Teaming Up with Your Library - Success Stories and Ideas

Please share any success stories or ideas that your library has done.  Include how your library has teamed up with your community!  Movie or build a park?

Wrapping it up!

This week, we are to respond to what we've learned and how we are going to use this information in the future.  E-mail works the best where I receive the e-newsletter and updates on trainings. It was great to have the opportunity to visit all the databases with a more in-depth look.  Some databases I'm pretty familiar with but others like Mango and Chilton - I have not taken a look at before.  Students grades K-6 visit the library and take library skills classes. During the month of January, students visit these databases and do a scavenger hunt, then report on two of the most interested websites.  Still this only skims the surface.  I also have had the State Library Staff visit our school and show our entire staff these resources; I have gone to classroom to teach high school history students how to use some of the databases to research and cite resources for projects/assignments; and continue to email staff and public patrons of the access to these great resources.  I plan to write up an article for our local paper on these resources available to everyone. Thanks to the State Library Staff for this opportunity and continued guidance to have resources where little libraries like ourselves could not afford access to these databases.  I look forward to the other trainings that are found via Internet when I don't have the time or funds to travel to workshops and trainings; this was great as it went at the professional's pace. Thanks again!

Ancestry Library/Heritage Quest/Sanborn Maps

Our task this week is to look up info on Ancestry Library.  First I need to find my name, there was 220 results. There was only one that was me on the first page.  Second, we are to find a grandparent.  I did find some info that did match and the it was neat to see his name on the census with his signature.  The third task, we are to look in pictures and South Dakota - the results is many, many, yearbooks. I placed my name and 305 results were found, but none were accurate because I lived my first 30 plus years in another state.

Heritage Quest - I looked on Persi archives South Carolina, Civil War and Cemeteries and 43 items were found.

Sandborn Maps is a really fun historical site that you can find maps about towns like Sturgis in the past on Oct. 1885.  Its interesting to see how towns have grown and developed.  This site shows a birds eye-view of towns and the streets; then how the town develops over the years.

Camio

Camio is a great site for finding and research the arts from costumes, clothing to art paintings.  I showed this site to some of our high school students who are taking art class.  A response that I heard was "this is cool!" and "Thanks, for showing this to me".  Just go to the State Library website and take a look at all the databases.

World CAT

We use World CAT many times to help patrons find information or resources.  If I can't find a specific resources on my shelf, I resort to this site.  It's advanced and the site show many resources in different formats.  Our task this week is to find - Snowmobile Racing  in advanced search then phrase search which was more specific. Phrases such as snowmobiling fatality report or many articles on the racing event in the Black Hills.  I choose to look at the fatality one first - the resource is from Wisconsin and the info is not as a current as I hoped to find.  The next resource I chose was the snowmobiling event in the Black Hills.  I found out that a Bombardier is a manufacturer of Ski-Doo Snowmobiles.  The author is Jerry Sanders and there is only one library that has this resource and only one resource listed and is from the State Library.

Within World Cat is a drop down box to find other databases within this database.  I looked up on a database called OAIster info on Motorcycle Racing.  There were 259 resources found.

Ebsco Host - Net Library E-books

1. The first task is to find something of interest found on Ebsco Host(formerly net library e-books. Our book fair is going to be in March and the theme is Fiesta so I'm looking for references and ideas. One of the resources that I chose was titled Mexico by Shirley M. Gray.  This book has colored pictures and info about the Spanish-Mexican Culture.  I was really surprised about the colored picture and was not anticipating that these e-books would have them.  There is a map on Mexico that easily read on page 5 of the book. A picture of the traffic in Mexico City and info of the rural life in Mexico.  This book was very informative.

2. Finding info for Constitution Day outcome was 21 resources to choose from.  I would ask the patron to be more specific, like which title would work for the research needed.  Some of the titles that were shown: AP US History, The Criminal Law Handbook, The Complete Idiot's Guide to the American Presidents and Econo Guide '00 London.  This topic is too broad.

3. The next task was to find info on Western History in the Advanced Search.  We were to select PB publisher in the drop down box by the select a field option and type one of the states.  I choose Nebraska and found 56 results. Turtle Lung's Granddaughter was the first title listed.  What I found was that all these books was published by the University of Nebraska.  Again, this is a great place to share with everyone taking history class. 

I intend on writing an article for our local paper about these great websites and offer a class for patrons to visit the library and take a look at these unique data bases that were are researching for this class.  This will be accomplished when I finish this class.

Gale Virtual Reference

This week, we are to explore Gale Virtual Reference Library. This resource offers e-books. I clicked on Title List and found a list of books of nonfiction info. Crime and Punishment in American Reference Library. The copy write is 2005 and info that includes past information on colonial period and current info such as cyber crimes. This info could be used in a classroom to discuss how cyber bullying crime and its effects on society. I can share this information with our history teacher. Students can expand their ideas on why/effects and have a discussion. I have in the past, gone in the history room and showed the students how to use sites/databases such as Gale Virtual Reference to find info for their research. The next research question is find info on something specific, I look up zinc and found 820 ebooks. The most difficult task is to narrow your topic. Next, I searched - "zinc in food" and found eight resources. Then I used the listen feature which is unique for anyone needing extra help in pronouncing the words and reading the information. Some of the information in these references in at a higher level which means much of the vocabulary will be at a higher level as well. This listening feature also highlights the text as it reads to you, so you can follow along. I responded to Mrs. Kafka's blog on oysters being a great source for zinc. I looked at Mike from Deadwood's blog and the information that was researched - news from the Middle East. No one else has finished this week's question. I have to stay ahead of the game because I'm busy refereeing games.

ProQuest

I like ProQuest. This is a great resource site to find valid, current and reliable info at your finger tips. I think that the biggest problem when researching info for anyone is to get your topic narrowed down to find exactly what you're looking for. I like the subject areas below and clicked on Humanities and the Arts. I looked up info on architecture and homes - victorian style homes (which I had to keep narrowing down my research topic) and still found many article that did not quite match what I was looking for. Just scrolling and scan till I found the article I was interested in. So I clicked on citation and did a copy/paste and this is the info: The Perfect English Country Inn; How a free-spirited art dealer and his artist wife brought a Victorian-style inn back to life falseKonig, Rita. WSJ : the Magazine from the Wall Street Journal (May 2012): n/a The next question to research was to see someone else's blog and this is what I found: Mrs. Kafka - looked at Common Core Standards on Proquest. She found many articles that were current and reliable. It did take me about 7 blogs to find someone that is researching ProQuest. Some people must make time to do their homework during the evening or on the weekend. In which, I do not have the time or capabilities because I referee basketball. The last question was to click on publications and find text in alphabetical order, then type in the search box our career which is librarian and I found two publications. Both publications are not very current - 2009 and 1996. So going back to my first statement - sometimes info is not current. What is nice about ProQuest is that I don't have to have an inventory of all different magazines and archive in my library. I certainly don't have the space and finding information electronically is faster and may be more accurate. Unless you have time to spare, would you share some with me?

SIRS Issues Researcher

At this databases, we are to look up a leading issue and research the tools at this site. The issue I looked up was Bullying. There were pros and cons to having anti-bullying strategies in schools; bullying definition, and much more. I noticed in the research tools that there is help for those working on research papers such as overview topic (narrows topic to specifics), note organizer, statistics (tool to make tables and comparisons for activities such as presentations); my analysis - which is a tool to with starting a research project. This is great for anyone needing additional help. Curriculum Pathfinders was not found. Core Curriculum Standards is a new tab that can provide resources for correlating information to a specific standard. A teacher can find articles, websites or topics that can match a specific standard. The databases found at the South Dakota State Library Website are specific and standards based. A great place to start researching for anyone - from looking a current events, to practicing for tests, looking up family members and more.

SIRS Researcher

I have always liked this resource and have my students in library skills classes use this to find current events and other information. For the class, that I'm currently taking; we are to look up an animal in SIRS Researcher. The info that I found was information about Dogs. There were many articles found so I decided that I needed to be more specific so I chose a specific breed: Border Collie. That topic still gave me plenty of articles to read. The second question that we are to answer is: Country Facts, Maps of the World and Database Features which are tools found on this database. The Country Facts is spilt into three categories: 1.By Country; 2. By State & 3. Canada Facts. When I click on Maps of the World, there are over 3000 maps that are detailed, can be printed and used like an almanac. What I feel is really great about SIRS Researcher is that I don't have to spend extra funds for our library to have current info for everyone to use and inventory it. This database has it all!

E-book for Learning Express

I looked at Culinary Arts. I enjoy working with Food and creating recipes. I'm detailed oriented but having people want something on a timely basis. I think that good food takes time. Now, if a person plans ahead, demands can be met in the restaurant. Fast food restaurants would not be that fun to work in because there is not much opportunity to be creative. The menu seems to be already set according to the theme of the given food/store chain. A family dining place might be open to more creativity.

Learning Express

This site is great for anyone to practice for an exam. For students who are preparing for the college prep tests - this website offers a great opportunity for to take a practice exam. I recommend that she take a look at the skills required for the job. This job requires people skills and being organized. Also, should consider taking the typing test because she will be working with technology. If a student is interested in a specific career like nurse or pharmacist, they can take a look at the skills required for the career to see if they're interested. Students can take a practice exams, also. Library Express is great to use and have practice taking required tests for an interested career, job or for educational purposes.

Mango Languages

In this discovery, I took a look at Mango Language at the South Dakota Library Website. This database offers info and lessons about different languages. The language that I looked up was spanish. It's like taking a trip without having to spend any money, book a flight - how fun is that? It shows you how to talk, enjoy the food and culture before going on an actual trip - if you want. What a great preplanner to your trip!!! It was fun to learn about things that I may not see myself having the opportunity to learn. Mango Langauges site offers an insight on the possibilities to understand different cultures and languages. Patrons will enjoy these travel prerequisites!!! Learning to greet people, practice ahead of time, get pointers and generally prepare you for future travels - if the opportunity presents itself! Making time to look and understand could be an issue.

Chilton Repair Research continued

The next task is to see if the 2003 Yukon had any recalls. My findings were:Flourescent Retail Product Campaign Postcard on May of 2006 which had to do with warranty. So far, my vehicle has been great to me - now I have a family member who purchase a 2006 Yukon Denali (with extra bells and whistles) and they have had some problems to deal with. So newer, isn't always better. Research vehicle before purchasing. If you like a certain brand and it works for you, stay with it. Developing relationships with servicing of products is very important, if you have good people to work with, you will be happy with the services that are provided. Just like the library, has great resources and people - go take a look and find valuable insight to help you in life. The last question that we are researching is about the brakes on the vehicle. I did not realize how extensive brakes are. Systems, anti-lock discs, hydraulic and parking are just the surface of the brakes on my vehicle. It's important that these all function properly so when I'm driving or taking special cargo like our youth - it's imperative everything is working. There's a lot of info here to consume and taking the time to do so. If it's your owned item, you need to know about it. Vehicles are an investment and get us from point A to B. I'm glad I have a great repair person that keeps my vehicle in great working condition - less to worry about when I hit the road!

Chilton Auto Library Research

Now, I don't know very few people who can afford to by a vehicle that would have less than 30,000 miles on it. If you do, congrats. But this site - Chilton Auto Repair @ the State Library website. When I looked up my vehicle, a 2003 Yukon (which I love to drive to haul children, items to cater, books, cookies, Girl Scouts or once in a while to pull my trailer), I found that at 30,000 miles - I didn't really find a table that showed this so I picked the closest at 25,000 miles: cooling system and hoses clamps need to be inspected; exhaust system and heat sheilds & fuel system. I bought my vehicle when it had 100,000 miles and now I'm at 160,000 miles with just a u-joint replaced. I have my local service repair person change the oil and check everything every 3,000 miles. It's my only vehicle to use out-of-town to referee ball games so I need to rely on it 100%. Yes, maybe I need something a little more efficient on fuel, but feeling safe out in the west rural area is very important! This can be a great site for those who want to see about their own wear and tear on their vehicle or if they are looking to buy a different one. I can also see students who enjoy working on vehicles may research this source. As I work on this course, I may need to PR these sites more to my patrons and will work on a newspaper article for my local paper. Maybe more people will come to the library and take a look at the sites provided by the State Library.

World Book Foreign Language Site - Lesson 1c

The World Book Foreign Language Site offers info for those who speak or read other languages. These sites offer dictionaries for language in French and Spanish. The visual dictionary can help those who need a picture help better understand words. Patrons who are taking a foreign language class, can listen to someone else to read and listen how words are pronounced and better understand the language and how to speak it.

World Book Online Lesson 1b

Today, I looked at World Book for Public - This is a fun website for younger children. The mammal that I researched was a badger.

The American Badger is a digger, like to burrow in the dirt; and lives in grasslands of North America. The next site: World Book Info Finder revealed more info about Badgers. There was much more information for middle school students or anyone looking for extra info about badgers such as where exactly they are found in the world or their scientific name. There are extras such as videos and content standards in relation to South Dakota School Curriculum. World Book Online Reference Center offers current events about countries all over the world. I choose Poland because my great grandmother was born there and came to the United States in the early 1900's. This site reveals information about the country, it's politics, historical events, ebooks, articles, maps and much more. Users can find a vast amount of info here.

SDSL Electronic Challenge

I just started the South Dakota State Library Electronic Challenge where librarian can learn more about the great resources that the State Library has. This provides the opportunity to incorporate into my library skill classes and share with patrons at our library. 1. World Book Online for kids: This week's lesson is exploring World Book Online. This is interesting because this is exactly what I'm have my students do this week. My favorite activity is having the K-2 grades compare and contrast animals. The pictures do not give it justice - but comparing an anteater with an armdillo makes it that more interesting. In class, we get a ruler out and actually measure the difference of the animals and learn that an anteater is much longer than an armidillo. 2. Using World Book Student, I found more information and indepth answers about Armidillos. This animals can be as large as 100 lbs. and a tail that measures 20 inches long. 3. World Book Advanced offers options for patrons in looking up primary resources or encylopedia references. It's great to have up-to date info about events happening and facts. Patrons may enjoy other sources to look at that relate to the U.S. and current events. This can be better than the newspaper because it's current and may be easier to find. I choose Switerzerland because my grandfather was born here then adopted by his aunt and uncle in the early 1900's in the U.S. 4. World Book Discoverer - it translates the text for those who may have difficult reading the info. Pictures are also included.