Wednesday, May 05, 2010

More Database News


The State Library of Kansas is announcing some changes to our statewide database package beginning August 1, 2010. The new focus of products available to everyone in the state, from preschool to seniors, allows us to expand our offerings in some needed areas.


Products to be added include:


From Gale Cengage Learning

Student Resource Center Gold
DISCovering Collection
Junior Reference Collection
Student Edition
Junior Edition
Kids InfoBits
History Resource Center – U.S.
History Resource Center – World
Books & Authors


From Learning Express Library

Job & Career Accelerator
Learning Centers – 4th grade through College
Microsoft, Adobe, Corel and Windows/ Mac online classes
Occupation practice tests – air traffic controller to teacher


No changes are planned to the current ProQuest products (Heritage Quest and Nursing / Allied Health Journals). The current Gale package which includes Chilton’s Auto Repair, Literature Resource Center, and OneFiles will remain. WorldBook Encyclopedia will continue as part of the statewide package.


As of July 31, our contracts with OCLC for WorldCat and the Ebsco products will end. These include Searchasaurus, Kid Search, TopicSearch, Student Research Center, ERIC, Professional Development Collection, Newspaper Source, and Novelist.


Patti Butcher, Director
Statewide Resource Sharing
State Library of Kansas - Topeka
pattib@kslib.info
785-296-3875
Toll free: 800-432-3919
Check out our new website: http://www.kslib.info

LearningExpress Library now available


LearningExpress Library Signs on with State Library
May 3rd, 2010

(from http://statelibrary.mykansaslibrary.org/ on 4May 2010)
For Kansas job seekers, new help has arrived. The State Library of Kansas just inked a three-month trial deal with LearningExpress Library to offer extensive online resources including occupational and scholastic practice tests, skill-building courses and a segment of the service titled, “Job and Career Accelerator.”

“This is a fabulous addition to the research databases that we already offer to all Kansans,” explained State Librarian Jo Budler. “It’s an amazing collection of individual exercises, full-blown courses, and practice tests ranging from third grade math problems, to middle school grammar questions, to preparing for the ACT, GED, and even the test for US Citizenship.”

During the trial period (May – July), Kansas library users will access the LearningExpress Library by clicking on the link found on the State Library homepage – http://www.kslib.info .
Alternately, users can also click on the LearningExpress Library graphic on the Blue Skyways homepage, http://www.skyways.org . All users will need to create a unique account within LearningExpress to view course offerings, practice tests, or career and training information and to save any created files, such as a new resume.

Regardless of an individual’s goal, LearningExpress Library’s resources promote success. Twelve different Learning Centers from elementary through college levels plus computer skills, GED and new workplace skills training offers the exercises, the courses, the practice tests, and the information needed to be successful at school, at work, or in life. Looking to land a job? The Job and Career Accelerator will identify strengths and weaknesses, help with resume writing, and even monitor postings on job boards.

Users should check out:

1) Practice Tests for Careers such as electrician, plumber, air traffic controller, and military aviation;
2) eBooks that assist in preparation for careers in Civil Service such as EMT, or police, or healthcare occupations such as paramedic or nurse’s aide;
3) Extensive list of flash-based computer skill tutorials to learn Microsoft programs such as Power Point, Excel, Word or Outlook Express, and Adobe.
4) US Citizenship Test Practice, With 100 civics, history, and government questions, this practice test offers all the preparation you need to pass the newly redesigned naturalization test… more info including hundreds of questions, all taken from the official naturalization test and geared toward achievement of the best possible scores.
5) GED materials with study strategies, pretests and lessons, and exam practice questions.

Founded in 1995, LearningExpress currently holds statewide library contracts with 16 states, making the database available through more than 4,000 libraries and 5,000 academic sites. Last year, approximately 1.5 million users accessed LearningExpress’ online resources.

“There are hundreds of amazing testimonials from people who have used this database,” said Budler. “one from Michigan—a young man who passed the EMT test, scoring the highest of all people who took the class with him. He used the practices tests in LearningExpress to prepare. We hope to duplicate those kind of success stories in Kansas,” Budler added.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Gearing up for Finals, and Final Papers

College Libraries are Humming in Vermont: "I come to the library a lot,” said Caroline Connelly, a UVM sophomore, who was sitting at a computer terminal in Bailey/Howe working on an article for a natural-resources course. Early in the semester she was looking for information on Camus for a French class and discovered the stacks. “I didn’t know there were so many awesome books,” she said.

Savannah McInvale, a UVM junior majoring in animal studies, was sitting at a table with Josh Benes, a junior majoring in environmental studies. Both had several papers due during the next couple of weeks.


“I talked to the reference desk about finding scientific articles online,” McInvale said.


“The library’s a really good place to get work done, especially when the weather’s nice,” Benes said."

-The Burlington Free Press, April 19


And you are welcome here in the Butler libraries too! We've got everything mentioned in this article... chat with us about your needs online through our meebo chat "Ask a Librarian" on our website http://www.butlercc.edu/nixon_library/

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Earth day 2010

Forty years have passed since I celebrated the first earth day by collecting a pile of trash from a creek bed in Endicott, NY with my fellow high school Environmental Club members. I may be able to remember what we were called - or I may have to get out the yearbook to check the name and the photo out. Meantime, this info from an email by Julie Tomlianovich, of SCKLS:

April 22, 1970 was the first Earth Day and now 40 years later we still celebrate what we can do for our environment. Whether it is recycling, planting a garden, driving less or simply turning off the lights when not in a room, there is something that people of all ages can do. Help celebrate Earth Day 2010 with your students/patrons. There are hundreds of websites with the history and fun and easy activities. Discover what communities in the United States and others around the world are doing to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day. We can celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day all year and especially this summer, with the reading program’s water theme and slogans: Make a Splash-READ!; Make Waves at Your Library; Water Your Mind-Read



Environmental Protection Agency: History of Earth Day; Official EPA website

http://www.epa.gov/earthday/history.htm



Earth Day Network

http://billionactsofgreen.com/

Register your school or community to achieve the goal of one billion activities that will help the Earth’s environment.



Kaboose

http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/



ABC Teach

http://abcteach.com/directory/seasonalholidays/earth_day/



Picadome Elementary School, Lexington, KY

http://www.picadome.fcps.net/lab/currl/earth_day/default.htm



Teacher Vision: Earth Day activities for students K-12.

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/earth-day/teacher-resources/6612.html



Enchanted Learning website

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/earthday/



Contact Julie:

Julie Tomlianovich
South Central KS Library System
Youth Services Consultant
321A N Main ST
South Hutchinson, KS 67505
1-800-234-0529 ext. 144
1-620-663-3211 ext. 144
FAX 1-620-663-9797

"I don't want children to read just to perfect their reading. I want them to love books for the joy of it." Coleen Salley (1929-2008), storyteller extraordinaire, professor emeritus and scholar.

Thank you, Julie!

Micaela

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

After libraries, I like gardens best...

... and so this link to the KGI blog...


As temperatures outside rise and thunderstorms move through watering the earth below our thoughts turn to home-grown vegetables, well manicured lawns and flowerbeds bursting with color.

This week's KGI blog digs into the rich online resources on gardening offering up a harvest of links to some helpful sites, most of which are specific to Kansas.

Kansas Gardening and Lawns
http://ksdocs.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Bill Sowers



Bill Sowers
Kansas Publications & Cataloging
State Library of Kansas
300 SW 10th, Room 169-W
Topeka, KS 66612
ksdocs@kslib.info
785-296-3296

Of Course We Closed

Funny to read that last post and realize within a week we were in the process of closing, too. By March 13, Dr. Krull had it under consider...