See what new books have been added, check them out:
New Books
Friday, April 04, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Other CQ Products - reviewed by Don
CQ Historic Documents is a must purchase at 128 bucks for the 2007 update. ( We made a onetime purchase of the entire document run from 1972 onwards and simply need to update it.) It is a pity it is not used more, it is a terrific source of primary documents.
CQ Public Affairs This seems to be mostly re-indexing stuff we already can access from other means, e.g. if you search phone privacy it lists the CQ Researcher publication on that subject, as well as other sources we may or may not have. I don’t think it can earn its keep at 733 bucks, and I suggest we drop it.
CQ Encyclopedia of American Government. While it is true that this is a good and current general encyclopedia on the US Government, it is by far from comprehensive. I would give it a C as far as coverage, a very bad grade for the usually outstanding CQ products, but for online students, it would be particularly helpful. Thus, I believe we ought to keep it at 502 bucks a year.
Don
CQ Public Affairs This seems to be mostly re-indexing stuff we already can access from other means, e.g. if you search phone privacy it lists the CQ Researcher publication on that subject, as well as other sources we may or may not have. I don’t think it can earn its keep at 733 bucks, and I suggest we drop it.
CQ Encyclopedia of American Government. While it is true that this is a good and current general encyclopedia on the US Government, it is by far from comprehensive. I would give it a C as far as coverage, a very bad grade for the usually outstanding CQ products, but for online students, it would be particularly helpful. Thus, I believe we ought to keep it at 502 bucks a year.
Don
What should we acquire from CQ Press?
CQ Researcher
At 929 bucks, the CQ Researcher is one of the best bargains in the reference field. Besides its remarkable job in discussing a spectrum of current problems, it has improved its usefulness. By clicking on a footnote, you find a citation to the article, and occasionally a hyperlink to the document itself… particularly if the document has been issued by a think tank or government entity. The same holds true for its bibliography, and since the issues discussed are often best discussed by commissions, think tanks or congressional committees, this provides easy access to documentation that was often beyond the ken of our students to retrieve or beyond their energy level to pursue. (You know the old info science law that states “people will not use information that they perceive to be too difficult to access”).
FYI, I routinely review the bibliographies of CQ to locate good titles for the Gavilan book collection.
CQ Global Researcher
This new product is even better than CQ Researcher and a fantastic bargain at 354 bucks. (You get 52 weekly issues) It is not threatened by any competitor – it is very different in construct and focus than Opposing Viewpoints. That is because it focuses on issues that are less cut and dried, such as Turkey and its relationship to the EU. The bibliography and foot notes are hyperlinked to the article or a citation for the article, but since so much of this material comes from various non-commercial sources, the article tends to provide the same rich backup of readings that Opposing Viewpoints provides for its discussions. It still provides the pro and con debates on key points. For example, admission of Turkey to the EU has a pro and con contribution. It also provides a chronology on the topic, followed by short features for expanded discussion; a sampling of related international perspectives; maps and graphs; bibliographies of key sources; next steps for additional reading; and author profiles. There are bells and whistles I like. It tracks what you looked at including footnotes you have clicked, listing your readings, much like Amazon remembers what you last looked for in their database. It has a wonderful idea that is particularly useful for our students, a global map. By clicking on say, Australia, it brings up any and all recent articles that reference Australia. This is a non-verbal method of finding information, of course, and frees the student unsure as to what search terms to use, or even how to spell Australia. It may be my imagination, but I think CQ is also attempting to make the document more graphically appealing. There are lots of color shots and color graphics. Of course, given its focus, the product will not be used as much as CQ Researcher or Opposing Viewpoints, but as the campus moves to a more “global” curriculum, it will be increasingly valuable. In that regard, CQ Global Researcher adds a new feature, “voices from abroad.”
Given their price, and the focus of the other electronic products offered by CQ, I think we can survive on just these two online products; CQ Researcher and CQ Global Researcher.
Don
At 929 bucks, the CQ Researcher is one of the best bargains in the reference field. Besides its remarkable job in discussing a spectrum of current problems, it has improved its usefulness. By clicking on a footnote, you find a citation to the article, and occasionally a hyperlink to the document itself… particularly if the document has been issued by a think tank or government entity. The same holds true for its bibliography, and since the issues discussed are often best discussed by commissions, think tanks or congressional committees, this provides easy access to documentation that was often beyond the ken of our students to retrieve or beyond their energy level to pursue. (You know the old info science law that states “people will not use information that they perceive to be too difficult to access”).
FYI, I routinely review the bibliographies of CQ to locate good titles for the Gavilan book collection.
CQ Global Researcher
This new product is even better than CQ Researcher and a fantastic bargain at 354 bucks. (You get 52 weekly issues) It is not threatened by any competitor – it is very different in construct and focus than Opposing Viewpoints. That is because it focuses on issues that are less cut and dried, such as Turkey and its relationship to the EU. The bibliography and foot notes are hyperlinked to the article or a citation for the article, but since so much of this material comes from various non-commercial sources, the article tends to provide the same rich backup of readings that Opposing Viewpoints provides for its discussions. It still provides the pro and con debates on key points. For example, admission of Turkey to the EU has a pro and con contribution. It also provides a chronology on the topic, followed by short features for expanded discussion; a sampling of related international perspectives; maps and graphs; bibliographies of key sources; next steps for additional reading; and author profiles. There are bells and whistles I like. It tracks what you looked at including footnotes you have clicked, listing your readings, much like Amazon remembers what you last looked for in their database. It has a wonderful idea that is particularly useful for our students, a global map. By clicking on say, Australia, it brings up any and all recent articles that reference Australia. This is a non-verbal method of finding information, of course, and frees the student unsure as to what search terms to use, or even how to spell Australia. It may be my imagination, but I think CQ is also attempting to make the document more graphically appealing. There are lots of color shots and color graphics. Of course, given its focus, the product will not be used as much as CQ Researcher or Opposing Viewpoints, but as the campus moves to a more “global” curriculum, it will be increasingly valuable. In that regard, CQ Global Researcher adds a new feature, “voices from abroad.”
Given their price, and the focus of the other electronic products offered by CQ, I think we can survive on just these two online products; CQ Researcher and CQ Global Researcher.
Don
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
EBSCO or ProQuest?
I vote to change from ProQuest to EBSCO
Here is my reasoning
1. Why move to EBSCO from Proquest?
Of the two candidates, one consolidator is growing in holdings and one is decreasing. A 2006 study showed that EBSCO had almost 20% more full text title holdings than ProQuest. Those of us using ProQuest have noted the loss of useful titles over the past few years. However, it is more useful to look at the central titles judged essential by Katz et. al, for a community college library. I have my own list of essential titles, based on Katz and my own experience, and compared the holdings of the two candidates in 8 topics. The winner of the most holdings of relevant titles was EBSCO.
2. Findings: Scores (in percentage of key holdings)
Topic E Score ,P score
General Books & Reading 100 ,100
Humanities 93.7, 75
American Studies 100, 80
Visual Arts 100, 37.5
American History 100 ,50
American Literature and English 94.4, 77.7
Economics /Global issues 77.7 ,77.7
Business 77.7 ,60
3. Summary of my review
Given these scores, and the trend line, of one consolidator increasing coverage and the other decreasing, I suggest that the selection arrow is pointing at EBSCO. In fact, there are a few major titles that one finds now only in EBSCO. These include Forbes, PMLA, and several major Art journals ( even though our paper copies are more valuable, we need to maintain an electronic index to articles).
4. Ease of use
But how about user friendliness and the quality of the search engine? Our colleagues at the California Community College Library Consortium compared the two rivals in 2005. They compared database functionality, appropriateness of format ( bibliographic vs full text), information content, search interface, user support service and cost, and came up with an overall assessment. They concluded the Expanded Academic ASAP database of the highest quality due to the superior indexing structure and search interface.” My own view is that the search engine on EBSCO often picks up more chaff along with the wheat, but given the fact that one is a database with a more dynamic collection maintenance, I suggest it is a good time to bite the bullet and move to EBSCO. There is a cost of course, in changing all our online modules and many instructor work sheets. But many modules could be revised, I assume, by the reference librarians when we are not busy helping students.
5. The added support of Opposing Viewpoints and CQ Researcher
One of the major uses of our periodical collection is to support English and Social Science classes where students must defend on paper a point of view by “researching” the topic using library materials. The addition of the enormously rich collection of magazine articles that are supplied full text in the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center provides a “utility outfielder” that can handle almost any central topic that is likely to be addressed. I hasten to add that CQ Researcher provides good to excellent support as well, but the design of Opposing Viewpoints allows a rich source of full-text magazine articles not available in CQ. Another factor that is important for our ESL students is that Opposing Viewpoints has in fact, “graded” the readability of their resources, using the Lexile scale. It is likely too complicated to get a student to fix a readability level in a library research project, but it can be reassuring to an instructor to know that there are selections that can be read and comprehended at the 10th or 11th grade level. For example, Foreign Policy and Wilson Quarterly articles often fall in the 10th grade reading level.
6. Suggested package.
The California Premier Package sells for 21,455 dollars. It seems useful to include the CINAHL Plus since a review by Dana and me of about 80 full text serials included showed they had, in fact, included the essential journals such as Am J or Nursing, J of Nursing Education, J of Practical Nuring, Nursing, Nursing outlook, International Nursing Review, and RN. The add-on cost of CINAHL Plus if ordered with the California Premier Package is 1806 dollars. The add-on cost for the essential Newspaper Source Plus is $3371.
Here is my reasoning
1. Why move to EBSCO from Proquest?
Of the two candidates, one consolidator is growing in holdings and one is decreasing. A 2006 study showed that EBSCO had almost 20% more full text title holdings than ProQuest. Those of us using ProQuest have noted the loss of useful titles over the past few years. However, it is more useful to look at the central titles judged essential by Katz et. al, for a community college library. I have my own list of essential titles, based on Katz and my own experience, and compared the holdings of the two candidates in 8 topics. The winner of the most holdings of relevant titles was EBSCO.
2. Findings: Scores (in percentage of key holdings)
Topic E Score ,P score
General Books & Reading 100 ,100
Humanities 93.7, 75
American Studies 100, 80
Visual Arts 100, 37.5
American History 100 ,50
American Literature and English 94.4, 77.7
Economics /Global issues 77.7 ,77.7
Business 77.7 ,60
3. Summary of my review
Given these scores, and the trend line, of one consolidator increasing coverage and the other decreasing, I suggest that the selection arrow is pointing at EBSCO. In fact, there are a few major titles that one finds now only in EBSCO. These include Forbes, PMLA, and several major Art journals ( even though our paper copies are more valuable, we need to maintain an electronic index to articles).
4. Ease of use
But how about user friendliness and the quality of the search engine? Our colleagues at the California Community College Library Consortium compared the two rivals in 2005. They compared database functionality, appropriateness of format ( bibliographic vs full text), information content, search interface, user support service and cost, and came up with an overall assessment. They concluded the Expanded Academic ASAP database of the highest quality due to the superior indexing structure and search interface.” My own view is that the search engine on EBSCO often picks up more chaff along with the wheat, but given the fact that one is a database with a more dynamic collection maintenance, I suggest it is a good time to bite the bullet and move to EBSCO. There is a cost of course, in changing all our online modules and many instructor work sheets. But many modules could be revised, I assume, by the reference librarians when we are not busy helping students.
5. The added support of Opposing Viewpoints and CQ Researcher
One of the major uses of our periodical collection is to support English and Social Science classes where students must defend on paper a point of view by “researching” the topic using library materials. The addition of the enormously rich collection of magazine articles that are supplied full text in the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center provides a “utility outfielder” that can handle almost any central topic that is likely to be addressed. I hasten to add that CQ Researcher provides good to excellent support as well, but the design of Opposing Viewpoints allows a rich source of full-text magazine articles not available in CQ. Another factor that is important for our ESL students is that Opposing Viewpoints has in fact, “graded” the readability of their resources, using the Lexile scale. It is likely too complicated to get a student to fix a readability level in a library research project, but it can be reassuring to an instructor to know that there are selections that can be read and comprehended at the 10th or 11th grade level. For example, Foreign Policy and Wilson Quarterly articles often fall in the 10th grade reading level.
6. Suggested package.
The California Premier Package sells for 21,455 dollars. It seems useful to include the CINAHL Plus since a review by Dana and me of about 80 full text serials included showed they had, in fact, included the essential journals such as Am J or Nursing, J of Nursing Education, J of Practical Nuring, Nursing, Nursing outlook, International Nursing Review, and RN. The add-on cost of CINAHL Plus if ordered with the California Premier Package is 1806 dollars. The add-on cost for the essential Newspaper Source Plus is $3371.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Use of Google Alert to track Gavilan College items
One of the ongoing problems at the Gavilan Library is that we are supposed to be keeping the archives of the college, but are not really staffed to do that, nor do we have the space to store much less to organize the historical documents of the college. We do maintain what we are required by law to maintain; board and senate records. However, to at least maintain a quick-and-dirty history of the college that does not require space and not much librarian input would be the following suggestion.
Create a Google "Alert" of the term "Gavilan College" with instructions to report it weekly. Have the reference librarian each Friday download the week's associated documents , saving it in some manner --either online or on disc. Would this work? Are any other colleges doing this? I am uncertain as to what would be the most effective method of retrieval of these saved items, maybe simply a keyword search. Comments?
Don
Create a Google "Alert" of the term "Gavilan College" with instructions to report it weekly. Have the reference librarian each Friday download the week's associated documents , saving it in some manner --either online or on disc. Would this work? Are any other colleges doing this? I am uncertain as to what would be the most effective method of retrieval of these saved items, maybe simply a keyword search. Comments?
Don
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Thursday, December 13, 2007
REF -- Interesting Site for Statistical Information
LII.org added a really interesting site recently. The site is Pew ResearchCenter
I poked around a bit and found information about many of the topics our students write about semester after semester.
Statistical information about same sex marriage dated 07/11/07
Statistical information about immigration issues (lots of it)
And more. Take a look!
I poked around a bit and found information about many of the topics our students write about semester after semester.
Statistical information about same sex marriage dated 07/11/07
Statistical information about immigration issues (lots of it)
And more. Take a look!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
ALL - Upcoming Donation?
We have been offered a sizeable (what size? we don't know) collection of music cds and some movies (what format? we don't know)As with all donations, we will be taking them with the understanding that if they will benefit the collection we will add them and if they do not we will give them to another organization or put them in the sale bins. What does this mean for us? We get to catalog and process them! Yeah!
Just thought you guys would like to know what may be coming down the line ... Sounds really good? Huh?
Dana
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
REF -- New Reference Titles
Thanks to Don's excellent selection we put out several new reference titles recently. Here is some information about 2 of the titles shelved this morning.
Human Rights and the World's Major Religions -
REF BL65.H78 H8595 2005 v 1-5
Awards:
CHOICE Outstanding Academic Titles, 2006
Reviews:
Raising important issues about religion and human rights, this clearly written set is not only worthwhile for advanced students but also accessible to mature high school students. Highly recommended for both public and academic libararies. —Library Journal December 2005
This ambitious and valuable reference work examines the history of human rights from the perspective of the world's five major religious traditions. A recognized, distinguished expert in a specific religion prepared each volume; all of the authors' credentials demonstrate a focus on human rights or ethical studies....This set will be indispensable to those researching human rights in religion, as it pulls together important elements of the topic previously unavailable in a single reference work. Essential. Academic libraries serving lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. —Choice January 2006
[T]his series provides a remarkable contribution to the field of human rights. It involves primary readings and meticulous bibliographies that open doors to further study. Readable, interesting and wide-ranging, this set will be a crucial resource in human rights discourse for years to come. —Science & Theology News June 2006
In a world where religion so often divides, it is hard to find agreement on so volatile an issue as human rights, but the authors of this five-volume series have done a remarkable job. —MultiCultural Review Spring 2006
These volumes are useful for the casual reader since each volume is carefully outlined and indexed to allow for quick location of specific topics. Especially interesting and potentially useful are the biographical sketches of Christian leaders in human rights. —PERSPECTIVES on Science and Christian Faith March 2006
Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History - REF TT957.S46 2006
Reviews:
To many, hair is a reflection of personal style. It is also a signifier of class, gender, ethnicity, and even power. In this resourceful A-to-Z, Sherrow explores the impact of hair styles and their implications in various cultures throughout history. The essay-length entries, accompanied by black-and-white photos as well as a full-color photo insert, cover everything from celebrity hair (e.g., "the Rachel") and the hair care business (e.g., "Vidal Sassoon") to disorders (e.g., "dandruff") and organizations (e.g., "Locks of Love"). —Library Journal April 15, 2006
This work by Sherrow wins the "browsability" award, for both its topic and its eye-catching cover. As the only current reference book on hair, it will certainly find a place on many library shelves. Global in scope, its coverage includes biographical information (Max Factor, Elizabeth I), ethnicities and countries (African Americans, China), hairstyles (the bob, dreadlocks), and other hair-related entries (dandruff, hairpins)....[i]t provides a good first stop and a lengthy bibliography on the topic of hair. Recommended. Academic and beauty-related collections serving lower-level undergraduates, two-year technical program students, practitioners, and general readers. —Choice September 2006
Hairstyles reflect cultural, religious, and political beliefs; social status; occupation; health; and other key aspects of life. In her introduction to the universal preoccupation with hair grooming, Sherrow overviews scientific facts about hair, its social meaning, and the hair products industry. Cross-referenced entries from "adornment, ornamental" to "Zotos, International" include historical-cultural context, trends, trendsetters, b&w and some color illustrations, and further reading. This unique reference includes an extensive bibliography. —Art Book News Annual January 2007
Anyone interested in hair fashion and treatment, either as it immediately affects them or from the perspective of a historical period or a different ethnic group will learn from this book. —Reference Reviews March 2007
[T]he Encyclopedia of Hair is a useful starting point for research on this multidisciplinary topic....[t]he Encyclopedia of Hair covers a bald spot in reference collections in academic, public, and vocational school libraries. —Reference & User Services Quarterly Winter 2006
Human Rights and the World's Major Religions - REF BL65.H78 H8595 2005 v 1-5
Awards:
CHOICE Outstanding Academic Titles, 2006
Reviews:
Raising important issues about religion and human rights, this clearly written set is not only worthwhile for advanced students but also accessible to mature high school students. Highly recommended for both public and academic libararies. —Library Journal December 2005
This ambitious and valuable reference work examines the history of human rights from the perspective of the world's five major religious traditions. A recognized, distinguished expert in a specific religion prepared each volume; all of the authors' credentials demonstrate a focus on human rights or ethical studies....This set will be indispensable to those researching human rights in religion, as it pulls together important elements of the topic previously unavailable in a single reference work. Essential. Academic libraries serving lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. —Choice January 2006
[T]his series provides a remarkable contribution to the field of human rights. It involves primary readings and meticulous bibliographies that open doors to further study. Readable, interesting and wide-ranging, this set will be a crucial resource in human rights discourse for years to come. —Science & Theology News June 2006
In a world where religion so often divides, it is hard to find agreement on so volatile an issue as human rights, but the authors of this five-volume series have done a remarkable job. —MultiCultural Review Spring 2006
These volumes are useful for the casual reader since each volume is carefully outlined and indexed to allow for quick location of specific topics. Especially interesting and potentially useful are the biographical sketches of Christian leaders in human rights. —PERSPECTIVES on Science and Christian Faith March 2006
Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History - REF TT957.S46 2006Reviews:
To many, hair is a reflection of personal style. It is also a signifier of class, gender, ethnicity, and even power. In this resourceful A-to-Z, Sherrow explores the impact of hair styles and their implications in various cultures throughout history. The essay-length entries, accompanied by black-and-white photos as well as a full-color photo insert, cover everything from celebrity hair (e.g., "the Rachel") and the hair care business (e.g., "Vidal Sassoon") to disorders (e.g., "dandruff") and organizations (e.g., "Locks of Love"). —Library Journal April 15, 2006
This work by Sherrow wins the "browsability" award, for both its topic and its eye-catching cover. As the only current reference book on hair, it will certainly find a place on many library shelves. Global in scope, its coverage includes biographical information (Max Factor, Elizabeth I), ethnicities and countries (African Americans, China), hairstyles (the bob, dreadlocks), and other hair-related entries (dandruff, hairpins)....[i]t provides a good first stop and a lengthy bibliography on the topic of hair. Recommended. Academic and beauty-related collections serving lower-level undergraduates, two-year technical program students, practitioners, and general readers. —Choice September 2006
Hairstyles reflect cultural, religious, and political beliefs; social status; occupation; health; and other key aspects of life. In her introduction to the universal preoccupation with hair grooming, Sherrow overviews scientific facts about hair, its social meaning, and the hair products industry. Cross-referenced entries from "adornment, ornamental" to "Zotos, International" include historical-cultural context, trends, trendsetters, b&w and some color illustrations, and further reading. This unique reference includes an extensive bibliography. —Art Book News Annual January 2007
Anyone interested in hair fashion and treatment, either as it immediately affects them or from the perspective of a historical period or a different ethnic group will learn from this book. —Reference Reviews March 2007
[T]he Encyclopedia of Hair is a useful starting point for research on this multidisciplinary topic....[t]he Encyclopedia of Hair covers a bald spot in reference collections in academic, public, and vocational school libraries. —Reference & User Services Quarterly Winter 2006
Thursday, November 08, 2007
ALL -- So You Think You've Been Busy?
YOU HAVE! I have been looking at the statistics for circulation and reference comparing October 06 to October 07.
Laptop circulation is up 125% from last year. The total circ for laptops in October 07 was 1070! But it's not just the laptops. Circulating books are up 37%, Video circ is up 312% for a total of 99 video circs. Reserves are up 84% to 308 circs. Headphones and equipment are up from 14 in '06 to 201 in '07.
And it's not just circulation, reference is up from last year. Reference desk reference (short and long) are up 50% from last year. Class orientations are up from 6 classes / 69 students in '06 to 20 classes / 378 students in '07.
So the reason you have been feeling tired is because we've been working hard serving the students and faculty of Gavilan College. Well done ... from your humble co-worker!! Dana
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
ALL - Student Computers and "Extra" Software
From time to time we have loaded specialized software on the Library Student Computers. This is a list of software currently which computers.
Spanish Practice Program: 000-005 (six computers along the wall)
Final Draft: 006 (computer on the left facing reference)
QuickBooks: 009-110 (two computers on the right facing reference)
Spanish Practice Program: 000-005 (six computers along the wall)
Final Draft: 006 (computer on the left facing reference)
QuickBooks: 009-110 (two computers on the right facing reference)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)