As of September 1st, we will be ready to use our online question management system, QuestionPoint, to refer information requests (reference questions) between libraries for our customers. Terry Beck and Christa Werle are developing an announcement for all libraries, an Intranet page for best practices, and talking points and instructions for anyone working at an Information Desk or helping a customer submit a question through our online form: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=1175. Watch for a post & email with more information around September 1, 2011.
Month: July 2011
J Reference for Student Place MOSEs
RSC discussed the needs for reference collections in libraries focused on serving elementary through high school students. We learned from Collection Development that we are buying fewer copies of circulating non-fiction in print because it tends not to get checked out with the exception of career, animal, and science information. These are the three areas that the RSC also feels should be developed in a Student Place print reference collection. In addition the circulating collections of a Student Place might be developed with career, animal, science, states & countries, health & medical, and 100 page biographies. It was discussed that most students want information that they can take with them by checking out, making copies, or accessing online. It appears that students are placing less and less demand for in library use only materials.
New ProQuest Subscriptions
Through the Washington State Library’s Statewide Database Licensing Project, Sno-Isle Libraries subscribes to a package of products through a shared contract for discounted pricing. This year, ProQuest was awarded the contract after a RFP process. For more information on this decision and the process, please visit the WSL: http://www.sos.wa.gov/library/libraries/projects/sdl/
Sno-Isle Libraries has now completed linking to our new package of products. Please familiarize yourself with them and promote with gusto! We will be offered training; I will forward the schedule as it becomes available.
- ProQuest Research Library: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=5829
- National Newspapers Core: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=5830
- Washington State Newsstand: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=3092
- ProQuest Platform User Guide
- Product Info: Full text coverage of major Washington newspapers including the daily newspapers from Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane, plus selected coverage of other regional sources.
- ProQuest Family Health: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=5831
- ProQuest Learning: Literature: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=5826
- History Study Center: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=5825
- ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=3096
- eLibrary: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=1487
- SIRS Discoverer: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=5823
- CultureGrams Online: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=2173
- World Conflicts Today (available through June 30, 2012 then content will migrate to SIRS Discoverer): http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=3683
- Quick Start Guide
- Product Info: Explore conflicts occurring in such countries as Afghanistan, Iraq and North Korea—includes teaching tools such as classroom guides and slideshows.
And, of course, let me or your Reference Services Committee representative know if you have any questions!
Value Line Upgrade
Based on the popularity of the resource (usage) and the ongoing transition from print to online meaning we were losing access to the Small & Mid-Cap Edition, we have upgraded from the Value Line Investment Survey to the Value Line Research Center.
When accessing Value Line (http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=5206), you will see the expanded options available under the “Quick Index” links on the left side of your screen.
This subscription includes:
• The Value Line Investment Survey Library Edition
• The Value Line Expanded Library Edition
• The Value Line Mutual Fund Survey – Full-page reports on about 700 leading equity funds, and abbreviated reports on over 1,200 additional equity and bond funds. We also provide summary data reports on all of the funds in the Value Line Mutual Fund database, which contains about 20,000 total mutual funds. Additionally, you can use on-line screening tools to search the database for funds that meet your specific investment objectives.
• The Value Line Daily Options Survey – Daily evaluations and ranks on over 180,000 options, on about 2,000 stocks, and 11,000 longer-term options (LEAPS).
• The Value Line Special Situations Service – Opens the world of emerging companies with bright futures to the more aggressive investor. Our analysts are constantly on the lookout for lesser-known stocks where unusual developments may pave the way for extraordinary rewards.
• The Value Line Convertible Survey – Contains analysis and evaluation of over 700 convertible issues and nearly 120 warrants in a timely and easy to use format, as well as buy and sell recommendations, full- page reports on recommended securities, and news on companies in the service.
In addition, The Value Line Research Center also provides users free delayed stock quotes, company news, extensive graphing, market updates, portfolio tracking with alerts, Value Line Analyst Supplements in real time, educational programs and a great deal of free information from Wall Street’s most respected source.
I do not have any training or webinar information at this time, though we plan to schedule this in coordination with eResource of the Month in 2012.
We do have a one page Value Line User Guide
Please let me know if you have any questions! (x7160)
Morningstar Updates
We hope you are enjoying the new stock and fund reports on Morningstar Investment Research Center. As you will see, you now can access new features such as historical daily prices from the 1960’s, executive bios and compensation, export features for the top 100 fund holdings and much more. These reports will be fully launched in early fall.
Our regularly scheduled monthly training session will be held on Thursday, August 4th at 11am Central Time. We will review the full database during that session. If you or your patrons would like to pre-register, please email librarytraining@morningstar.com.
June Top Five Virtual Reference Titles
Were you curious? I was! Following are the top five accessed Gale Virtual Reference Library titles in June 2011. All titles are hyper-linked so that you can check out the hot topics for yourself!
#1. Crime and Punishment in America Reference Library
#2. The Encyclopedia of Trauma and Traumatic Stress Disorders
#3. CQ’s Politics in American 2010: The 111th Congress
#5. Dutch Oven Cooking for Outdoor Enthusiasts
ProQuest Subscription Changes
Our new statewide database project license with ProQuest began on 7/1/11. I am in the process of switching over all of our linking to the new titles and descriptions and should have updates posted here and to Reference Contacts in the next week. Definitely in time for Back-to-School promotions and visits.
In the meantime, you can view a list of products in the “new” ProQuest package and their descriptions on the Washington State Library site:
http://www.sos.wa.gov/library/libraries/projects/sdl/products.aspx
Note: As the changeovers are made, we will not continue to provide access to the discontinued products WITH THE EXCEPTION of World Conflicts Today which will only be available through June 30,2012.
Please contact me, Christa Werle, x7160, with any questions!
Auto Repair Reference Center – New Interface
Auto Repair Reference Center (ARRC) has a new look! (It also used to be Automobile Repair Reference Center, so a slight name change too)
More graphics, prettier linking, please take a few minutes to check it out before you’re on the spot with customers!
Here are some links to documentation, should you need it:
Any questions? Please contact Christa Werle, x7160
Marquis Who’s Who Updates
After logging in you will immediately see some changes, including a sleeker, more user-friendly design. Among the many changes we would like to highlight are the following:
- Faster Performance: If your patrons search for anything on our service, expect accurate results and expect them FAST. We have also dramatically increased the response time of our sorting feature.
- New Search Features – Quick Search: If you subscribe to several publications, our new ‘Quick Search’ allows you to query all content across all of our offerings.
- Text field suggestions: Several fields now include an auto-populate feature which anticipates search terms as you type by dynamically querying our databases to auto-fill terms on search forms.
- Updated look-and-feel to provide a more pleasant user experience. This includes re-organizing our search forms as well as our actual listings. The new layout is based on feedback from users.
In addition to these changes, we are also happy to announce that we will shortly be offering COUNTER compliant reports, which will allow you to access your own usage statistics. And finally, we are partnering with the leading federated search vendors, which will enable your patrons to find our content more easily.
This is only the first round of improvements we expect to make to our database, in order to make it the best biographical resource possible. If you have any suggestions about the new site, please share them with me at MBOfeedback@marquiswhoswho.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Free Webinar From Job & Career Accelerator
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Join us for a free webinar! July 20, 2011 2:00 p.m. EST |
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“Follow Through: Smart Tactics for Job Seekers” With Career Expert Lisa Chenofsky Singer Successfully navigating the post interview follow-up process is a gray area for many job seekers. Follow through tactics can often make or break the final hiring decision. Lisa will provide valuable do’s and don’ts that’ll help job seekers land jobs.
Don’t miss this chance to help your patrons and students work towards their goals! |
| Register here today: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/552358200Lisa is founder of Chenofsky Singer & Associates, LLC, an organization for those going through career change and transitions. She has beenfeatured on NPR Marketplace and NBC Nightly News, quoted in The Wall Street Journal, CNN Money and more. Please send your questions, comments and feedback on the webinar series to: webinar@learningexpressllc.com. *After registering you will receive a confirmation email from gotowebinar@citrixonline.com containing information about joining the Webinar. System Requirements Macintosh®-based attendees Space is limited. The Job & Career Accelerator™ team at LearningExpress, LLC The Fast Track to Getting Hired! © 2011 LearningExpress LLC. All rights reserved.
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Information Services @ Sno-Isle 