Savage Resource Center
Updates for Faculty and Staff
Your end of year resource update
With summer just around the corner, I am certain your first thoughts on May 30 will be, "How can I best utilize my summer to conduct serious research and improve the content my students access?" --Okay, probably not.
Gale Cengage--the publishers who bring us Questiaschool, Gale Virtual Reference, and all of the "In Context" databases (i.e. Global Issues IC, US History IC, World History IC, Biography IC, Opposing Viewpoints IC.... review here for more details) have added some great new features.
With NDA's push for critical thinking, Common Core's emphasis on non-fiction readings and this librarian's soap box for information literacy, you owe it to yourself to give these sources a test spin. Read below to learn more about Gale's improvements and how they will enhance your information experience. As always, you are invited to the Resource Center any time for a personal or class demonstration on utilizing Gale, or any other SRC resource.
Also, this edition of the SRC updates features a hobby near and dear to my heart-- hording library cards. Why settle for one, when you can have more?
Finally, be on the look out for many not-so-subliminal hints designed to get you using your iPad to access Overdrive . You have been warned.
See it's not all serious research; you could download something you actually WANT to read.
What's NEW with GALE?
Questiaschool style notes, now IN CONTEXT
Sharing database articles with your students has never been easier
In Context has a solution for you.
Read this flier to learn four great ways to create permanent links for your digitally bookmarked content .
Finding relevant resources is now even easier
Furthermore, try using PowerSearch to search across all NDA subscribed In Context databases.
In PowerSearch try the topic finder--a fabulously visual search tool to help researchers narrow the focus of their research.
Updating References and Resources page using Pearltrees
To that end, parents and student volunteers help me transfer these websites to a new NDA_Librarian Pearltrees page. See Collection here. It's a work in progress, so be patient.
In case you wanted to know, Pearltrees is a visual and collaborative tool that allows users to collect organize and share websites they find online-... kind of like pinterest, only a bit more serious and with multiple layers of organization. Short Video here. Oh, and it comes with an iPad app.
As the subject area specialist for your content area, I need your help. First, I am attempting to organize these pages into meaningful tabs to make browsing easier for students. If you'd love to collaborate, or have suggestions, I welcome your input. Second, I am always on the look out for new content to add. If you have sites you wish your students used more often, let me know to add it to the collection.
Library Cards: Don't leave for the summer without them
Toledo Lucas County Public Library
State of Ohio Library Card
Cuyahoga County Library Card
The latest member to my library card arsenal is Cuyahoga County. No, I don't intend on driving to Cleveland to check out a book. Thanks to online resources, I don't have to.
You can apply for this card online. Because of this policy, Cuyahog County can boast that 150% of it's residents are registered library card carriers.
Cuyahoga County's digital collection is even larger TLCPL, and they also still use FREEGAL, which gives you free and legal music downloads, yours to keep forever.
Have I mentioned that these library cards are all FREE?!?!Bonus Scoop
You get to be the first to know:
1) Next year, we will be swapping Biography in Context for Science in Context. Biography in Context can still be accessed through TLCPL. In addition to your typical database fare (journals, multimedia content, etc.) Science in Context features labs.
2) If you don't yet use Overdrive, you really should. I can help you set up an account any time. In less than five minutes you can be reading a free eText, enjoying a free audio book, browsing a free magazine, watching a free movie... you get the idea. Trust me, if my 4 year old can use Overdrive, you can too.
3) Our Gale Cengage rep. would really love to meet with you and/or your department. She can arrange for product demonstrations designed to help you get the most out of these database products. If you'd like, I can make arrangements or get you her contact info.
The Savage Resource Center
Search the catalog at library.nda.org
Email: librarian@nda.org
Website: savageresourcecenter.blogspot.com
Location: 3535 W Sylvania Ave, Toledo, OH, United States
Phone: 419.475.9359
Twitter: @nda_librarian