Ninth cousin twice removed?

Presidential races bring out the genealogists who proclaim how various candidates are related to... well, you can almost pick anyone they might be distantly related to. If you're interested in gathering kith and kin - Ancestry.com Library Edition is available through GALILEO at your Georgia library.

The Ancestry Library Edition collection has approximately 4,000 databases including key collections such as U.S. federal census images and indexes from 1790 to 1930; the Map Center containing more than 1,000 historical maps; American Genealogical Biographical Index (over 200 volumes), Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage (over 150 volumes), The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1630, Social Security Death Index, WWI Draft Registration Cards, Federal Slave Narratives, and a strong Civil War collection. All materials may be searched at once (using a basic or advanced search screen), or various databases and indexes may be searched individually.

You may access Heritage Quest at home through your public library GALILEO account. Heritage Quest offers access to portions of the census and other traditional genealogy records plus the PERSI database (periodicals index) and full text published genealogies.

Another resource you may not have thought of using is Lexis Nexis to begin "leafing out" your family tree. Lexis Nexis offers a People search using 22 different resources from the New York Times - Biographical Materials to the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.

The key is to start with yourself and work back - one generation at a time!

You may get the password to use GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian. Remember your public library GALILEO offers slightly different resources than the academic GALILEO!

It begins

The horticulture teams have begun arriving for PLANET. I had no idea there was so much involved in landscape care- a little watering, a little fertilizing, a little mowing. How big a deal could it be? It's a big deal!

NMTC students have been practicing for their events - (it is the "olympics", March Madness, etc for horticulture students). For my part, I added online resources for the Plant ID team. They have to be able to pick up a piece of the plant, identify it and spell its Scientific as well as common name (correctly).

Check out the Horticulture section - there are 39 Plant ID sites. How many could you spell correctly?

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

How does your garden grow?

Tomorrow the best and the brightest from 61 schools arrive at NMTC to participate in the annual PLANET competition. It's the equivalent of horticulture's "March Madness". Only one can be the winner!

The events are open to visitors....come on out Saturday March 29 to see the very best in the country show their stuff.


NMTC Library has a pretty good horticulture collection. There is another resource in GALILEO by Ebsco - Garden Literature Index which provides access to articles about gardens and plants, including topics such as horticulture, botany, garden and landscape design & history, ecology, plant and garden conservation, garden management, and horticultural therapy. A highlight of the database is its focus on environmentally sustainable horticultural and design practices.

The password to use GALILEO at home is available from your Georgia librarian.

Fashion

Spring cleaning, Spring fashions, new looks to our favorite web sites. Thanks to Librarian in Black for noting the new look for World Cat. What struck me is how similar it is to the new GALILEO.

Librarian in Black reminds us to use the Wayback Machine if you need a refresher on what World Cat looked like before the updating.

You can't look at GALILEO via the Wayback Machine because:
13. "Some sites are not available because of Robots.txt or other exclusions.What does that mean?....


Your Georgia librarian can give you the password to use GALILEO at home.

Spelling counts

Today is the first day of the season we call Spring! A search of GALILEO resources brought up zero articles- because I typed "spring sweason". The mind is willing but the fingers do their own thing.

Limiting the search to full text, peer reviewed, a time period, and assorted databases is so easy with the new interface. The clue in the search button on how many databases have been selected is interesting.

Exploring the new interface is not a chore. I keep having "ah ha" moments - like noticing the number changing on the search button as I select more databases.

If you find something unique or intriguing in the "new" GALILEO , please do share.

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

Something new

I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the
"new" GALILEO. I think you will enjoy it also. The tabs I spoke of from the "old" GALILEO used to show the topics in a subject area- no tabs now but links are available that do the same thing. It really does look cleaner and tidier. I think it is easier to use - we'll see.

Today the OPAC vendor we use at NMTC (Surpass) provided me with the HTML code to add a search box in GALILEO that goes right to the card catalog. I was also able to use the code on MySpace and the blog to create direct access points to our catalog. I can say very nice things about our vendor.

A lovely day for adding ways that our users can find the resource they need.

A tip of the day

Something else the GALILEO folks have done is add "tips". It's handy to have the "tips" right next to a choice. You can read what the options are and how best to find the information you need.

Exploring the new GALILEO is a delightful adventure.

You may get the password for home use of GALILEO from your Georgia librarian.

To tab or not to tab

In my first post I said I had noticed there were "no tabs" on the new GALILEO page.

Well - that's not correct.

The "old" GALILEO had placeholders that looked like file folder tabs. The new GALILEO has a straight box with text links. When you click on a link it highlights that area so it is a "tab" but it's not a "tab"- if you follow me.

This is fun. The folks at GALILEO have worked hard and we will reap the benefits!

Worth the wait

Today is the day. A day for everyone to be Irish - well, that too.

Last week, GALILEO folks sent encouraging e-mails reminding users that today was "the day". I checked over the weekend to see if maybe another day was "the day" but it wasn't.

This morning, I fixed breakfast, checked my e-mails- delayed, waited, not wanting to be disappointed. When I finally accessed GALILEO I was thrilled to see the new opening page. I was not disappointed - and you won't be either!

What did I notice first? No tabs. Then I saw my name - well, not my name but the library name, on the right side. A link to the NMTC Library page, a link to the NMTC catalog, and a link to Ask-A-Librarian which looks like it will come to me personally (and yes, I wrote a query to test the system). Nice, very nice. The query box reminds me of the InterLibrary Loan forms - clear, complete, and logical.

I'll be spending the day exploring and creating instructional videos to help my patrons find and use the resources for their program.

Happy St. Patricks Day and do enjoy the new and improved GALILEO.

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

An exploding star

I'm working my way through the Library Journals that have stacked up on my desk. The Feb 15 issue with the Reference Backtalk article Bibliographic Supernova by Steve Ostrem caught my eye. (I like how I could create a persistent link through Ebsco's Academic Search Complete in GALILEO).

Mr. Ostrem shares examples of "Ranganathan's Fourth Law (i.e., save the time of the reader)" with pithy stories of how GBS tied online resources to his own library.

The linkability of Google Books Search with WorldCat with a library catalog offers the book lover a way to find something interesting and find out where it is!

Easy reading

A note from Karen Minton at GALILEO:

New interfaces for NoveList and NoveList K-8 are now in production. The new interfaces feature direct access to much of the collateral content that was previously deeper in the site and often overlooked, in addition to more intuitive navigation. Below are some of the new features.

* A single search box where users will be able to enter the author name, title, genre or topic all at once, combining search types for convenience and efficiency
* BookTalks, Recommended Reads reading lists, Author Read-alikes, Book Discussion Guides, and other editorial features are directly accessible from the homepage. These features are also easily accessible through tabbed results after a search.
* A browse feature allows browsing for subjects, titles, authors, series, and Dewey numbers
* A revamped and expanded readers' advisory section includes Genre Outlines designed for librarians and a five-unit training series
* Expanded result lists include book jacket images, links to feature content, and more.
* Author nationality, gender, cultural identity, and pseudonyms for key authors in a new author information field
* RSS feeds, easier persistent linking and simplified alerts for keeping current on newly-added titles and content

Go and play- you will need to get the password for home use of GALILEO from your Georgia librarian!

I smiled when I opened this e-mail- the new rep for Ebsco had just been in to visit. Timing.

A birds eye view

Gas prices keep rising - wouldn't it be nice to lift off like a bird to get from here to there?

If you'd like to see what Georgia looks like from the air without spending oodles on gasoline....try the Georgia Aerial Photographs from the Digital Library of Georgia.

The Georgia Aerial Photographs database provides online access to approximately 50,000 black and white aerial photographs and indexes of selected counties from the State of Georgia.

It won't be quite the same as seeing the landscape from the air but still - you can imagine the flight!

Armchair traveler

Spring break begins in a week.

The Times Atlas of World History [G 1030 T54 1993] rests on the map stand beckoning the casual browser. One can imagine a trip through time as well as space by running ones fingers across the pages.

Amazon notes a review from Booklist that begins:

First published to considerable acclaim in 1978 (revised editions followed in 1984 and 1989), this atlas contains 600 visually exciting maps, 300,000 words of text, and 128 double-page spreads on major themes in world history. This fourth edition is the most radically revised, according to the publisher. Thirty maps have been replaced, and another 29 have been substantially changed. All the drawings that appeared in the last edition have been replaced by photographs.

Rest a bit and let your mind wander while you save on gasoline costs!

Three leaves on a stem

Leland Meitzler at Everton Publishers Genealogy Blog - found statistics on places in the United States named Shamrock!

My first thought was to use the Geographical Dictionary (my 1977 Websters Geographical Dictionary only lists 1 place in the US named Shamrock) but how many folks can lay their hands on a print edition - at home no less.

Then I thought about the World Almanac in GALILEO - no luck there noting locations in the US named Shamrock.

So I skimmed the rest of Leiland's entry- and (well, go read for yourself the sources he used). See if you would have thought to use those sites!

Where is a library or bookstore?

If you are a lover of books- when you travel, you might like to stop in and visit with the local librarian or visit the local bookstore. How do you find the local purveyor of books?

The Librarian In Black noted Library Thing Local. This tool gives you the chance to note your favorite venue and see what's available in an area.

Yes, I posted the NMTC Library.

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Just in from GALILEO

We are delighted to announce the planned production launch date of the new GALILEO user views currently in beta: Monday, March 17th. As you know, this has been a major effort involving the Community Customizations Working Groups, users, the library staff of all of the libraries, and the GALILEO staff. Thank you to everyone who has contributed -- overall, the feedback has been very positive, and all deserve appreciation!

Yes, I am looking forward to the launch! The Beta looks great.

You do need the password that your Georgia librarian can give you!

It's up!

Not GALILEO-beta (soon...) but NoveList...it did take a bit longer than a few hours but frequently technology changes take longer than anticipated.

NoveList offers a A short video tour to assist you in navigating NoveList. This tour covers the basic features of the database. This file may take a minute to load. We recommend that you view this presentation in full screen mode; use the F11 key in Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox to toggle between regular view and full screen view.

I do like the intuitive ease of use. It seems like interface designers are talking to each other so there are commonalities that make going from one vendor to another seamless.

The password to access GALILEO and then get to NoveList is available from your Georgia Librarian

Anticipation

Earlier in the week- EBSCO sent an announcement that the interface for NoveList would change in a few days. Today is the day. I looked in on NoveList and was greeted with this message:

Announcement to NoveList and NoveList K-8 Customers

Dear NoveList Customer –

We apologize for the inconvenience but NoveList and NoveList K-8 are not available right now while we upgrade our servers to the new version. The product will be unavailable for a few hours.

You should be able to access NoveList or NoveList K-8 again very soon and when you do, you will have access to our newest version with an exciting new interface.

I'll check back after lunch. If you're very curious, they offer a beta page.

Are they reading my blog?

Just got this from EBSCO. Please do go and watch the flash promo, check out the Beta site:

We have some very exciting news about EBSCOhost. This summer (July 2008), EBSCOhost will receive a brand new look and feel, based on extensive user testing and feedback, to provide you with the most powerful, clean and intuitive interface available.

This is the first redesign of the EBSCOhost interface since 2002, and its functionality incorporates the latest technological advances.

In future email messages, we will notify you about the wide range of tools and information available to help you learn about the new interface and its many features, and to streamline the transition in July 2008. An overview of EBSCOhost 2.0 is provided in the Flash demonstration here.

(If you cannot open this link, paste this URL into your browser: http://www.ebscohost.com/2.0_flash).

To view the EBSCOhost 2.0 web pages and learn more about its key features, click here. (If you cannot open the link, paste this URL into your browser: http://www.ebscohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=1&topicID=969).

Stay tuned for additional information about the exciting new EBSCOhost 2.0!

Notice the colors and pictures - I am so pleased. Since they refer to extensive testing, I must not be the only one who was disgruntled with the orange and green interface.

Carmen Agra Deedy

A post from the Georgia Library Association list:

Award- winning author Carmen Agra Deedy whose works include the Library Dragon and Growing up Cuban in Decatur Georgia, has been named spokesperson for School Library Media Month by the American Association of School Librarians, a division of ALA. For more information, see the following ALA link:
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2008/february2008/deedy08.htm

NoveList in GALILEO provides information (reviews, reading levels, etc)and ideas for Teaching with Fiction. NoveList has 6 of Ms. Deedy's books listed. The link to WorldCat appears after you've selected the title from the list.

Book Index with Reviews (also through GALILEO) notes 38 titles by Ms. Deedy. BIR has a link to WorldCat right next to the title in the list.

The WorldCat link is very handy for finding the closest library that has the title you're looking for!

You know who can give you the password to use GALILEO at home - your Georgia librarian.