One of the websites I use most is www.amazon.com because I can quickly look up a book to find the formats available, when it was published, a summary, and many reviews. I use it several times each day.
I also use www.arbookfind.com to find the book level and interest level of books when I am trying to determine which section of the library it belongs in, such as juvenile vs. young adult.
I sometimes use Zip Skinny to get a quick summary of the latest census data (which comes in handy for grant applications). You can look information up by zip code or choose a state and community. The information is in an easy to use format that allows you to compare the community with other communities. http://www.zipskinny.com/state.php?state=SD.
If I am looking up information on communities in the Black Hills, I usually look around at http://blackhillsknowledgenetwork.org/ to see information they have posted. Some communities have more posted than others, but there's usually something new there.
http://www.safetravelusa.com/ is a good site to consult for road conditions anywhere in the U.S.A. It's very useful for those who are traveling to consult this site to see what construction sites, road closures, road conditions, etc... to expect. Incidents and accidents are also posted. If you click on a road construction sign, you can find out exactly what type of construction is going on and how long you should expect to be delayed.
I use www.mapquest.com to help folks who want to get directions or mileage estimates to/from various areas. It also comes in handy when completing mileage reimbursement claim forms, because I never remember to set my tripometer.
Some folks have already mentioned some of my favorite resources for Story-time. I also like http://www.first-school.ws/. I like the fact I can click on a month to find out the holidays, etc... and recommended activities. http://www.crayola.com/ is another handy site for Story-time planning. I've also started using my pinterest account to look for good craft ideas for Story-time. I just follow some of the folks who I think post good activities/crafts and look at their boards occasionally. You can also do searches. If you enter the word "Lorax," you will see all crafts related to the Lorax, not just those on the boards you follow. It's nice to see photos of the crafts quickly, then click on the ones that interest you. Pinterest is free and is found at http://pinterest.com/, but you have to request to sign up and wait until they respond that you have been accepted.
I use http://www.bookfinder.com/ to search for rare and out-of-print books.
We use www.inciweb.org to look up the latest information on fires in the U.S.
I think that's about it. If I think of some more I'll add them later.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wrap-UP
I did the Electric Resources Challenge earlier this year and have reviewed several of the resources during this Institute version. I would have to say that my favorite resource is still the Learning Express Library. I was able to spread the word about it a little at a Career Fair at the local high school last month. I hope to make our community more aware of it in the future by writing an article for the local paper and by promoting its many offerings to those who come in requesting help with resumes, test preparation, etc... in the future. I really think folks will be impressed with what we have to offer at Learning Express.
I know this is a minor thing, but I really did enjoy playing around on the interactive maps in the World Book lesson. I recently joined the local Search and Rescue and have been brushing up on my map reading skills and learning to use the GPS. So, it was fun to use the interactive maps and not just view the area from above, but also be able to view panoramic shots of certain areas along the main roads.
I have been a little disappointed to discover that I can't find information on AncestryLibrary as easily as I would hope to. Today, I was trying to assist someone who sent a research request from the website with information about her great-grandfather. Even when I would enter the exact date of birth and death and location where he had lived, my top results would still be for a different Thomas Callahan with a different date of birth/death and a different state than I had mentioned. I cannot figure out why it doesn't limit the results more efficiently. I know I must be doing something wrong, but I can't figure it out.
I plan to use information from World Book and SIRS Discoverer when planning for Storytime. I can also direct students to these resources when they are conducting research for papers. If the students are older, I will also direct them to ProQuest. I think they will be impressed to see that these resources not only provide information, but also provide citation guidance.
I hope to broaden my experience with the Electronic Resources as time goes on. I'm excited to learn how to use them more effectively in our class this summer in order to help fill the information needs of our patrons/guests.
I know this is a minor thing, but I really did enjoy playing around on the interactive maps in the World Book lesson. I recently joined the local Search and Rescue and have been brushing up on my map reading skills and learning to use the GPS. So, it was fun to use the interactive maps and not just view the area from above, but also be able to view panoramic shots of certain areas along the main roads.
I have been a little disappointed to discover that I can't find information on AncestryLibrary as easily as I would hope to. Today, I was trying to assist someone who sent a research request from the website with information about her great-grandfather. Even when I would enter the exact date of birth and death and location where he had lived, my top results would still be for a different Thomas Callahan with a different date of birth/death and a different state than I had mentioned. I cannot figure out why it doesn't limit the results more efficiently. I know I must be doing something wrong, but I can't figure it out.
I plan to use information from World Book and SIRS Discoverer when planning for Storytime. I can also direct students to these resources when they are conducting research for papers. If the students are older, I will also direct them to ProQuest. I think they will be impressed to see that these resources not only provide information, but also provide citation guidance.
I hope to broaden my experience with the Electronic Resources as time goes on. I'm excited to learn how to use them more effectively in our class this summer in order to help fill the information needs of our patrons/guests.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
AncestryLibrary and HeritageQuest
1. My patron has asked for help finding information and pictures of possible sister ships of the Titanic. I take him to the AncestryLibrary and choose "Immigration & Travel" from the pull-down menu on the "Search" tab. Then, I narrow the search by "Ship Pictures & Descriptions" and the years 1900-1999. I then check out the "Passenger Ships and Images." On the advanced search screen, I enter "sister ship of the Titanic" under history and 1912 +/- 5 years under the date. There are over 3,000 results. The first 3 results are Majestic, Olympic, and Titanic. Since the Olympic was made the same year, I check it out and find this image and information:
"Laid down on December 16, 1908. Launched, October 20, 1910. Note: From keel to top of funnels 175 feet. Navigating bridge was 104 feet above keel. Displacement of 60,000 tons. Draft of 34 1/2 feet. The promenade deck had an extreme breadth of 94 feet. The bower anchors weighed 7 3/4 tons each. The centre anchor weighed 15 1/2 tons. Cost $7,500,000 to build. Passengers: 1,054 first, 510 second, 1,020 third. The crew numbered 860. Maiden voyage: Southampton-New York, June 14, 1911. Rammed and holed by the British cruiser Hawke, September 20, 1911, but was not seriously damaged. After the sinking of the Titanic, her construction was altered. The changes increased her tonnage to 46,439. Served as a troopship in World War I. Thoroughly reconditioned in 1921, including conversion to burning oil fuel. She rammed and sunk the well-known lightship Nantucket off the New England coast, May 16, 1934, during a thick fog. The seven members of the lightship crew were lost. The great liner was withdrawn from service in March 1935 and sold to British shipbreakers later in the year. The scrapped hulk was finally dismantled in 1937.
Sister ship: Titanic."
I checked out the Majestic as well, but its sister ship is called the Teutonic. When I check out the Titanic's information, the only sister ship listed is the Olympic. I decide to refind my search by including the term "White Star" on the keyword screen because that is the shipping line for the Olympic and Titanic. There are still a lot of results, but I just look at ones with the closest maiden voyage dates. I check out the Britannic which has no picture, but includes a note saying that it is "quite similar" to the Olympic and Titanic.
Since neither the Olympic or the Titanic show the name of other sister ships, I am going to assume they are the only two which are considered actual "sister ships," though other ships of that era are similar.
2. A student came to the library seeking help with finding information on the Hindenburg. I take him to the AncestryLibrary to search the "Newspapers & Publications" collection. We enter the term "Hindenburg airship crash" in the keyword field. I also entered the year 1937 after checking Wikipedia (I know -- sin, sin) to see the year of the crash. The articles that come up on the first page are all from the Stars and Stripes Newspaper....1942-1964. The first article looks like it would be helpful. It is entitled, "Will Dirigibles Make a Comeback?" However, some of the other articles really don't have a lot of information on the Hindenburg. I try adjusting my search terms in various ways, but I still end up with the same results. So, I think the first article is helpful, the others...not so much. I guess we will try some different sources than AncestryLibrary at this point.
I'm sure I was supposed to have better results, but I am just not that familiar with searching the newspapers in AncestryLibrary. I'll check out my fellow bloggers comments once they are posted and see what steps I'm missing.
3. To help the townsfolk find information on Custer County's history for our anniversary celebration, we visit HeritageQuest and search PERSI. Within PERSI, we search "places" and under the "United States" tab, we enter "South Dakota" from the pull-down menu, we enter "Custer" as the County, and we select "History" from the pull-down menu under "Record Type." The 51 articles that result seem to be just the type we're looking for. There are articles on the hanging of "Fly Speck Billy," the gold in French Creek, Peter Norbeck, Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, the early fur trade, the Black Hills in the 1880s, and lots of other interesting stuff. It looks like the townsfolk struck it rich with HeritageQuest on historical information on Custer County!
Sister ship: Titanic."
I checked out the Majestic as well, but its sister ship is called the Teutonic. When I check out the Titanic's information, the only sister ship listed is the Olympic. I decide to refind my search by including the term "White Star" on the keyword screen because that is the shipping line for the Olympic and Titanic. There are still a lot of results, but I just look at ones with the closest maiden voyage dates. I check out the Britannic which has no picture, but includes a note saying that it is "quite similar" to the Olympic and Titanic.
Since neither the Olympic or the Titanic show the name of other sister ships, I am going to assume they are the only two which are considered actual "sister ships," though other ships of that era are similar.
2. A student came to the library seeking help with finding information on the Hindenburg. I take him to the AncestryLibrary to search the "Newspapers & Publications" collection. We enter the term "Hindenburg airship crash" in the keyword field. I also entered the year 1937 after checking Wikipedia (I know -- sin, sin) to see the year of the crash. The articles that come up on the first page are all from the Stars and Stripes Newspaper....1942-1964. The first article looks like it would be helpful. It is entitled, "Will Dirigibles Make a Comeback?" However, some of the other articles really don't have a lot of information on the Hindenburg. I try adjusting my search terms in various ways, but I still end up with the same results. So, I think the first article is helpful, the others...not so much. I guess we will try some different sources than AncestryLibrary at this point.
I'm sure I was supposed to have better results, but I am just not that familiar with searching the newspapers in AncestryLibrary. I'll check out my fellow bloggers comments once they are posted and see what steps I'm missing.
3. To help the townsfolk find information on Custer County's history for our anniversary celebration, we visit HeritageQuest and search PERSI. Within PERSI, we search "places" and under the "United States" tab, we enter "South Dakota" from the pull-down menu, we enter "Custer" as the County, and we select "History" from the pull-down menu under "Record Type." The 51 articles that result seem to be just the type we're looking for. There are articles on the hanging of "Fly Speck Billy," the gold in French Creek, Peter Norbeck, Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, the early fur trade, the Black Hills in the 1880s, and lots of other interesting stuff. It looks like the townsfolk struck it rich with HeritageQuest on historical information on Custer County!
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