Need Answers? Try Power Search Plus!

Need Answers to indepth research queries? Try Gale's Power Search Plus. Power Search Plus is a type of federated search engine, but more of a discovery tool. What it really does is cross search particular databases (that we have chosen from other databases that we subscripe to) which are NOT Gale products, and then cluster your results by subject and by relevancy.



When you reach our Databases & Websites home page and search in the regular Power Search Box, you will be taken to a page in Gale with results and tabs across the top of the page. Each tab contains particular information in different formats as you will see. The last tab says "MORE RESULTS". If you click on this tab you will actually be going into the Power Search Plus mode, which might take a few minutes, but you will be pulling lots more results from 15 other databases outside of the Gale family. The list of "other" databases will be visable for a few seconds while the results are being gathered. These results from your search, can then be viewed, printed, e-mailed and even posted to a del.icio.us account, if you have one. Power Search Plus returns more information, which will be based and ranked on how relevant it is to your original search. When you get time look for yourself, and get a feel for this new search engine, which gathers vast information from many many sources. http://www.gale.cengage.com/powersearch/plus/index.htm

World Book Online Webnair

Attached is the webinar schedule for free training of the World Book Web Online subscription for all staff. With school starting on August 18th, and homework soon to follow, training is key to providing better cutomer service to our student population. Please take a few moments and look over the schedule. If you would like to attend one of the Webnairs offered, simply follow the instuctions about how to register. I encourange anyone who can attend to do so.


Training on World Book Online Web:

Webinars offer an overview of the features of the World Book Web’s full suite of products, including World Book Kids, World Book Online Reference Center (with a preview ofthe new interface), World Book Advanced, and World Book Discover.

To Register go to: http://www.worldbookonline.com/webinars
Please note all schedules are in Central time.
Session Time (Central) / Webinar ID.

World Book Kids (30 min)
Mon, August 11, 2008 1 p.m. 681247770
Tues, September 9, 2008 9 a.m. 942357511
Tues, October 7, 2008 2 p.m. 218329286

World Book Discover (30 min) NEW!
Thurs, August 14, 2008 3:30 p.m. 113282026
Mon, August 25, 2008 10 a.m. 304391044
Tues, September 9, 2008 2:30 p.m. 307528741
Wed, September 24, 2008 4 p.m. 494657224
Wed, October 1, 2008 1 p.m. 803028307
Wed, October 22, 2008 9 a.m. 365966128

World Book Online Reference Center/Student (30 min)
Mon, August 11, 2008 2 p.m. 738055028
Thurs, September 11, 2008 10 a.m. 364923552
Mon, September 15, 2008 3:30 p.m. 276582371
Wed, October 1, 2008 12 p.m. 772252692
Wed, October 22, 2008 4 p.m. 904027987

World Book Advanced (30 min)
Thurs, August 14, 2008 9:30 a.m. 333776137
Wed, September 24, 2008 2 p.m. 619048667
Tues, October 7, 2008 1 p.m. 215622102

World Book Complete Suite (1 hr)
Mon, August 25, 2008 11 a.m. 941258238
Mon, September 15, 2008 1 p.m. 404559273
Fri, October 10, 2008 10 a.m. 633973987
For technical assistance dial 1-888-259-8414.

Audio available by phone and/or VOIP. Certificates for attendance available.

SANBORN FIRE INSURANCE MAPS

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are a valuable resource for researching local history. They were designed to indicate the potential risk of fire for metropolitan area structures and edifices. The presentation of the maps is similar to a large format plat, showing a sections of municipal area that contain such information as, the outline of the buildings, the size, shape, height, construction materials, location of windows and doors, and what function the building serves. The street names of the particular view are noted as well as the address numbers, sidewalk widths, boundaries, and building use. More information is given in the textual information (such as building materials, reinforced walls, etc.)

USING THE SANBORN MAPSFOUR VOLUME SET OF THE MAPS WITH INDEX

(Located at the John F. Germany Library, 2 West)We have some of the original, hardcopy, Sanborn Maps and an index to the four volume set, in the History and Genealogy Collection of the John F. Germany Library downtown. These maps date from 1931 – July 1951. The maps are colored coded in addition to many other notations. Also the hard copy shows the paste-overs that the company did when there was a change of structure or demolition of such. A key to the symbols on the maps appear at the beginning of each volume, on the page entitled "Graphic Map of Volumes" at the very beginning of each book.

ON-LINE DIGITAL SANBORN MAPS

(via Databases and Websites)The on-line maps do not contain paste-overs, but they do have the Sanborn Maps as far back as 1867 which enables the viewer to compare the areas of differing years. In order to access the Sanborn Maps on-line one needs to go to " Online Resources" from the "catalog" menu, then click on "Databases and Websites." Choose "Genealogy," from the left hand side of the page, and scroll down to "Digital Sanborn Maps." When one clicks on this site a page appears that says Digital Sanborn Maps 1867 – 1970. On the bottom you can click on the box that says "Browse Maps," "About The Sanborn Maps," or "Help With This Collection." Choose the one that is most appropriate to your needs.

SANBORN MAPS ON MICROFILM

(Located at John F. Germany Library)The Sanborn maps are on microfilm, as well, for major cities in the following states: Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia. Assistance with microfilm is offered in History and Genealogy.

INDEX TO ALL SANBORN MAPS

The Sanborn index is broken down by "Streets" i.e. 102 E. Seventh Avenue, "Specials" (which is the name of the structure) i.e. Tampa Public Library. Also there is an index for "Additions and Subdivisions." i.e. Parkland Estates. The index will direct you to a volume and/or sheet number. When you click on the appropriate sheet for your search you will see the address or building for which you had been looking.The Sanborn site has a thorough and detailed "Legend" screen containing explication of the notations on the maps. Also, there is a "Help" screen which enables you in your search. How to use this collection is explained in the section of that name.

Mango Languages - Online Language Learning!

Mango Languages provides all of the educational tools essential to learn foreign languages. The increasing importance of foreign language knowledge is more evident today than ever before. And Mango has utilized advanced technologies to make this increasingly necessary process of foreign language learning incredibly fun, simple, effective and accessible.
Mango Languages provides its users with remarkable conversational results after each and every lesson. Whether it's for your community’s students, educators, business personnel, or language lovers, learning a foreign language is now easy, effective, and convenient with Mango.

You can learn Brazilian Portuguese – Spanish – Japanese – French – German – Italian – Greek – Russian - Mandarin Chinese - ESL Polish - ESL Spanish - ESL Brazilian Portuguese.

• Mango Languages will maximize language learning by providing remarkable conversational results after each lesson.


• Mango Languages offers in-library and home access that provides you the luxury of being able to master a foreign language from the comfort of your own home or anywhere convenient to you.


• Mango Languages is fully equipped with English as a Second Language (ESL) courses that teach people how to communicate in English.


• Mango is very simple and user-friendly, bypassing any need for training. Users just login and the program leads them step-by-step through their language lessons.


• Mango is computer-friendly. Since Mango is web-based, it requires no installation, no download, and no technical expertise to make the program available.

You will find Mango Languages on the Dababases & Websites section of the library's Website - hcplc.org.

Auto Repair Reference Center Free Online Training

Did you know that EBSCO Publishing offers online, one-hour training sessions on our Auto Repair Reference Center each month, free to EBSCO customers? Because training reinforces product knowledge and stimulates interest, this training will help you to get the most from our EBSCO databases.
Auto Repair Reference Center training is available at the following times:

Thursday, June 12, 2008 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time
Tuesday, July 8, 2008 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time

TO REGISTER, go to:
http://training.ebsco.com/training_request.asp
select the desired class from the "Which service?"drop-down list, and complete the form.

Online Training Videos

Did you know that you can watch training and instructional videos online through the Databases & Websites section of the library's Webpage?

The Auto Repair Reference Center (in the Home & Auto subject guide) has hundreds of car repair and mantenance videos. Click the AutoIQ tab for a complete list.

The Health & Wellness Resource Center ( in the Health & Medicine subject guide) has brief information al videos on health and medical provided by Healthology. You can get a complete list by clicking Related Topics in the Health Highlights section.

eLibrary (in the Fast Facts subject guide) also has many video and audio clips from educational and news broadcasts on a wide variety of topics. Make sure to have the Audio/Video box checked before you do a search.

You can also find plenty of "how to" instructional videos on the Web. Some of the best sites include: Expert Village, Wonder How To, eHow and TeacherTube.

Take a look at Mashable.com's list of the 10 Best Palces to Find How-To Videos.

New in Oxford Reference Online

The latest update to Oxford Reference Online includes four superb titles, containing plenty of fascinating and scholarly content, focusing mainly on quotations and world history and politics.
There are two new titles — The Oxford Companion to Australian Politics and The Oxford Dictionary of American Quotations — which both contain outstanding content, boasting comprehensive and authoritative coverage of Australian political life and thought, and a rich array of American quotations.

There are also two new editions — The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations and A Dictionary of Contemporary World History.

Three fantastic new Timelines have been added to Oxford Reference Online as well --Settlements of North America, The American Revolution and The American Civil War. These provide a chronological account of events in North America from 1200 BCE to 1877, with each moment linked to an entry in a trusted Oxford reference titles.

You can find Oxford Reference Online as part of the library's collection of Databases & Websites on the library's Website - hcplc.org.

NewsBank Enhancements

There have been a few design enhancements to the Newsbank family of databases: America's Newspapers, Access World News and America's Genealogy Bank.

Through a streamlined design and robust new search capabilities, users can easily:
• compare and contrast different perspectives by state, region, country or continent
• refine searches for more relevant returns
• sort by name, date range, location and source type
• limit searches by article word count to filter out news briefs and minor articles

Users receive finely targeted results through unique search navigators that:
• refine results and pinpoint articles by title, date, source type and geographic location
• display topic and events results over time
• uncover differing viewpoints and differences in the way news is presented
• show search terms in context to help users identify the most relevant articles

Other enhancements include:
• an intuitive map that helps users pinpoint searches by location
• an improved toolbox that makes it easy to print, email or cite articles
• context-sensitive help throughout
• flexible tools for exporting citations to programs such as RefWorks, EndNote and ProCite

View a brief online demo of the changes.

Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone Ltd. recently introduced Rosetta Stone Version3, which will replace the Rosetta Stone Version 2 that we are currently using for online access. After careful analysis, the company has decided to discontinue access online for public libraries. As a result, our online access will no longer be available after December 31, 2007, which is when our subscritption ends. We will be investigating other online language products for use in the future. In the interim don't forget about the Pimsleur Language Studies Audiobooks offered by NetLibrary.

New “Visual Search” Option

The research databases provided by Ebsco* now offer a “visual search” option that will let you search and have your results presented in an interactive, visual map. You can change the style of the Result List at any time by selecting either Block style or Column style from the Display Style menu. Never lose track of your search path again; you can easily navigate back and forth through your search results.

Visual Search gives you options for different ways to group, sort, or filter your search - you can select these options at any time – before you run your search, or after, when you are viewing your results.

Use the Collect Articles area to "drag-and-drop" articles that you are interested in. Items that you "collect" will remain there for the current session, unless you remove them.

A comprehensive tutorial will open automatically when you click on the Visual Search tab in any EBSCO database, to guide you through the functionality of the new Visual Search screens.

*The Visual Search option is available using the following databases: MagillOnLiteraturePlus, Psychology & Behavioral Science Collection and the Religion & Philosophy Collection.

Tutor.com Holiday Closings

Tutor.com, and all Live Homework Help programs, will be closed on December 25, Christmas Day and January 1, New Years Day, so
that staff and tutors may celebrate the holidays with their family and friends.

Personalized News Delivered to You Daily!

You can create a Power Search Alert to get regular email notices or RSS delivery of recently published articles.

This is a great time saver if you want current news and research delivered directly to you.


Search Alerts
From your search results list or from the Issues page you can request notification when new content is added to the database that matches your search criteria. You may choose to have the system check for new content on a daily, weekly or monthly basis and sent you an e-mail message in html format when updates are found. Or you may subscribe to an RSS feed provided by Gale and have content delivered directly to you.

Requesting an E-mail Search Alert

Here's how to set up an e-mail alert:
1. Perform a search using any of the search types to search for the information for which you want to receive alerts; you may use any type of search criteria, including search limiters
2. On the results list, click the Create a Search Alert link
3. To receive alert e-mails, enter your e-mail address in the Mail to field (only one e-mail address allowed)
4. Use the default Alert Name or enter your own text
5. Select the Frequency in which you want the system to check for new content based on your search criteria: Daily, Weekly or Monthly
6. Click the Save button to submit your request

You will be sent an e-mail message to confirm that your request has been received. Then the system will check for new content based on the frequency you selected. The alert e-mail will contain individual links up to the first 20 new content items plus a link to the full results set.
All e-mails you receive will contain a link allowing you to opt out of the alert so that you no longer receive future alerts.

Subscribing to an RSS Search Alert Feed

Here's how to subscribe to the Gale RSS feed alerting you of new content in this database:
1. Perform a search using any of the search types to search for the information for which you want to receive alerts; you may use any type of search criteria, including search limiters
2. On the results list, click the Create a Search Alert link
3. To subscribe to the RSS feed, copy the Feed URL and paste it into the software you use as your RSS reader or news aggregator
4. Click the Close when you have finished.

Now that's a PowerSearch!

You can find the PowerSearch option at the top of every section of the Library's Databases & Websites.
Click here for more information about using RSS (courtesy of CommonCraft).

2007 National Book Awards Announced!

The National Book Foundation has announced this year's National Book Award winners.

See a complete list of 2007 finalists.

FICTION
WINNER: Denis Johnson, Tree of Smoke (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) - Interview

NONFICTION
WINNER: Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA (Doubleday) - Interview

POETRY
WINNER: Robert Hass, Time and Materials (Ecco/HarperCollins) - Interview

YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE
WINNER: Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Little, Brown & Company) - Interview

Find the complete list of National Book Award winners for previous years, and more bestsellers and award winners for children, teens and adults @ Find a Good Book on the Library's Website.

Health & Wellness Resource Center – New Search Interface

We are pleased to announce the release of a new search interface plus a range of new features that make your invaluable Health & Wellness Resource Center even better!


Available as of Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007 - the enhancements are designed to:

*Make the database easier to use by offering more opportunities to browse through the database and by enhancing your search options

*Add new pathways to information by adding two new tabs - Videos and News now have their own "homes" in your search results
*Lead users to current and reliable health information by exposing more of the rich content and then labeling it so that it's easier to find - "Reference" is now "Books and Fact Sheets" and "Other Sites" is now "Trusted Sites"

See for yourself - look for these new features in your Health & Wellness Resource Center this week:

*A new, updated interface.
*Additional browsing opportunities, with a streamlined design that offers more graphics and highlights current news headlines.
*Video results under a new "Videos" tab.
*Newspapers, newsletters and news feeds populating a just-added "News" tab.
*Improvements to the printing, e-mailing and viewing options available at the document level.
*Access to PDFs for many periodicals, reference, and pamphlets.
*Many content updates.

Since its inception, Health & Wellness Resource Center has established itself as the “go-to” medical reference in libraries everywhere. Providing easy-to-find answers via an intuitive and customizable interface makes this an ideal resource for researchers of all ages and levels of study.

You will find the Health & Wellness Resource Center on the Library's Website under the Databases & Websites Section.

Take a Guided Tour of the new search interface now!

Dietary Supplements Database

National Library of Medicine launches “Dietary Supplements Labels Database”.

The Dietary Supplements Labels Database offers information about ingredients in more than two thousand selected brands of dietary supplements. It enables users to determine what ingredients are in specific brands and to compare ingredients in different brands. Information is also provided on the health benefits claimed by manufacturers. These claims by manufacturers have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Companies may not market as dietary supplements any products that are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Ingredients of dietary supplements in this database are linked to other National Library of Medicine databases such as MedlinePlus® and PubMed® to allow users to understand the characteristics of ingredients and view the results of research pertaining to them, including the following characteristics:

-Uses in humans
-Adverse effects
-Mechanism of action

The Database can be searched by brand names, uses noted on product labels, specific active ingredients, and manufacturers.
Warnings and Recalls from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), related to specific ingredients and supplement brands have also been provided.

The database is designed to help both the general public and health care providers find information about ingredients in brand-name products, including name, form, active and inactive ingredients, amount of active ingredient/unit, manufacturer/distributor information, suggested dose, label claims, warnings, percentage of daily value, and further label information.

When you are looking for quality, published health & medical information, visit the "Health & Medicine" section of the library's Databases & Websites.

For more information about dietary supplements and herbal treatments, take a look at the Drug & Herb Finder and the Alternative Health Encyclopedia that are part of the Health & Wellness Information Center.

Newsbank Hot Topics for November

Looking for a research topic for school...
Just want to keep up with current events...

Newsbank has provided the following hot news topics for November, 2007. These topics can be searched by visiting the America's Newspapers or Access World News databases.

Here's a few sample topics (you can get the full list below):

HEALTH - Superbug MRSA
TOPIC: A superbug found in over 1600 Australian hospital beds and causing scores of deaths as well as showing up heavily in the US is identified as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). What is the major obstacle to patient recovery presented by superbugs? How do staph infections transmit?
SEARCH TERMS: staphylococcal infections

ENVIRONMENT - California Wildfires
TOPIC: A rash of terrible wildfires have caused about a half of million people to flee their homes in southern California. What have been some of the obstacles faced by firefighters when trying to contain and extinguish these fires? What are some of the causes of the fires?
SEARCH TERMS: California AND fires

Civics, Government and Politics - Primary and Caucus Schedules
TOPIC: The Democratic Iowa caucus has been rescheduled to January 3, 2008. This change aligns to what other political schedule? What are some of the overall changes in this primary season for schedules of presidential primaries and caucuses?
SEARCH TERMS: caucuses OR primaries AND presidential election AND 2008

ENVIRONMENT - Georgia Drought
TOPIC: A severe drought is limiting the water supply in Georgia, especially in the metro Atlanta area. What has been an environmental concern that has prevented Atlanta from some water that could ease its drought? What are some other contributing factors to the drought?
SEARCH TERMS: Georgia AND drought

SPORTS - Joe Torre
TOPIC: Manager of the New York Yankees, Joe Torre, has resigned his position after rejecting a controversial offer. What were the specifics in the contract that Torre found objectionable? What are the outstanding contributions made by Torre to baseball that will constitute his legacy? Will he be part of baseball next season?
SEARCH TERMS: Joe Torre

Want to see more? Get the full list of Hot Topics (PDF format).

NoveList Notes - November, 2007

New and Revised Explore Fiction Lists in NoveList

NoveList and NoveList K-8's ready-made book lists are great sources for eager readers and busy librarians. NoveList is now pleased to announce that all of our genre-based Explore Fiction lists have been completely revamped and updated. In addition to the updated lists, we have added several new genre lists, including Historical Fiction and Graphic Novels at the Adult level, based on requests from our users.
All of the popular genres, including Mysteries, Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Historical Fiction, are covered in the Explore Fiction lists. Each genre contains a number of lists covering popular sub-genres, for example "Contemporary Romances" and "Romantic Suspense" under the Romance genre. Each list contains 15 to 20 titles, carefully selected by experienced librarians.

Run out of book discussion group ideas? Looking for an easy way to find a good book to read? Use Explore Fiction lists as a quick source for a book display on Classic Science Fiction titles. Create bookmarks with our new Adult Historical Fiction Explore lists to pass out to your readers or place in the historical fiction titles on your new books shelf. This will not only pull your patrons into your collection, it will keep them coming back for more.

Here's how to access NoveList's Explore Fiction lists:
1. Select the Browse Lists tab.
2. Under the Explore Fiction heading, select the appropriate reading level link. To find the new Adult Historical Fiction list, select the "Adult" link.
3. You will see a list of genres to choose from. Select the "Historical Fiction" link.
4. A listing of sub-genres will display. Choose a topic of interest, for example "Immigrant Experience," to see the full list of titles.

At the end of each Explore Fiction list, you will find a description that will give you more information about the books on the list or how you can find more books like those listed. Please note that at each list, you can select a title to link directly to the book record for an annotation, reviews, and links to other resources.

When you are all out of book display ideas, looking for a new way to promote the use of your library, or just in need of a ready-made book list to keep your speedy readers satisfied for awhile, turn to NoveList's Explore Fiction lists for help.

NoveList can be found on the Find a Good Book section of the library's Databases & Websites page.

Auto Repair Reference Center

Auto Repair at your fingertips!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a reference library with information about recalls, maintenance intervals, repair procedures, and service tips for your automobile? The Auto Repair Reference Center (ARRC) provides this information for most models of automobiles and light trucks from 1945 to the present. It is useful for both do-it yourselfers and professionals. This premium resource is available free to members of our library system.

To access this database, click on the Databases & Websites link, then on the Home and Auto link. Next, choose the Auto Repair Reference Center. If you are using a computer from home, you will then need to type in your library card number. The database is easy to use - simply choose the year of your vehicle, then the manufacturer, then the model. You can view service bulletins or repair procedures. There are additional features, including general videos about brakes, fuel management, heating and air conditioning, etc. These videos are located in the “Auto IQ” tab on the top of each page in the database.


Quick Fact Sheet
ARRC Tutorial video

Price It! Antiques & Collectibles

It’s like “Antique Home Show!”

Price It! Antiques & Collectibles — powered by GoAntiques.com — is the most comprehensive antique and collectible pricing tool in the world.

The antiques and collectibles market is one of the fastest growing markets in the U.S., with an estimated 25% of the population collecting something — and that figure is expected to increase in the coming years. To support this rapidly growing trend, Thomson Gale offers Price It! Antiques & Collectibles — a ‘value maximizer’ for anyone who purchases, sells or collects art, antiques and collectibles. This indispensable online tool helps you ascertain an item’s current realistic market value by aggregating data from its own GoAntiques.com database as well as established, reliable sources like ebay, TIAS and dozens of auction houses. Now your patrons will always have the latest information on the collectibles they seek. And Price It! Antiques & Collectibles can be used from wherever its users have remote access to your library’s holdings…at home, on the road, even from a live auction!

Get a Quick Fact sheet (PDF).

See some Sample Searches.

You can find the Price It! Antiques & Collectibles database with the library's Databases & Websites under "Consumer Information" and "Home & Auto".

NewsBank Hot Topics, April 2007

If you are interested in Intenational Relations, check out this month's Hot Topics search hints from NewsBank. Find news articles from around the US and around the world for environmental, health, education, crime and politics.

Hot Topics makes a great starting point for your reseach into our contemporary world. NewsBank is the provider of the Access World News and America's Newspapers databases. These can be found with the library's Databases & Websites under "Magazines & Newspapers".