Who, what, where

Citations are so simple. Really, they are very simple. The pattern is - who did it (the author), what did they do (the title) and how does my reader get it (the publisher). The complications arise with punctuation.

We have several resources to help students cite their sources. On our Library Guide page we have links for printable pdf files - APA and MLA. Each document serves as a pattern for the citation style. Just follow along and make sure you use the correct punctuation.

In addition to these printable documents, there is a Library Guide. The tabs break down MLA and APA with book and electronic sources.

It's the beginning of the term. Students are starting to do research. Now is the time to do the citation correctly. As I said to my children, if you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?


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It's dark out there

To heighten awareness of the 'Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)' bill going through Congress, Wikipedia has gone 'dark' for 24 hours.

Where might I find information about the actual bill? We have access to Westlaw (Campus Research). WestLaw is used by the Business Law classes for legal information.
A search for SOPA in Westlaw (Campus Research) using the law tab pulled up 47 references. All dealt with 'Schedule of proposed actions (SOPA).' It occurred to me, the SOPA we're looking for isn't a law yet, so that search was futile.

A search, limited to the past 30 days, using the News & Business tab, for SOPA pulled 460 articles. I was intrigued by the number of foreign press articles on this topic. I went back to limit my search. There is a check box for 'Identify duplicate documents'. That action narrowed the results list to 79 items. All of which were news articles.

Where can I find the bill? A search with Google (where the logo is blacked out in protest) gave me clues about the bill number, HR 3261. A search for HR 3261 pulled up The Library of Congress - Thomas site where I found the bill in its entirety :Bill Text 112th Congress (2011-2012)H.R.3261.IH Stop Online Piracy Act.

Please do wade through the bill. Please do contact your Senators and Representatives to share your feelings on this piece of legislation. The more voters voices they hear, the more informed the elected officials will be about this topic.

To access Westlaw (Campus Research) you'll need the current GALILEO password. The password is available from your Georgia librarian.

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Triangular theory of Love

Just finished library instruction for a Psychology class where the research topic is Robert J. Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love. The instructor noted the topic is in their textbook. It's not a familiar concept to me. As any student would do, I hit Google first. I confess, I use Google when I'm not sure and worse still I use Wikipedia!

So you're not surprised to hear the first result in my Google search was a Wikipedia article.

It is a teachable moment to show how some Wikipedia editors put references at the end of an article. These references point one to more academic sources.

You're thinking how does this tie to Library Resources? GALILEO has a feature called the Toolbar. You need to download it from GALILEO. The link is on the left side, 6th link 'Get your GALILEO toolbar'.

This is what the Toolbar does to a Wikipedia article.

See those purple Find It buttons? They take you to GALILEO and the original resource. It's pretty amazing.

Get the current password to GALILEO from your Georgia librarian. Download the Toolbar. Turn your Wikipedia search into a foray into GALILEO.

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Speeches

Yesterday, I noted the Martin Luther King, Jr Archive has released digital copies of many of Dr King's papers. Do we have access to his speeches through any GALILEO databases which offer a 'speech' search limiter?

Academic Search Complete was my first choice.
To get to the 'speech' limiter, you need to select Advanced Search.
Martin Luther King was my general search term. There are a lot of speeches about Dr. King given on Dr. King's holiday. I wasn't finding any speeches by Dr. King. A sort by relevance, date ascending (oldest first) showed only articles back to 1971.

A search with Martin Luther King as the author of a speech turned up zero results in both Academic Search Complete and ProQuest.

GALILEO provides a link to the Digital Library of Georgia . A search for Martin Luther King provided a subject box on the left with Martin Luther King 1929-1968 (Contributor). There are 53 television clips starting in 1957 and ending in 1967. These are sound bites from television news. They do offer another look at this Civil Rights leader.

No complete speeches by Dr. King in my brief look at three resources in GALILEO. The Martin Luther King, Jr Archive is the place to go for a complete look at what Dr. King had to say.

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Remember Martin Luther King, Jr

Several news stories noted the digital release of many of Martin Luther King, Jr's papers via The Martin Luther King Jr Archives.
The Spotlight drop down is fascinating.

There are nearly a million documents associated with the life of Martin Luther King Jr. These pages will present a more dynamic view than is often seen of Dr. King’s life and times. The documents reveal the scholar, the father, and the pastor. Through these papers we see the United States of America at one of its most vulnerable, most honest and perhaps most human moments in history. There are letters bearing the official marks of royalty and the equally regal compositions of children. You will see speeches, telegrams, scribbled notes, patient admonitions and urgent pleas. This spotlight shows you a glimpse of the remarkable history within this collection.

Thank you JP Morgan Chase for making this possible.


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Are you smarter

Through Credo, we have access to 583 reference books in a variety of subjects. I couldn't think of the fancy word for the fear of 13. I was close with triskaphobia. Credo, offered me triskaidekaphobia as an option for search. I clicked on their suggestion. Credo pulled up 12 references ranging from a regular dictionary to a medical dictionary to Brewer's Phrase and Fable. The breadth of resources and the speed of results makes this an invaluable resource, which leads me right to this Friday's brainteaser.

This week's brainteaser tests the breadth as well as the depth of your knowledge.

1. In "Sesame Street" and the "Muppet Show", what sort of animal was Kermit?
2. Which rock group released albums called "Their Satanic Majesties Request" and "Sticky Fingers"?
3. The word "Hock" is used to refer to wine from which country?
4. Which animal is usually associated with Capricorn, the tenth sign of the zodiac?
5. Monza is well known for its motor-racing circuit. In which country is Monza?
6. "Zn" is the symbol for which chemical element?
7. Was the film "Casablanca" made before, during, or after the Second World War?
8. Who was the predecessor of John F. Kennedy as president of the United States?
9. What shape is the pitch in Australian Rules football?
10. What name is usually given to Beethoven's 3rd Symphony?
Questions set by Tony Augarde (www.augardebooks.co.uk)

Find out the answers here, or copy and paste this link into your browser address bar: http://blog.credoreference.com/2012/01/credo-reference-friday-brainteaser-general-knowledge-2/

Credo is available through GALILEO. Credo may be accessed from our Library page.
Ask your CTC librarian for login information.

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a 1000 words

We've just subscribed to Image Quest by Encyclopedia Britannica.

"You can now simplify and improve your search for images with Image Quest. Enjoy your access to more than two million rights-cleared images from over 50 of the best collections in the world (soon to be over 60 collections!). Dorling Kindersley Images, Getty Images, the National Portrait Gallery of London, the National Geographic Society, Oxford Scientific, and other leading names have joined with Britannica to provide the best and broadest collection of proprietary educational imagery. Teachers can use the images in their lesson plans and classroom activities while students will turn to the site as they work on homework assignments and school or course projects. Free of advertising and from trustworthy sources, Image Quest provides safe and fast access to high quality images on all topics and for all ages."

Yes, there are tons of images via the web. There are sites that offer images for free use. It's hard to help students quickly find an image that is usable for their projects and is 'legal'. Image Quest gives our students an edge to bring creativity to a project without stepping on the toes of the artist who created the image!

Check with your CTC librarian for access information.


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The Buzz

Publishers know that 'buzz' can create a best seller.


The talk a little song came to me as I was thinking about 'buzz'. We do chitter-chatter about literature. Have you read 'The Hunger Games' trilogy? Because of questions on LM_NET about its appropriateness for middle school libraries, I borrowed the books from a co-worker. I'd heard about the trilogy from various avid adult readers but hadn't been bitten by the 'buzz' to seek out the books for myself.

Where does one go to confirm the 'buzz' about a book? A Google search using 'Reviews : Hunger Games' pulls up a plethora of reviews, some from periodicals, some from blogs and some from book sellers.

Other sources for print reviews are in GALILEO. A general database, Academic Search Complete by EBSCO has a Book Reviews limiter on the Advanced Search page under the Document Type drop down box.

The reviews in Academic Search Complete include academic resources like Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. These give a scholarly approach to the review of a book. They are an interesting contrast to the reviews from the commercial press.

When you hear the 'buzz' about a book, check out the reviews both commercial and academic!

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Your Georgia librarian can give you the current password to access GALILEO

Shared Responsibility

Clinton and Congress, 1993-1996 [electronic resource] : risk, restoration, and reelection by Charles O. Jones was found in our catalog with a search for the subject Gingrich, Newt. The primary news cycle has gotten to me so I'm digging in our resources for likely sources of information.

Part of Mr. Gingrich's campaign has been how he worked with Mr. Clinton to get things done for the United States. The back flap of this book notes that both Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gingrich learned how to share responsibility for programs. It is always interesting to compare a  historians view to what the individual says happened. Dig for more on the story don't let 'them' spoon feed you with 'they' want you to know!

Check with your CTC librarian for access information..


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Two down

Two states have held their statewide opportunity to select the delegates for the Republican Convention. Have you been following the news reports?

We subscribe to NewsBank which gives one access to 1700 US news sources. For us, the highlight of NewsBank is the access to 37 Georgia newspapers.

NewsBank isn't as user friendly as some of our resources. The opening page of NewsBank has links but no search box.

As an aside, the Hot Topics link at the top of the left column opens a page with topics (current events and research topics), a few teasers about the topic, and suggested search terms. The Research Topics could be very helpful for students needing to do a paper. It reminds me of Facts.com and Issues and Controversies. Yet, nothing is hyperlinked to the database. Why?

Back to my original thought, news about the primaries and following the reports.
I selected Georgia News Sources from the Opening page.
They offer 37 newspaper titles. A check by the specific paper limits the search. If you make no specific newspaper choices, the search will go through all 37 Georgia papers.
The search boxes offer the usual boolean operators.
You can limit your search by dates.
You can sort several ways.
When you open an article, there is the option to get a citation.
You can e-mail the article. You can create an e-mail alert.
This is standard fare for most databases.

Because NewsBank offers 37 Georgia newspapers, it becomes a unique resource in our collection.

To access NewsBank contact your CTC Librarian for the login. NewsBank is accessible via GALILEO.

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Music therapy

The ENG 1010 assignment peaked my interest. What could I find in our resources that students might be able to use in their narrative essay tying music lyrics to life events.

A scroll through GALILEO reminded me of the Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection. This database "includes articles from 410 full-text journal covering information concerning topics in emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational & experimental methods."

A search for 'music therapy' pulled up 192 articles. I scrolled through the titles looking at the subject headings. I wasn't finding anything that clicked. I tried a search for the word, lyrics. On the first page of the 166 articles, there were several subject headings that could be very useful for refining further searches - MUSIC -- Psychological aspects and MUSIC -- Physiological effect. There was even a policy statement on the impact of music, lyrics and music videos on children and youth. Now I have something to show the class that will add to their essay.

Your Georgia librarian can give you the current password to GALILEO
Select Databases A-Z
...Select P
.....Scroll to Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection


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Easy research

An ENG 1010 class has an assignment to write "a multi-paragraph essay over this idea of making a personal connection to music." They'll need to use the lyrics from songs that have had an impact on their lives. Our print and online resources don't have much in the way of current lyrics. Students will need to go out on the wild web to find  lyrics.  Finding lyrics isn't that difficult on the web. Type in the title, first line, or performer and thousand of sites are pulled up. We do have a Library guide for Evaluating websites. However, since the song is known, it won't take long to see if the web site content is accurate. If only all research was that easy to verify.

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Hi

The easiest, least confrontational or controversial conversation starter is the weather. On this first day of the semester what better topic than these brain teasers supplied by Credo Reference. CTC Library subscribes to the over 570 reference books available through Credo

All these questions are about the weather, or things that have "weather" in their names.

1. What is a weather vane?
2. In which ocean does El Niño occur?
3. What is the difference between "weather" and "climate"?
4. What was the name of the jazz-rock group founded in 1971 by Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul?
5. In 1803, Luke Howard devised a classification of clouds into three primary types. Can you name two of these types?
6. The US terrorist group the Weathermen took their name from a line in a song by which writer?
7. What is measured by the Beaufort scale?
8. Is an anti-cyclone a region of high or low atmospheric pressure?
9. What is a "weather front"?
10. An anemometer is an instrument for measuring what?

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

Find out the answers here, or copy and paste this link into your browser address bar: http://blog.credoreference.com/2012/01/credo-reference-friday-brainteaser-weather/

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!

Ask your CTC Librarian how to access Credo Reference off campus.


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The beginning

The first day of this semester has begun. Students are printing out their schedule. The question of the morning remains where is a specific location on campus. The new students look a little confused but they'll get the hang of this in a few days.

The Bookstore has been doing a brisk business as proven by the number of students walking by the library with bookstore bags!

Beginnings are always exciting and a bit stressful. The beginning is full of hope. Let us begin!


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Exploring

With all these folks wandering around exploring the campus, I thought to explore our Library web page.

The Library web page is divided into six subject sections. The resources we subscribe to are noted in the appropriate topic area.

You know something is important if it's the first thing you see. Above the fold are our Research Resources : catalog, Credo Reference, Encyclopedia Britannica, and GALILEO .

A little scrolling takes one to the General Resources : Facts on File, Global Road Warrior, and NewsBank.

The four subject areas are in alphabetical order : Business, 'English & Literature', 'Nursing and Allied Health',and 'Social Issues, Current Events & History'.

Each resource requires a log in for off campus access. Every resource we subscribe to is posted in GALILEO which eliminates the need for separate login/passwords.

Check with your CTC librarian for the the GALILEO password or the specific logins to our resources. Get ready for the next term by exploring what is available online.



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Busy, busy, busy

The view from the circulation desk is very entertaining this morning. Open Registration for the next semester started at 8am. Faculty advisors and students are walking rapidly to and fro. We're the first face they see upon entering this building. We are fielding many a question about 'where is....'.

The next term for CTC begins on Monday, January 9th.

-kss

The rise of the West

"The rise of the West in presidential elections" is one of the results from a search for 'political process' in our catalog.

My first response to the title was it must have something to do with our influence in other countries elections.

A click on the contents link revealed my error.

The American West is a region unique in the United States, not only for its natural landscapes and climate, but also its dynamic economy, rich culture and history, and regional identity. Each of these characteristics creates distinctive interests and issues that impact public policy in the West. Consistently, however, the West has been largely ignored by presidential candidates who remain uninterested in the few electoral votes to be won in the region. The 2008 presidential election demonstrated that such an attitude toward western states appears to be shifting, as are the dynamics of the presidential primary system as a whole.

Here we have a perfect example of why one should not judge a book by its title. With the primary season in full swing, this seems like a timely title to read. It is an electronic edition that can be downloaded to your e-reader. Check with your CTC librarian for the information on accessing the e-book collection.



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And they're off

When you want to stay informed about the latest twist or turn in a news cycle, newspapers, broadcast television, and cable news are easily available via the Internet. Opinions posted in blogs offer a quick response to a news event. You can be inundated with information that hasn't had a chance to settle.

Print sources used to offer a measured response to an event. They had a bit of time to gather the details, all the details and think through what happened before publishing the story. Op-ed pieces published in print sources try to follow that pattern by offering thoughtful feedback.

Most general databases in GALILEO offer a search limiter to editorials in the advanced search option.

I'm specifically looking for newspaper editorials. We have access to ProQuest Newspapers through GALILEO.

The basic ProQuest Newspapers search screen is really basic. There's a search box with a Full Text check box. Period. That definitely gives one the clue to use Advanced Search to add any limiters.

Republican Primary is my search phrase - no quotes. ProQuest did offer me other choices in auto-complete. That can be helpful when the search term you've decided to use just doesn't quite fill the bill.

In Advanced Search, I selected : Date Range - Last 7 days : the Document Type - editorial : the Language- English : sorted by Publication Date (most recent).

67 editorials were retrieved. One for today (January 4) from the New York Times.
A second search putting "Republican Primary" in quotes, retrieved 12 editorials. Quotation marks are a powerful limiter!

It is interesting to read editorials from around the country on the same topic. You can create an e-mail alert or an RSS feed in ProQuest Newspapers. Just click on the link in the upper right hand corner.

The password for GALILEO is available from your Georgia librarian.
To get to ProQuest Newspapers-
Select Databases A-Z
...Select P
....Scroll to ProQuest Newspapers - don't stop at ProQuest Databases


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And the winner is?

The Iowa caucuses intrigue me. I'm fairly suggestible and can be persuaded to go along with the crowd. Voting in a booth all by myself helps me stick to my choice. I think standing in a room and seeing all my neighbors swirling around would make it harder to stick to my first response. Peer Pressure can be a powerful influence.

A search for Iowa Caucus in History Reference Center which is a "full-text history reference database designed for secondary schools, public libraries, junior/community colleges, and undergraduate research. The database features reference books, encyclopedias, non-fiction books, and history periodicals as well as thousands of historical documents, biographies of historical figures, photos, maps, and over 80 hours of historical video" pulled up 9 articles and 4 videos. The search only looked between 2000 and 2004. I couldn't edit it to cover a longer span of time. No references to peer pressure.

That's not a whole lot about the Iowa Caucus. We have other History resources. I choose Credo Reference. A search limited to their History collection with Iowa caucus in quotes pulled up nothing. A search in the overall Credo collection only pulled up 5 references.
Still no references to peer pressure.

Fascinating. Since my initial concern was the effect of Peer Pressure on my choice, I went to the Psychology database by Ebsco. Two articles were retrieved. The time slot of 2000 to 2012 was not much longer than History Reference Center, which is also an Ebsco product. Neither article dealt with peer pressure.

Maybe someone should do a study on peer pressure and the Iowa Caucus results. Stay tuned as the Presidential Election season gets rolling.

To find the resources I mentioned-
go to GALILEO
There is a new password for accessing GALILEO.
Check with your CTC librarian.
...select Databases A-Z
.....select the first letter of the database (H for History, C for Credo, P for Psychology)
........then scroll to the database

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Happy New Year

We're back from the Winter break. It's very handy to have the whole school close for the week between December 25th and January 1.

This morning I sent e-mails to the English 1101 and English 1102 instructors advertising the Library guides and MLA handout. Several instructors have contacted me about coming to their classroom for a presentation. I enjoy going out and sharing the resources that will help students succeed.

It's going to be a superb term.


-kss