1. Go to the English Dictionaries and Thesauruses link and click on the Browse this subject link. This interesting search option lets you browse page by page through all of the dictionaries simultaneously. Go to the H's and find the entries for the term habeas corpus. How many dictionaries have entries for this word?
There are six dictionaries that contain this term, which is interesting, considering it's Latin, not English. I was familiar with this term, and thought of the translation as 'produce the corpse', but some of the definitions explained it more clearly than that.
The best explanation of the original term came from the Oxford Dictionary of English:
ORIGIN late Middle English: Latin, literally ‘you shall have the body (in court)’
The clearest definition of what the term means in law came from The Concise Oxford English Dictionary:
a writ requiring a person to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to investigate the lawfulness of their detention.
The ability to browse through and compare different dictionary definitions like this is a nice feature.
2. Return to the English Dictionaries and Thesauruses link and click on Links for this subject. Examine the list of links. What is the purpose for these links? Go to the link for the Guide to Grammar and Writing. What popular song is used to illustrate nouns?
That is quite an eclectic list of links. It looks like it's the list of sources for the 'English Dictionaries & Thesauruses' database. (hey ... isn't the plural of 'thesaurus' 'thesauri'? Or do I just have an attitude since I was forced to take Latin back in junior high?)
Awwww .... the song used to illustrate nouns in the Guide to Grammar is "My Favorite Things", from The Sound of Music. That's a good choice, since it's full of nouns.
3. One last look at English Dictionaries and Thesauruses. Click on the link to the Visual English Dictionary. Look up the word "boat." Click on the first link for examples of boats and ships. How many examples are given?
Fourteen examples are given. Wow, cool. I love visual dictionaries. And looking at the container ship picture reminds me of a conversation I had earlier this week with a colleague who just returned from Panama. They are building new locks on the Panama Canal to accommodate larger container ships. The largest ships that currently go through the canal carry 5,000 containers, with just a few feet to spare on either side at the locks. After construction is complete, the locks will allow ships carrying 12,000 containers to squeeze through. Amazing.
4. Go to the link for English Language Reference. How many titles are offered in this category?
Eighteen.
5. From the Oxford Reference home page click the link to the Bilingual Dictionaries. Choose one of the dictionary titles. Enter a word in the search box. List the options available to process the information on the results screen.
OK, I went to the Pocket Oxford Irish Dictionary (English-Irish), typed in 'shamrock' and got 'seamróg' as my result. I'm a little unclear what you mean by 'options available to process the information' but I'm assuming you mean what can we do from this screen. So we can print search results, email search results, widen our search, or select search tips. Also, if I had gotten more than one result, I could reorder the results alphabetically.
6. From the Oxford Reference home page click the link to Quotations. Enter the word "abolish" in the search box. What is the quote from John Locke? Now click on the link to Browse this subject. Browse to the word "abolish." Follow the links for abolish and describe how these results differ from the general word search results.
There are two resulting quotations from John Locke (actually, they're the same quotation, but one is listed more fully):
Locke, John
The end of law is, not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.
(From Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations in Quotations)
John Locke
[That] ill deserves the name of confinement which hedges us in only from bogs and precipices. So that, however it may be mistaken, the end of law is, not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.
(From Oxford Dictionary of Quotations in Quotations)
On the initial search, when you click 'go' you get 9 results. When you select 'browse this subject' then 'abolish', you get 11 links that include the word abolish (or abolished, or abolition). But when you follow the link, you get all the quotations from that particular author. That is cumbersome. It's helpful to see a little context on the results screen ('abolish: abolish the death penalty' or 'abolish government', for example) but depending on how many quotations by an author are in the next results list, it can be hard to find the actual quotation you're looking for.
7. From the Oxford Reference home page click the link to Maps and Illustrations. Do a search for "Syria." What type of maps are available?
Wow, weird results. Of three hits, one is a flag, one is a map of the Middle East showing an itty bitty Syria, and one is a stylized map (not showing actual country shapes) along with flags. None of these are what I would expect if I was trying to find a map of Syria. A Google Maps search brings up a much better map of Syria, complete with highways, sattelite views, user photos, etc.
8. From the Oxford Reference home page click the link to Encyclopedias. Do a search on Syria. Explore the links to the World Encyclopedia and A Guide to Countries of the World. Consider the difference between the two resources. According to the introduction for A Guide to Countries of the World, what is the purpose of this source?
Both passages are pretty comparable, although one sentence in the World Encyclopedia makes reference to the current situation in Syria. The last sentence of the 'Politics' section reads: 'Major anti-government protests in 2011 led to severe violence, and to international condemnation of the government's response to the protests.' The stickler in me did notice that the citation at the bottom of the page gives the date of the entry as 2008. It's obviously been updated since then. The intro for A Guide to Countries of the World identifies the purpose of the source as 'ideal for students and teachers of geography, politics, economics, world religions, and world history at all levels, as well as anyone wanting a home reference book to accompany an atlas.' It is an accessible source, but the World Encyclopedia gives a broader view of the history and politics. Both give demographic information, although the details conflict a little (is the population 21 million or 22 million?). And the Guide to Countries was last updated in 2010, so it has no information about the current unrest.
9. From the Oxford Reference home page click in the Quick Search Box. Search for the term "recycling." How many entries are in the results screen? What three books are available in the Refine by Book option?
There are 25 results, in addition to the 'quick definition.' I don't see an option to refine by book. There is a column to refine by subject, and a button to widen your search, and tabs to reorder results by category, but none of the categories is 'book.'
10. Optional: Setup an Oxford Reference Online button or banner (such as one at top of lesson) on your school/library website....Try it on your blog!
Hmmm ... I see the search box, but I can't tell if it really works. I think I have to publish this post to be sure. Here goes ... (deep breath)!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Digital Resources - Lesson 4b : Additional Education Databases
1) When I searched for “Technology Education” and “Alaska” in Teacher Reference Center, I got 14 hits. Those additional limits brought it down to 9 articles. Here's the citation in MLA format:
"Technology Takes On Rural Alaskan Schools." T H E Journal 30.4 (2002): 52. Teacher Reference Center. Web. 31 Mar. 2012.
2) The same search in ERIC returns 81 results. The limits bring down the results to 3 articles. None of the three show a link to a PDF or HTML version, but if you follow the link in the record, each article displays on the screen as a PDF.
3) The search in Professional Development brings 18 results, and the limits narrow that to 4 articles. And yes, there is some overlap. I recognize the title about the former Apple executive, and some of the others look familiar, too.
4) Yes, there's a little overlap, but not really that much. The search done in all three databases together brings 100 hits, and limited it comes down to 7. I'm a little unclear about how I could have gotten 9 hits in Teacher Reference Center, yet only 7 when that database was combined with two others. When I look at the facets on the left, I see that 3 articles came from ERIC and 4 came from Professional Development, but only 3 came from Teacher Reference Center. Where did the other 6 go?
Maybe this is a lesson in trying to do things too quickly. Like I mentioned in the last post, I'm rushing through these exercises Saturday morning, so I think my lack of close attention is affecting my success. As I sit here saying I don't have time to double check, now it's really bothering me, and I want to re-do that search. Bear with me. Yup, figured it out. User error. I limited to articles after 1998, not 2008. Once I set my limits right, I got 3 hits.
So to answer the initial question -- what are my thoughts about searching the databases together vs. separately -- it's definitely more efficient to search them together.
"Technology Takes On Rural Alaskan Schools." T H E Journal 30.4 (2002): 52. Teacher Reference Center. Web. 31 Mar. 2012.
2) The same search in ERIC returns 81 results. The limits bring down the results to 3 articles. None of the three show a link to a PDF or HTML version, but if you follow the link in the record, each article displays on the screen as a PDF.
3) The search in Professional Development brings 18 results, and the limits narrow that to 4 articles. And yes, there is some overlap. I recognize the title about the former Apple executive, and some of the others look familiar, too.
4) Yes, there's a little overlap, but not really that much. The search done in all three databases together brings 100 hits, and limited it comes down to 7. I'm a little unclear about how I could have gotten 9 hits in Teacher Reference Center, yet only 7 when that database was combined with two others. When I look at the facets on the left, I see that 3 articles came from ERIC and 4 came from Professional Development, but only 3 came from Teacher Reference Center. Where did the other 6 go?
Maybe this is a lesson in trying to do things too quickly. Like I mentioned in the last post, I'm rushing through these exercises Saturday morning, so I think my lack of close attention is affecting my success. As I sit here saying I don't have time to double check, now it's really bothering me, and I want to re-do that search. Bear with me. Yup, figured it out. User error. I limited to articles after 1998, not 2008. Once I set my limits right, I got 3 hits.
So to answer the initial question -- what are my thoughts about searching the databases together vs. separately -- it's definitely more efficient to search them together.
Introduction to Alaska Digital Resources - Lesson 4a : Live Homework Help
I just watched the video, and that's amazing! I knew that the live homework help existed, but I hadn't really thought about what all it could entail. That is a great resource. Of course, since it's Saturday morning and I'm trying to rush through this assignment before heading to the cafe, I can't really use the tutoring service (it's not available until 1 pm). I didn't know that it included a career center. I could see the resume help being extremely popular and helpful, although it seems strange to work on a resume with all personal information removed.
OK, on to 4B. I'll have to come back and finish this exercise later.
OK, on to 4B. I'll have to come back and finish this exercise later.
Introduction to Alaska Digital Resources - Lesson 3 : Reader's Advisory
I must admit, I've been dreading this assignment a little bit. I've always felt very unqualified when it comes to readers' advisory -- I like what I like, but I don't feel comfortable suggesting authors or books to others. Opinions are subjective, and pleasure reading is so personal. We all have different preferences, points of view, and backgrounds.
1) Using the read-alike feature in NoveList is intriguing. I've been poking around for a while, and it's hard to say how accurate the recommendations are without reading all the suggested books. I have seen a few recommendations that are good, though. One book I really enjoyed recently was "Winter's Bone," by Daniel Woodrell. One of the read-alike recommendations was "To Kill a Mockingbird," which is one of my favorite books. They are linked because they both have a strong, young female at the center of the story. It is interesting that each book I put into the system was identified as "character driven." Aren't they all? I guess not ... I finally put in one that's considered "Plot driven." That makes sense; when I think back on it, I remember the story more than I remember individual characters. The series recommendations seem possibly helpful. I'm not that crazy about the read-alike recommendations, since they're only as good as the subject headings and other tags. It's better than nothing, and I could totally see myself using this to help someone find a book, I'm just skeptical that its recommendations are spot-on. At least it helps give someone a handful of options; that way, they can take the suggestions and evaluate several books to see if they're a good fit. Now that I've said that, the author suggestions are looking more interesting to me than the book suggestions.
2) OK, saved 'em.
3) Ah, that's a nice feature. After searching an author and using the series tab, when you click on the resulting title, that brings you a list of books in series order.
4) Wow, there are some good resources here. I could see the book discussion guides being useful to book groups or the featured book display ideas coming in handy in libraries.
Article: I'll get back to that later.
1) Using the read-alike feature in NoveList is intriguing. I've been poking around for a while, and it's hard to say how accurate the recommendations are without reading all the suggested books. I have seen a few recommendations that are good, though. One book I really enjoyed recently was "Winter's Bone," by Daniel Woodrell. One of the read-alike recommendations was "To Kill a Mockingbird," which is one of my favorite books. They are linked because they both have a strong, young female at the center of the story. It is interesting that each book I put into the system was identified as "character driven." Aren't they all? I guess not ... I finally put in one that's considered "Plot driven." That makes sense; when I think back on it, I remember the story more than I remember individual characters. The series recommendations seem possibly helpful. I'm not that crazy about the read-alike recommendations, since they're only as good as the subject headings and other tags. It's better than nothing, and I could totally see myself using this to help someone find a book, I'm just skeptical that its recommendations are spot-on. At least it helps give someone a handful of options; that way, they can take the suggestions and evaluate several books to see if they're a good fit. Now that I've said that, the author suggestions are looking more interesting to me than the book suggestions.
2) OK, saved 'em.
3) Ah, that's a nice feature. After searching an author and using the series tab, when you click on the resulting title, that brings you a list of books in series order.
4) Wow, there are some good resources here. I could see the book discussion guides being useful to book groups or the featured book display ideas coming in handy in libraries.
Article: I'll get back to that later.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Introduction to Alaska Digital Resources - Lesson 2 : Genealogy Resources
When I met with the others on Saturday, I discovered that I made a few mistakes on lesson one. I'm not going back to change them! Since what I'd like to get out of this course is more about process than getting "right" answers at all costs, I'm not going to fuss and go back. Just rest assured that I know the number I put under "how many women work in Anchorage?" is way off! It's for the entire state of Alaska.
Now on to lesson two. I'm already getting impatient with Heritage Quest, since I'm not finding my Grandmother. What's the deal?? I've broadened my search to just a surname, census year 1930, and state: Illinois, and I still get 0 hits.
Hmmm ... I broadened the search even further, to include all census years, and found NA under 1930. When I look at 1920, I get five pages of hits for the surname. Now I've found my Great Grandpa's name. Ooh, cool. Harvey and Clementine, with 6 kids, including my Grandma Dorothy who was 4 years old at the time. I remember these Great Grandparents as very old people when I was very young, so it's funny to think of them in their 30s. I just learned that both of their fathers were not born in Illinois, but in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Since I'm not familiar with local genealogy collections in my area, I can't speak specifically to how to safeguard them, beyond the obvious (try to make digital backups to paper documents, don't store everything in one place, etc.).
1880 was the first year that Alaska was included in the census, but much of the 1880 and 1890 data is suspect, particularly when it comes to villages in rural Alaska. Ask Atilla ... she knows a lot more about this than I do!
Wow ... some of these census records are REALLY hard to read! I'm trying to figure out my great-great grandfather's name, but I just found a totally illegible card. Switching to negative from positive doesn't help. Maybe if I download the TIFF file and play in Photoshop for a while I'll get it more legible. First, I should ask my dad if he knows the guy's name. Too bad the 1890 census data is gone ... I know my great grandpa was born in 1880, but I'm not sure what month. Chances are, he wasn't born yet when the census taker came that year, so without knowing anything about siblings or his parents names, I can't figure out who are his parents. If only I could search 1890, that would really help. I do see the importance of polling relatives who are still alive, too. Like I said, I should ask my dad if his grandpa had siblings, what his parents' names were, etc. It's a lot easier to fill in the blanks if I start my search with more information.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Introduction to Alaska Digital Resources - Lesson 1 : Business Resources
Discovery Exercises
1) The CFO of Microsoft is Peter Klein. Before working at Microsoft, he worked in corporate finance in Seattle, including at McCaw Cellular Communications and at Orca Bay Capital.
After my first unsuccessful search, I noticed a Browse column on the right hand portion of the screen with a link to Company Profiles. Once I found that, getting at the answer was a breeze. I looked again at the opening screen, and saw two links to Company Profiles! I need to be more observant ...
2) The big place to sell handicrafts online is Etsy. If opening your own store is too big of a leap, a major category of in-person handicraft sales is the craft fair or festival. Another is a local craft gallery. Chapter 24 of Leisure Market Research Handbook is findable in this search, and it is all about crafts. It has a brief breakdown of who creates crafts, then a resource list of fairs, festivals, and galleries, as well as contact information for craft associations. It doesn't really tell you how to start a craft business, but the "Small business Start-up Kit" in the database gives details about starting any business. Another helpful resource I found in this database was "Small Business Start-Up Guide: Alaska."
3) The "Industry Information by Small Business Type" links to articles and industry information on a long list of industries, including Crafts. General articles and practical business advice can be found here. Under "Browse Popular Sources," I looked at the book "How to write a business plan," which had a nice overview of why you need a business plan, plus good information on how to write one, complete with an example. This does look like a good resource.
4) A landlord's responsibilities include: giving the tenant a copy of any written rental agreement, abiding by the lawful terms of the agreement, keeping the tenant informed of any change in the landlord's address, making sure the premises are ready for the tenant, maintaining a fit premises, giving adequate notice of a rent increase, and returning the tenant's security deposit when the tenant moves out and/or giving a complete written accounting of money held for rent, damages, etc.
An advanced fee fraud is a notice you receive (sometimes from a "Nigerian prince") claiming you have won a large amount of money, you just have to send them a smaller amount of money first. There are a lot of variations to this scam, but the bottom line is ... don't send money to a stranger thinking you'll get more money back!
Phishing is another kind of fraud, where someone pretending to be an authority (from your employer, your bank, your credit card, etc.) asks you to "verify" (really to send) your account number or password to them. Trusting people fall for this fraud a lot, but scrupulous businesses never request information from their customers this way.
You can file a consumer complaint with the state Attorney General's Office. There are additional consumer protection agencies to which you can also file a complaint (Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau of AK/OR/Western WA, Internet Crime Compaint Center, etc.)
5) As of 2010, there are 149,571 female workers in Anchorage, and the region's top employer is the State of Alaska (excluding the University).
6) The phases of the small business life cycle are Think, Launch, Grow, Reinvent, and Exit. Under the Tools tab of this website you can find a checklist for starting a business.
7) In Nov. 2011, Heather E. Hudson published two presentations on the topic, called, "Broadband Policies for the North: A Comparative Analysis," and "Rural Broadband: Opportunities for Alaska."
In March 2011, Ginny Fay and Tobias Schworer published a presentation on considering small scale modular nuclear power in Alaska.
Many of ISER's research areas seem relevant to life in Alaska (economy, energy, fisheries, education, etc.). The state is unique in many ways (geographic, demographic, climate, etc.) so that research on the country as a whole doesn't take into account the specific issues of life in Alaska.
8) Since there are so many entrepreneurs in Alaska, there is always a need for business information. These resources we've just studied seem to build a strong foundation for all the tech-savvy (or library using) business owners out there.
1) The CFO of Microsoft is Peter Klein. Before working at Microsoft, he worked in corporate finance in Seattle, including at McCaw Cellular Communications and at Orca Bay Capital.
After my first unsuccessful search, I noticed a Browse column on the right hand portion of the screen with a link to Company Profiles. Once I found that, getting at the answer was a breeze. I looked again at the opening screen, and saw two links to Company Profiles! I need to be more observant ...
2) The big place to sell handicrafts online is Etsy. If opening your own store is too big of a leap, a major category of in-person handicraft sales is the craft fair or festival. Another is a local craft gallery. Chapter 24 of Leisure Market Research Handbook is findable in this search, and it is all about crafts. It has a brief breakdown of who creates crafts, then a resource list of fairs, festivals, and galleries, as well as contact information for craft associations. It doesn't really tell you how to start a craft business, but the "Small business Start-up Kit" in the database gives details about starting any business. Another helpful resource I found in this database was "Small Business Start-Up Guide: Alaska."
3) The "Industry Information by Small Business Type" links to articles and industry information on a long list of industries, including Crafts. General articles and practical business advice can be found here. Under "Browse Popular Sources," I looked at the book "How to write a business plan," which had a nice overview of why you need a business plan, plus good information on how to write one, complete with an example. This does look like a good resource.
4) A landlord's responsibilities include: giving the tenant a copy of any written rental agreement, abiding by the lawful terms of the agreement, keeping the tenant informed of any change in the landlord's address, making sure the premises are ready for the tenant, maintaining a fit premises, giving adequate notice of a rent increase, and returning the tenant's security deposit when the tenant moves out and/or giving a complete written accounting of money held for rent, damages, etc.
An advanced fee fraud is a notice you receive (sometimes from a "Nigerian prince") claiming you have won a large amount of money, you just have to send them a smaller amount of money first. There are a lot of variations to this scam, but the bottom line is ... don't send money to a stranger thinking you'll get more money back!
Phishing is another kind of fraud, where someone pretending to be an authority (from your employer, your bank, your credit card, etc.) asks you to "verify" (really to send) your account number or password to them. Trusting people fall for this fraud a lot, but scrupulous businesses never request information from their customers this way.
You can file a consumer complaint with the state Attorney General's Office. There are additional consumer protection agencies to which you can also file a complaint (Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau of AK/OR/Western WA, Internet Crime Compaint Center, etc.)
5) As of 2010, there are 149,571 female workers in Anchorage, and the region's top employer is the State of Alaska (excluding the University).
6) The phases of the small business life cycle are Think, Launch, Grow, Reinvent, and Exit. Under the Tools tab of this website you can find a checklist for starting a business.
7) In Nov. 2011, Heather E. Hudson published two presentations on the topic, called, "Broadband Policies for the North: A Comparative Analysis," and "Rural Broadband: Opportunities for Alaska."
In March 2011, Ginny Fay and Tobias Schworer published a presentation on considering small scale modular nuclear power in Alaska.
Many of ISER's research areas seem relevant to life in Alaska (economy, energy, fisheries, education, etc.). The state is unique in many ways (geographic, demographic, climate, etc.) so that research on the country as a whole doesn't take into account the specific issues of life in Alaska.
8) Since there are so many entrepreneurs in Alaska, there is always a need for business information. These resources we've just studied seem to build a strong foundation for all the tech-savvy (or library using) business owners out there.
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