NetLibrary

I have become a bigger fan of NetLibrary over the years. I am particularly happy when I demonstrate a catalog search, and a NetLibrary title comes up. Then I'm able to demonstrate the differences between a physical book in our library and an e-book. I always tell students not to shy away from e-books, which are just as legitimate as a physical book. I wonder as more students and library patrons get Kindles or Nooks, will the concept of "selling" e-books become less and less needed?

For this exercise I typed a basic full-text search for "knitting." I came up with over 1000 hits. When I changed my search to keyword with "knitting" I came up with just one title---Knitting and Crocheting for Dummies. A more useful result!

It was very easy to search for other topics. I do like the feature of logging in to my personal account, so that I can save notes, quotations, or thoughts for later. That has become a habit in NetLibrary, along with starting with an advanced search. Another newer feature that I really appreciate is that when you print, it will let you know how many pages you will be able to actually print.

A great source, especially if a class is doing similar research topics!

Gale Virtual Reference Library

I think these are fine sources to have available, but I was struck by the fact that most of the titles are at least 5 years old. In some cases, that wouldn't matter, but in areas of politics, medicine, and history, it certainly would make a difference.

Given a choice between this Gale database and a more current source, I would vote for currency.

I did like the "voice" option, which was fairly natural sounding and easy to use.

ProQuest

I use ProQuest almost daily. It's one of the two general databases that I usually recommend to students by saying "You can almost always find SOMETHING about what you're interested in" in ProQuest.

I don't like the basic search at all, because I typically combine concepts or set limiters. I do like the tabs that separate articles by scholarly or trade magazines or whatever. I also find the limit to full-text to be helpful. I think giving the searcher the option of displaying by date or by relevance is also a great feature.

I do like the "publications" choice as well, as if gives the information about what publications are indexed and their dates of inclusion.

A good source that can help almost any library user.

SIRS

I am a fan of SIRS Researcher . . . it is especially handy for college students looking for pro/con arguments on an issue.

I've never looked at the younger student version, but find that equally useful and easy to navigate. I like how the reading levels are in plain sight, and I also appreciate the breakdown by types of information---newspapers, websites, pictures, etc.

Those darn pandas are so cute!









OK . . . on to SIRS Researcher, my old friend.

I selected "Obesity" from the list of leading issues and found a very rich resource listing pro and con arguments regarding government regulation addressing the issue of obesity in the US.

There's a helpful list of articles broken down by publication type, along with interactive features that give visual demonstrations of facts. I also really appreciate the subject heading suggestions that show related searches.

The curriculum pathfinders could be a useful tool, especially if the teacher or students was trying to decide on a topic. I like the cloud system found there and connections to related topics.

It's a good reminder to look at this database again, and I'm glad to see the edition for younger students is just as useful.

Summer 2010 challenge

Well, it's time to look at World Book. In the kids' version, I looked for information on pandas:

The interface is bright and lively and it assumes most children will browse.

The video of pandas eating was the best part!



The next version is more advanced---Online Info. It provides links to information about pandas, but also includes article on ecology, individuals associated with pandas (Angelina Jolie??), and organizations involved in protecting them.

The side bar lets you navigate to different types of information---charts, videos, encyclopedia articles, and websites.

Tibet is the home of many pandas.





Obviously, the Online Reference Center is a much richer and more complete set of resources, but written at a more adult level of comprehension.

There are some links to primary sources which might be helpful, as well as tables, graphs, "Back in Time" article, and visual materials.


Above is a picture of a Tibetan Terrier. Hard to imagine the Dali Lama with a pooch like that!