and a site that compares online booksellers prices.

If judging a book by its cover is your selection style, book covers are a part of our library catalog. Looking at the cover is a quick and handy way to figure out if you want to go further.

-kls

*from Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Over 400 reference books are available in Credo Reference through GALILEO.

Judging a book

"Don't judge a book by its cover"*. Yet, we all do it- we make snap judgements based on appearance. The appearance of a persons clothing, their physical shape, their facial expression. Yes, we assess a person immediately based on how they look and act. It has been a survival tool for humanity. How quickly can you decide if someone is friend or foe?

Today is the first day of Winter Quarter. People I've never met are coming into the library for the first time. They are coming to a conclusion about me as quickly as I am about them. I hope we both will be generous with our quick take.

*from Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Over 400 reference books are available in Credo Reference through GALILEO.

Get the current password to use GALILEO from your Georgia librarian.

-kls

400 years and counting

Happy 400th Birthday to the King James Version of the bible! In honor of its quatercentenary anniversary, Gordon Campbell has written Bible: The story of the King James Version 1611-2011 [BS 186 .C367 2010].

It's a lively biography of the book that many consider the Word of God. The section that has most appeal to me is Appendix 1 :The companies and later revisers which has brief biographies of the scholars who worked so hard to create a work 'to be read in churches'. It is fascinating how Mr. Campbell uses the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography to flesh out the story of the Bible as we understand it. It is people who make history come alive!

-kls

Sign up, now!

Registration for Winter Quarter is going on today.
Winter Quarter begins Thursday, January 6, 2011.

-kls

What happened today?

Using Google to search a date floods one with list after list. The first entry on my search for January 4 is Wikipedia. The Wikipedia list is broken up by events, births, deaths with a calender at the end which allows one to move from date to date.It is very handy for a rather comprehensive list of births and deaths.

If you're looking for a historical perspective on the date try GALILEO and look in the Annals of American History

Annals of American History "includes the full text of primary documents in American history, including historical accounts, speeches, memoirs, poems, editorials, landmark court decisions, and cultural criticism. This resource also has multimedia files, including hundreds of images and video and audio clips of famous speeches."

Put the date in quotes to help the database limit your search to that specific date- otherwise you'll get a conglomeration of January and 4 entries!

The document I found most interesting was the 1815 New England and the Union paper.

Moreover, as the convention's emissaries approached Washington, they were met by the news of General Andrew Jackson's unexpected victory at New Orleans. By the time the emissaries arrived, it was no longer possible to serve the kind of ultimatum contained in the convention's report.

Timing is everything. I wonder what the results would have been with today's instant messaging?

Get the current password to use GALILEO from your Georgia librarian.

-kls

Brain teaser for Christmas

Credo Reference sends out a weekly brain teaser. There are over 450 reference books available through a full subscription to Credo Reference. It is a superb resource for all our students but especially for our on-line students who can't get to one of the campus libraries!

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Welcome to the Friday Brainteaser from Credo Reference.

This week: Christmas
Our brainteaser is all about Christmas. We wish you all a happy one.

Questions:
1. Which rock group has returned its 1973 Christmas chart-topper "Merry Xmas Everybody" to the British charts at least eight times?
2. In which year did the "Christmas truce" occur?
3. Santa Claus is named after which saint?
4. What kind of tree is most commonly used as a Christmas tree?
5. Who wrote the 1973 picturebook "Father Christmas" in which Father Christmas lives in a terrace house with an outside toilet and an old-fashioned stove?
6. Who composed the Christmas Oratorio, first performed in 1734/35: Bach, Mozart or Beethoven?
7. What was the title of Phil Spector's 1963 Christmas album?
8. "A Christmas Carol" was the first of five "Christmas Books" by Charles Dickens which were published together for the first time in 1852. Can you name one of the other books in this collection?
9. What kind of bird is the "colly bird" (often changed to "calling bird") referred to in the traditional song "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?
10. On what date in the year is "Women's Christmas", also called "Small Christmas" or "Little Christmas"?

Questions set by Tony Augarde (www.augardebooks.co.uk)

Check your answers by copying and pasting this link into your browser address bar: http://corp.credoreference.com/quiz

The Brainteaser is posted every Friday morning to the Credo Reference Blog - check it out and comment on questions, or just let us know how well you did! Follow us on Twitter, or become our fan on Facebook!


About Credo Reference
The Friday Brainteaser is compiled using Credo Reference, an online reference library containing hundreds of searchable and browsable reference titles, audio files and images from reference books by leading publishers. With Credo, you can find accurate answers fast.

Thank you,
The Credo Reference team
brainteaser@credoreference.com


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-kls

Moving links

Delicious was one of the first Web 2.0 tools I latched onto. I loved how I could quickly and easily save and tag web sites for access from any computer. It became my favorite Favorites listing! Unfortunately, Delicious seems to be going away. The first announcement that registered in my brain was via ALA's Facebook. I've now exported both sets of my Delicious bookmarks.

The LM_NET list serve is a wealth of hints and tips. Someone on the list suggested this blog which has very clear directions on how to export the Delicious file. The blogger suggests several options for a 'new' portable Favorites. Over the break I'll be exploring my options!


-kls

Where did it come from?

We talk about citations during each Library Instruction. A citation is so basic, so simple and so easy to do. All your reader wants to know is who did this, what is it called and how does the reader get a copy (author, title, and publisher). Why do people get so unnerved about doing a citation? The punctuation throws them off. Do we use commas, semi-colons, quotation marks, or italicize the title. It's the punctuation that gets one in trouble.

Many database vendors are including the citation format with their articles. Today as I looked at the History Channel, I noticed the Cite This link on the right side. How wonderful that a website is including the citation format.

It is important to tell your reader where the information you used came from. I am grateful for those who help me cite the source accurately.

-kls

Look what is new!

Check out the new website for Chattahoochee Technical College.

Library info can quickly be found by using the Quicklinks drop down.

You may also find us by selecting Current Students, Student Resources, Library!


-kls

Patchwork Nation

Patchwork Nation is a website that first came to my attention during the 2008 Presidential election. The authors use demographic and economic data to assign every county into one of 12 categories. These include designating counties as 'Boom Town,' 'Emptying Nests,' and 'Monied 'Burbs.' On the website, one can even find that an index is provided per county of how difficult it is to live in a particular county.

Cobb County is designated a 'Monied 'Burb.' Paulding, Bartow, Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer Counties all receive the designation of 'Boom Towns.'

The authors have maintained and updated the website since 2008. A companion book, with the same title, has recently been released. You can find out what local colleges and/or public libraries near you own the book by using the Worldcat database within Galileo.

-JWF

Happy Birthday X-Rays!

Today is the 115th anniversary of the discovery of x-rays! The Radiology degree offered at Chattahoochee Technical College teaches students operating standards and procedures for using the machine and other various forms of radiation technology for visualizing the interior of the human body. Check out the library catalog for more information on x-rays or the college catalog for information about the program.

~ lbm

What do you think!

The annual GALILEO user survey gives you the chance to sound off on your experience using GALILEO, and this year, gives you the chance to win an iPad. The survey will be available Monday, November 8—Sunday, November 14 from a link on the GALILEO website. Questions on the survey are designed to measure the satisfaction and identify the issues experienced by everyone who uses GALILEO. To help ensure a broad representation of users, please encourage others to participate. Your feedback is important!

You may get the password to use GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian.

-kls

Library Guides Open House

As a faculty, staff, or student member of Chattahoochee Technical College, you need to be aware of the services provided by the school to help you succeed. Most of these services are free of charge, including the recently developed Library Guides.

Library Guides is a website dedicated to research assistance, subject guides, and other useful resources. Guides also access GALILEO databases and the college catalogue, which searches both campus print collections and ebooks.

In order to spread the word, the librarians will be attending different campuses throughout the Fall Quarter to instruct interested people in accessing and using the guides. On Monday, October 25th the Library Guide authors will have an Open House between 11:30AM to 1:00PM at the Austell Campus. Can't make it by 1:00PM? The library Open House will run until 6PM with Librarian Janice Levine and assistant Britney O'Mara as your guides. Refreshments will be served all day. Stop by and check it out!

In November, the librarians will be celebrating up in the northern part of the CTC community at the Woodstock and Jasper campuses. Stay tuned for more details and events as information becomes available.

~ lbm

Something new

We are building our collection of electronic books. The joy of the electronic book is first and foremost, accessibility. We don't have the staff budget to be open 24 hours a day. Nor do students really want to drive to a campus to use the resources. The ability to find and use just the right book at any time and not leave home makes research a breeze.

We now subscribe to the Ovid e-book collection with 144 titles. I like being able to search through all the titles with one search. The Quick search box pulls up multiple references. On the right side of the selection I can select Ovid Full Text or Complete Reference. Complete Reference is the citation information. I wonder why they didn't just give the citation?

You can access Ovid from the CTC Library page! Scroll down to Nursing and Allied Health.

I'll explore Ovid's search features in another blog.

-kls

Happy Birthday, Harlequin

Do you like to read what my grandmother referred to as 'trashy novels'? Some reviewers refer to the genre as 'bodice rippers'. In honor of Harlequin's 60th, they're offering 16 free book downloads (in pdf format). You may download one title, or all sixteen.

NoveList (in GALILEO) does have Harlequin titles in its database. I searched for a few of the free titles from the 60th anniversary offering. I didn't find them. I went to Advanced Search and looked for Harlequin as Publisher. 3209 titles were retrieved!

Happy reading from Harlequin and your public library!


-kls

Sailing the Ocean Blue

What do you really know about Christopher Columbus and his voyages? A subject search in our catalog revealed 14 titles for Christopher Columbus. Ten titles are available online giving you access to the books right this minute!

Mind you, two titles refer to an education book. I wondered what that title had to do with the explorer. When I clicked on the title catalog record, I saw immediately that a personal subject was C.C (Christopher Columbus).

My subject search turned up two titles that weren't right on target. Check your search and check the results to be sure you're getting the information you need!

-kls

Library Guides

It is the beginning of the quarter. The campus librarians are showing students our latest tool - Library Guides. We have 47 Library Guides covering an assortment of classes. Look and see if your course or program has a Library Guide! They are tweaked regularly after consults with instructors to make sure the resources noted accurately reflect the course and program!

-kls

Who uses what

Did you know that one of the most important things that is noticed in a typical German business meeting is the type of pen a person uses?

I learned this through one of our newest library resources, the Global Road Warrior database. This database focuses on information about the various countries of the world. Going beyond the statistical and factual, the GRW provides information on etiquette, currency, food, holidays, almost everything a student would need to know about the country, all located in one spot.

Culinary Arts-The database contains information related to the cuisine of various countries. Specific examples and pictures are provided. There are also recipes from the various countries. I have linked to many of these pages through our Library Guides tool on the Culinary Arts guide- World Regional pages.

Digital Media and Entertainment Technology-The information about business etiquette and customs will be useful to our students as they enter the workforce. Also, there is detailed and specific information regarding different media outlets in various countries.

Interiors-The database has information and photographs on various architectural sites and points for each country. This is found under ‘points of interest.’

-jwf

You may get the login and password from your CTC campus librarian!

Welcome...To the Library!

The first week of the fall quarter is always busy, especially with the record number of students attending CTC. You don't have to spend all your free time on campus parking or buying books; you may also browse your campus library during free periods. The libraries provide a vast Internet and print collection for programs, and other services such as faxing, copying, printing, and group/quiet study areas.

While the library is a family, each individual campus location provides something different for students. Satellite campus locations provide materials specific to programs taught on that campus, such as culinary materials at Mountain View or horticulture materials at North Metro. As the main branch, Marietta provides several more services than satellite campuses, including purchasing a copying card for copies and prints. Marietta also loans out games like checkers, chess, dominoes, and scrabble for interested students.

Our polices and procedures for borrowing materials and accessing online accounts are the same for each campus. Materials may be checked out for three weeks except at the end of the quarter. You may pick up or return materials to any CTC campus. You may also borrow books from our partner libraries at Kennesaw State University, Southern Polytechnic State University, Reinhardt College, and all other TCSG libraries. Please come into the library or ask your instructors for the new GALILEO password. For a quiet and clean environment, please keep all drinks, food, and children out of the libraries!

The library has more than 55,000 physical items plus 11,000 online resources. The librarians and library assistants are always willing to help students, faculty, and staff. Check the library home page for hours and locations nearest you.
lbm