Library Database Trials

If you've visited the library's webpage in the last few weeks, you might have noticed a new link dead-center on the site.  Under the "Databases" tab on www.library.coe.edu, there is a new link to direct users to databases with which we currently have trial access.  Every once and a while, different publishers will allow the library and our users to test out new databases in order to evaluate them and decide if they might be a good addition to our collection.  At any given time, we might have 1-3 trials running, though sometimes we may have more; other times, no trials at all.  Here at the library, we wanted our patrons to be able to find and use these products (what kind of test can you have without users?) while at the same time making sure that they knew that these databases were not necessarily permanent additions.  It would be rough to get used to using a database only to have the access mysteriously disappear mid-semester.  To meet this need, we thought it most appropriate to create a new page that explicitly stated that these were trials.  We also describe the databases, along with the timeline for the trial.  We hope that people will be able to use these databases and the resources therein, and we also hope that users will give us feedback.  Find a database that you like a lot?  Email the library at khandler@coe.edu and let us know what you think.  If you want to be anonymous, you can always drop a note in the library's virtual suggestion box.

We can't promise that we always add new databases, as unfortunately we can't subscribe to everything that we want.  What we can promise is that we'll use your feedback to help us figure out how best to expand our collection, and in the mean time, you'll have access to some great new databases.  Give them a try today!

Free Museum Tickets!

Need something to do this weekend?  Smithsonian Magazine is sponsoring an event called "Museum Day Live!", place across the country this Saturday, September 28th.  As part of this promotion, the magazine is giving away FREE tickets to hundreds of museums around the United States, and to get your free tickets all you have to do is sign up here.  If you're staying local, some museums in the area offering free admission include:

• Brucemore


• Cedar Rapids Museum of Art


• African American Museum of Iowa

In Iowa City, museums include:

• Old Capitol Museum


• University of Iowa Museum of Natural History

 

And there are plenty more great museums for you to check out if you want an excuse for a road trip. You are limited to 2 tickets, and tickets must be used this Saturday.  That being said, this sounds like awesome way to spend part of your Saturday, and again, it's free!

He's not so ghostly now since Annabeth Hampton has found the Phantom of the Opera squirrel.

The Phantom of the Opera tells a tale of love, mystery, and deceit .. in an opera house! With Opera!

Manliness

Ever wonder if there was more to being a man than having six-pack abs? The book, "The Art of Manliness: Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man" will teach you how to handle nearly any situation life may throw at you. From learning how to live a virtuous life like Ben Franklin to getting fitted for a suit, this book has it all. As the introduction of the book states, "Our goal with this book is to hopefully encourage a new generation of men to pick up where their grandfathers left off in the history and legacy of manliness." You can read this cover to cover or pick out sections to read as this book is both fun to read and packed full of useful information. Stop reading ridiculous memes on the internet and do yourself a favor by reading this book.

Useful Website

In a class I'm taking this semester called Fundamentals in Exercise and Nutrition, we came to the library to use the computers. Our class needed the computers to fill out a health assessment called the RealAge Test. The test asks questions regarding one's health, feelings, fitness, and diet. The results the test gives varies depending on your answers to the questions. For example, my current age is 19.6 but based on my answers to all the questions, my RealAge is 18.7. The assessment gives you your RealAge and then it breaks down all of your answers and tells you whether you need to make changes or if you need to maintain your current choices. For example, there was a question in the diet section about the amount of grains I consume each week. From my answer the test told me that I need to eat more grains. It was a great assessment that made it easy to evaluate my current health and identify any changes that need to be made.
~Nathan

Citing a Tweet

Although it may seem a bit silly at first glance, there may come a time when you need to cite a tweet from Twitter in a formal way for a paper or project. For example, if doing a paper on the Arab Spring, it would be hard to avoid at least some mention of the role of social media as events precipitated there, and you might decide that you want to use some of those tweets as a form of primary source material. Well, fret no more about the format for such a citation, as the Modern Language Association (MLA) has posted their guidelines for such a event. And remember, if you're ever not sure as to how to go about citing something that you're using, you can always swing by the reference desk (which is different than the circulation desk, btw), and we're happy to try and help you out!

-Katelyn, Head of Reference

Riddle Me This! Brainteaser Thursday

Part of being a successful searcher (in my mind anyway) is being able to logically think through your search while linking together related information to complete the big picture of whatever issue you are researching. Thus, the justification for posting this riddle, allegedly created by Albert Einstein a century ago.  There are no tricks, as this can be solved with some simple (and complex) logical thinking.  Give it a try and have fun!

The Riddle

1. In a street there are five houses, painted five different colours.
2. In each house lives a person of different nationality
3. These five homeowners each drink a different kind of beverage, smoke different brand of cigar and keep a different pet.

THE QUESTION: WHO OWNS THE FISH?

HINTS

1. The Brit lives in a red house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The Green house is next to, and on the left of the White house.
5. The owner of the Green house drinks coffee.
6. The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
7. The owner of the Yellow house smokes Dunhill.
8. The man living in the centre house drinks milk.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
11. The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
12. The man who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
13. The German smokes Prince.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15. The man who smokes Blends has a neighbour who drinks water.

Zeitgeist 2012: The year that was thanks to Google

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xY_MUB8adEQ]

Today Google released its "Zeitgeist 2012" video which shows the past year in terms of what users searched on Google.  The video is pretty great, very much worth the 2.5 minutes to watch and enjoy.

Massages are back!

Here at the library, we try to offer support to students in a variety of way during finals. Today we can officially announce that the library will be offering chair massages once again as a stress-buster for students prior to finals on Reading Day!  The chair massages will be Tuesday, December 11th from 10-3:30 PM, in the Perrine Gallery.  Massages will each be 10 minutes long, and they will be free!  So how do you get one, and what’s the catch?

• Sign up will start at 10 AM on Friday, December 7th.  Sign up will occur on both Friday, and the following Monday.


• You go to the Reference Desk to sign up.  If the reference desk is not staffed when you come, check in the Reference Office.


• Only current Coe students are eligible to receive a free massage


• You must come in person to sign up (no signing up for a group of friends, or by phone/email.)


• The day of the massages, you must check in 5 minutes prior to your massage.  If you do not check in prior to your massage, you are liable to lose your spot to students on the waiting list.

Sound good?  Great!  Swing by the library to sign up for your free massage, and good luck on your finals!

The AV Department is now on Pinterest!

The AV Department now has one more way that you can easily find new releases--on Pinterest! Click here to check out our New Arrivals board!

--Laura, Head of Audiovisual

The AV Department? Not just films!

Sure, the AV Department has a ton of films available for checkout, but did you know that we also carry a large collection of television seasons? Come check out one of these TV shows in the following genres:

Animated:

• Daria


• Family Guy

Comedy:

• Bored to Death


• Flight of the Conchords

Crime Drama:

• Numbers


• The Wire

Gritty Drama:

• Breaking Bad


• Entourage

Historical Drama:

• Downton Abbey


• The Tudors

Medical Drama:

• Nip/Tuck


• Nurse Jackie

Mystery:

• Sherlock


• Veronica Mars

Sci Fi/Fantasy:

• Battlestar Galactica


• Game of Thrones

Sports:

• Eastbound & Down


• The League

Suspense:

• Dexter


• 24

--Laura, Head of Audiovisual

Internet law and rules, answered by an expert

This is a neat blog post that I found earlier today on Lifehacker.  The site hosted a Q & A session with  Derek Bambauer, an associate professor of law at the University of Arizona, where he teaches about internet law and intellectual property. In the past, he was also involved OpenNet Initiative, which tested and studied censorship in countries such as China, Iran, and Vietnam. Although the session is now over,  you'll find lots of great questions in the comments on Internet behaviors and law that I think would be of interest to pretty much everyone who uses the Web.  If you need a break today, take a look!
-Katelyn, Head of Reference

New Chat Service

What's this, you say?  Say "Hello" to the library's new chat widget, Zoho.  The library staff evaluated several different chat options over the course of the summer in our efforts to replace Meebo, purchased by Google and taken offline.  Zoho was the winner, which you can now find on webpages throughout the library's website.

What has changed from Meebo?  In some ways, not a great deal.  You'll still be able to use Zoho much like you would have used our chat functionality previously.  It's web-based, so you need not install any software.  It's anonymous as well. However, one major change is that when you click on box to ask a question, a new, separate window will pop up. meaning you need not few losing your original question and text when navigating pages.

If you notice any bugs with Zoho, please do let us know, either via the comments sections here, or drop us a line by email.  We are always looking for ways to improve our website and better serve the Coe Community, so if there's things you think that we should know about your chat experience, we want to hear them.  Thanks, and welcome back to Coe!  We're glad you're here and can't wait to get another year underway.

Katelyn, Head of Reference

Summer Salutations from the Reference Department

As summer officially begins today, I though that I would post a summer update from the reference department.  Right now, we are in maintenance and reading mode.  This means we are slowly trying to sift our way through the stacks of library publications on our desks while also trying to prep for the coming school year (and accompanying classes.)  All this reading means that occasionally you find neat resources that you really want to share with students, though it can be tricky to find the proper home for them on the library's website.  However, this type of stuff is ideal for the blog, so let's start the sharing and caring!

This week's focus is on financial literacy for students.  With student loans prevalent, and many students starting their first job where one has to contemplate 401K, IRAs, and retirement funds, it can be overwhelming at times to figure out where to go to get financial information and advice.  Thankfully, the ACRL recently published a bang-up list of websites that students can use to help educate themselves on all of these issues and much more.  Here are a few highlights from that list:

-360 Degrees of Financial Literacy: This site, sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, is an extensive resources aimed at users ages 12 and up.  Another bonus?  The information is organized and separated both by life stages and by topic.

-Mymoney.gov: Another site organized according to life stages, this website is hosted by the US Government and aims to improve the financial literacy of a variety of consumers.  It's also available in Spanish, for those who would prefer.

-'Financial Literacy and Ignorance" Blog:  Authored by Annamaria Lusardi, a researcher and professor of economics and accountancy at the George Washington School of Business, this blog touches on a variety of financial and economic issues.

Happy $$$ planning!

EBSCO, Trials, and Facebook Scams

A few notes from the library's reference department:

1) As several folks noticed yesterday, Coe's EBSCO databases were down most of the afternoon due to some maintenance by EBSCO.  Apparently they were doing work on the administrative module for EBSCO and inadvertently knocked out all EBSCO services.  Everything is back up and running, so here's hoping that everyone's research schedules were not too greatly effected. This does serve as a great lesson, though, as to why it's in your best interest to explore a variety of the college's databases offered by several different providers.  For EBSCO database that Coe has, we probably have 2 that are not, so take the time to explore some of those databases that you use less often.

2) Speaking of new database offerings, the library will be part of a few new database trials in the coming weeks.  We'll be emailing the faculty members that we think would get the most use out of the specific trials, but we will also try to post information on various trials as the information becomes available to us on the library blog as well.  Please feel free to offer any feedback that you have on these databases in the comments here, as it will help the staff get a feel for the college's impressions of the offerings.

3) Finally, with over 600,000,000 folks on Facebook, you are almost bound to see offers on it from time to time to good to be true.  Usually, if seems to good to be true (like a free IPad or a $100 gift card to Red Lobster, for example,) it is.  But, if you're interested in checking into whether something might be a scam,  Facecrooks is a great scam watch website.  It not only will give you the scoop on mysterious free offers, but it also investigates things like messages sent to you trying to get you to watch some crazy video you were supposedly in.  Remember, you should always be careful about what you click on or to whom you give personal information online.

-Katelyn, Head of Reference

 

New Collection Added: JSTOR Arts & Sciences X Collection

The library has added this new collection of journal titles to its JSTOR holdings. Currently 89 titles have been added to the library catalog and are also accessible through the Coe Journals link on the library website and catalog.

Arts & Sciences X Collection features broad coverage in Business and the Social Sciences. Sociology, Education, Public Policy & Administration, and the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine are all represented in this collection. This collection also includes titles from new JSTOR disciplines, such as Transportation Studies and Development Studies.

Some notable titles include:

Social Research

Sociological Focus

Journal of Marketing Theory & Practice

Management International Review

American Secondary Education

Mathematics Teacher

For a complete list of titles of this collection, please follow the link –

http://www.jstor.org/action/showJournals?browseType=collectionInfoPage&selectCollection=asx

New Fisher Library Aquisitions

These just arrived and are ready to check out:

The Complete Sacred Music of Henry Purcell 11 CD Set

also

Samuel Barber 65 Songs (the newer Schirmer Edition) in High Voice and Low Voice scores.

Check 'em out!

New Title in the Reference Section

New in the Reference Section: The Oxford Handbook of Holocaust Studies.  Ed. Peter Hayes and John K. Roth. 2010.

If you're doing a project that relates to World War II in any way, specifically the Holocaust, this book is an excellent place to get started.  With five distinct sections, the tome has parts dealing with "Enablers," "Protagonists," "Settings," "Representations," and "Aftereffects."  At the end of each section, one can find an extensive list of references and suggested reading (which can then in turn be used to find more sources for your paper/project, saving you time in the long run.)  Like all reference works, this book cannot be checked, but can be found at all times on the first floor of the library with the call number D 804.3 .O94 2010.

Today's Cool Thing: William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft

27th President of the United States.  10th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  You can listen to him to deliver a speech on the abolishment of war thanks to the Vincent Voice Library, hosted by the Michigan State University Libraries.  The collection contains more than 40,000+ hours of spoken word recordings.  They have special collections as well, such as one highlighting recordings of US Presidents.  Great idea for a presentation requiring primary source material.

William Howard Taft Speech

Enjoy!

Vincent Voice Library: http://vvl.lib.mus.edu