Try some new library databases this month

It’s the time of year when database vendors like us to sample their products. So, head on over to the Research Databases page, click “Trial Databases”, and see what we’ve got:

• From EBSCO, a couple of full-text periodical databases, Environment Complete and Political Science Complete
• Also from EBSCO, Science Reference Center and Small Business Reference Center, which attempt to organize information from those subject areas in an inviting way.
• ProQuest’s Statistical Abstracts. When the federal government de-funded publication of the Statistical Abstract of the United States, otherwise known as the reference librarian’s best friend, ProQuest stepped in to gather similar types of data from various government sources (the Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics and others) and produce handy tables and graphs. Only a few days left on this trial, I’m afraid, and it can only be accessed on campus.
• Also from ProQuest, Newsstand, a newspaper collection that gathers a number of important sources, including the Wall Street Journal.

Books, Computers, Librarians, Apps? What Do You Want from Your Library?

A survey of public library patrons finds that they “are eager to see libraries’ digital services expand, yet also feel that print books remain important in the digital age.”

Read about the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project survey of public library patrons:  Library Services in the Digital Age.

What do you want from your SCC library?

Print books you can borrow

Ebooks you can read online

Print magazine and journal articles

Electronic magazine and journal articles

Free access to computers and the Internet

Wireless access

In person help from a reference librarian

Online help from a reference librarian

More? Add a comment.

What’s Missing From Those Student Essays and Exams?

This is the last Reader post of the semester.  Many of you are busy reading student essays and marking exams.  As you do, please note topic areas where your students haven’t used great resources.  Maybe – just maybe – the library doesn’t have the book or video they needed for their research.  Librarians rely on you, the instructional faculty, to help us fill these gaps in the collection.  Contact your librarian or leave a comment on this post.  Just let us know.  We want to have the best library collection your students need.

For magazine, journal and newspaper articles, the library databases can’t be beat.  Millions of quality articles at your command.  (Student access is terminated at semester-end, but staff and faculty access continues.)

And then, have a Happy Holiday!

10 Things Library Staff Would Like You to Know

Teachers know, the secret to success lies in reading the directions.  At least in part.

It turns out part of the successful use of library resources lies in simple things students do to get ready.

Library staff offer these tips to share with your students:

1. Bring to the library:  your student ID card, change or small bills for copiers and printers, your syllabus and assignment handouts.
2. Ask a librarian when you start your research, don’t wait until you’re at the end.  (You can chat online.)
3. Start your research 3 times sooner than you think is needed; it just about always takes more time than you think.
4. Pay your library fines now so you can register for next semester!  (Ask about a promissory note.)
5. Share your smile with everyone and promote stress reduction.

Then there are the just plain great things to know:

1. The library has hundreds of textbooks for 2 hour loan.  Ask a librarian for help finding the call number.
2. New books arrive constantly – visit the new book shelves.
3. Watch a popular video in the Media Center, or check it out.
4. Read about 80,000 ebooks on your computer from any location.
5. Look up millions of articles in the library databases, in your jammies, from home.

“Readiness is all.”
Hamlet (although in a completely different context..)

Library hours, numbers, and services.

New Library Databases: History, Theatre, Crime, and More

We’re happy to say that the library has acquired a number of new full-text databases. These are available right now, along with descriptions, via the Research Databases page for you and your students to search.

The following changes have been made to EBSCO databases:

• Our multidisciplinary periodical database, Academic Search Premier, has been upgraded to Academic Search Complete, providing more than 3,000 additional full-text journals.
• Business Source Premier has been upgraded to Business Source Complete. This database includes more than 1,000 additional periodicals, along many more individual reports and SWOT analyses.
• Literary Reference Center has been upgraded to Literary Reference Center Plus, with loads more full-text articles, books, and literary works.

We’ve also added a few EBSCOhost databases (you can probably guess the kind of content from their title):

• Biography Reference Center
• Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text
• Education Research Complete
• Historical Abstracts with Full Text
• International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text
• SocINDEX with Full Text

In addition, for the current academic year our EBSCO eBook Collection includes about 80,000 additional ebooks. Unlike our other EBSCO ebooks, these can be viewed by an unlimited number of users simultaneously.

We no longer provide the following databases, which saw relatively little use at SCC: Alt Health-Watch, History Reference Center, and Vocational & Career Collection.

In addition, we managed to add two more JSTOR collections. A lot of people come from graduate school thinking of JSTOR as the go-to database for many topics; but it turns out that there are many levels of JSTOR subscriptions! Until this year we had only collections I and II. We have now added collections III and V, meaning that we now have access to such core journals as PMLA, Journal of Musicology, Journal of American Studies, and Religious Studies. If you’re doing research in the humanities or social sicences, be sure to search JSTOR. (Note, however, that JSTOR does not normally include the most recent 3-6 years of journal content.)

So many places to look; if only there were a single search box for all of them… Look for this in a future post.

One-On-One Appointments with an SCC Librarian

The librarians are again offering individual appointments to students who need in-depth assistance with their academic research.

Appointments are offered from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Monday through Friday.

Sign up at the Reference Desk on the 2d floor of the Learning Resource Center.

We are pleased to announce the return of 1-on-1 reference appointments in time to assist students with their research papers.  Please encourage your students to come to the reference desk to sign up for this service.  We require that students  have a specific assignment and ideally an explicit topic, although we can help them refine a topic.

Library Workshops ~ Sign up Now!

There are plenty of face-to-face Drop-in Library Workshops left this semester!   Encourage your students to “drop-in” on their own time for a 50-minute overview of the library’s book and media catalog and the online databases.  It’s a good introduction to the library and we provide students with a proof of attendance slip.

You can also schedule a customized library orientation for your class, geared toward a particular assignment.

PILOT library instruction modules are online 24/7 and are a good alternative for students who can’t come to campus for a workshop.  Pilot contains six modules, but students may take one or all.  Each module contains a quiz and students can email their scores to you.

Come see us in the Library!

Help! is Available. Ask a Librarian!

Just so you know, you and your students can get all kinds of library help in all kinds of ways.  Hit the Library Help button on the SCC library home page to IM, text, chat, email, or phone us.  Ask questions on the Q&A link or follow the library Twitter feed.  We’re here to help during all library open hours.

Research Flash: Screaming Library Trial Databases Available Now!

This is the time of year when database vendors offer trials of their products. Take a look at the SCC Library databases page, where you’ll find TWENTY full-text periodical and reference databases, ebooks, and even some streaming video on offer. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see them all collected in the “Trial Databases” section.)

Post your comments here or email your librarian and tell us what you think – we need your input!  And please let your students know—as they work on their papers and presentations, they might find a few choice last-minute sources.

Why Library Instruction?

Because you can!

Direct your students to the library reference desk to sign up for a drop-in library workshop.  Give them extra credit or require it.  (We love it when you require it.)  Send them soon – these workshops do fill up, and once they’re full, your students may miss your deadline for getting credit.

When the 50 minute class is over, we give students a yellow “Proof of Completion” slip that verifies their attendance and successful completion of a quiz.

OR

Schedule a customized orientation and bring your class to the library during your scheduled meeting time.  We’ll show your students how to catalog and databases their way to an A. 

See you!