Today is the first day of Hurricane season. There are many sites and databases that can help you and your customers with information as well as research for hurricanes, both past and present. Do you have a student who needs hurricane and weather information. Steer them towards Facts on File Science Online. http://www.fofweb.com/Science/default.asp?ItemID=WE40 The Weather and Climate page on Science Online has links to many kinds of natural disasters, including hurricanes. Do you need to know the predictions for the 2008 hurricane season, or what hurricane names have been retired? Go to the NOAA free site http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
for this information as well as radar readings, tracking maps, and how to prepare for a hurricane. The Weather Channel http://www.weather.com/ will provide you with local as well as national updates. So keep all these sites in mind when helping your customers over the next several months. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it is a quiet season!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Science Online Adds New Content
Facts On File is pleased to announce that we have just added a significant amount of new content to Science Online.
The new content and features added to Science Online come just in time for anyone prepping for final exams and standardized tests. This update includes new searching and sorting options, new page features, more than 600 visual and video aids, and content from 56 of their print titles.
Users who need to narrow their research will find more options in the Advanced Search page. They may limit their searches by type of entry (essays, biographies, diagrams and illustrations, etc.), as well as locate news articles published between any dates they select. Our Science in the News articles may now be sorted by subject or by date. A featured news article box has also been added to the top of the page. Those writing papers will appreciate the American Psychological Association (APA) style now included in their How to Cite pop-up page. Finally, their editors have added permanent Record URL links to each of the "Explore Subjects" pages.
More Advanced Search Options: Limit searches by entry types and news articles by date range.
Science in the News: Sort by date or by subject, plus locate a featured news article box at the top of the page.
APA Citation Style: Find American Psychological Association (APA) citation style information.
Explore Subjects Record URLs: Link directly to the Explore Subject pages.
New Illustrations, Images, and VideosScience Online's outstanding collection of visual and video learning aids is now even larger. The editors have added more than 600 new images as well as new videos on topics such as cyber safety, security, and ethics. These records are often very colorful and help grab and hold on to the attention of learners. They also convey concepts in a clear manner that allows users with different learning styles to better understand scientific ideas.
Examples of new records include:
Color illustration: Evolution of Mammalian Jaw
Photograph: Kilauea Volcano
Video: Online Identity Thieves.
Many essays have been added on a variety of topics including hurricanes, biomes, biohazards, spaceflight, plant biotechnology, forensic science, physics, and mathematics. It is easy to print, email, and save the essays to a folder using the "Page Tools" available at the top right-hand side of each record. Some essays also include embedded images and tables that help illustrate the content of the text.
New essay records include:
Farms and cities as ecosystems
Recording and storing music and movies
Genetically modified plants.
The new content and features added to Science Online come just in time for anyone prepping for final exams and standardized tests. This update includes new searching and sorting options, new page features, more than 600 visual and video aids, and content from 56 of their print titles.
Users who need to narrow their research will find more options in the Advanced Search page. They may limit their searches by type of entry (essays, biographies, diagrams and illustrations, etc.), as well as locate news articles published between any dates they select. Our Science in the News articles may now be sorted by subject or by date. A featured news article box has also been added to the top of the page. Those writing papers will appreciate the American Psychological Association (APA) style now included in their How to Cite pop-up page. Finally, their editors have added permanent Record URL links to each of the "Explore Subjects" pages.
More Advanced Search Options: Limit searches by entry types and news articles by date range.
Science in the News: Sort by date or by subject, plus locate a featured news article box at the top of the page.
APA Citation Style: Find American Psychological Association (APA) citation style information.
Explore Subjects Record URLs: Link directly to the Explore Subject pages.
New Illustrations, Images, and VideosScience Online's outstanding collection of visual and video learning aids is now even larger. The editors have added more than 600 new images as well as new videos on topics such as cyber safety, security, and ethics. These records are often very colorful and help grab and hold on to the attention of learners. They also convey concepts in a clear manner that allows users with different learning styles to better understand scientific ideas.
Examples of new records include:
Color illustration: Evolution of Mammalian Jaw
Photograph: Kilauea Volcano
Video: Online Identity Thieves.
Many essays have been added on a variety of topics including hurricanes, biomes, biohazards, spaceflight, plant biotechnology, forensic science, physics, and mathematics. It is easy to print, email, and save the essays to a folder using the "Page Tools" available at the top right-hand side of each record. Some essays also include embedded images and tables that help illustrate the content of the text.
New essay records include:
Farms and cities as ecosystems
Recording and storing music and movies
Genetically modified plants.
Military archives free online until May 31
People interested in what their ancestors did in wartime are getting a free look until the end of the month, at a vast collection of military records online.
The National Archives and Ancestry.com have worked out an agreement to speed the transfer of millions more war records to the Web and make an existing collection free for people to see during a Memorial Day commemoration from Tuesday, May 20th through May 31st.
Military records containing information on some 100-million people can be accessed free at ancestry.com/military. After May 31st, a paid subscription will be required to see them.
The National Archives and Ancestry.com have worked out an agreement to speed the transfer of millions more war records to the Web and make an existing collection free for people to see during a Memorial Day commemoration from Tuesday, May 20th through May 31st.
Military records containing information on some 100-million people can be accessed free at ancestry.com/military. After May 31st, a paid subscription will be required to see them.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Special Reports from NewsBank- What are they?
NewsBank sends out a monthly newsletter and the information in them is always timely. They often feature a Special Report section. Below is an example of a Special Report along with an explaination about what these Special Reports tend to cover and address.
The 2008 Summer Olympics and Other New Special Reports
Early activities include the final work on the game sites, the torch relay and the athletes' preparation.
Coverage of these activities and more are now available in NewsBank's newest Special Report.
Over the next several months follow the events leading up to the opening ceremony in this Report.
trials and qualifying
training
site and security issues
the Olympic committee
profiles of top athletes
country information Then after the Olympic torch is lit, visit NewsBank's Special Report on the Olympics each day to keep up with the latest news from Beijing on
Olympic events and competition
Athletes
Award ceremonies
Other news from and about the Olympics
Related images, maps, links to related web sites, and suggested search terms to use in your NewsBank products to find out even more about the 2008 Summer Olympics are also included.
NewsBank offers a variety of Special Reports as part of your subscription. They offer a way to quickly find the latest information on important topics.
Special Reports include a wide array of globally-oriented topics like health, environment, economics and education. New articles are added daily to provide current coverage of these topics. The background information helps one understand today's issues. Therefore, these Reports are helpful for researchers looking for current events articles or articles on a specific topic. Since many Reports focus on all regions of the world, a variety of global perspectives are available offering researchers the information needed to understand world issues and to draw their own conclusions.
Other New Reports include:
World Travel (now available)
World Issues in Mental Health (coming soon)
Currently featured reports include:
U.S. Presidential Campaign - 2008
Poetry Around the World
Science and Health in the News
World Environment
Places in the News
Many other Reports are also available. All NewsBank Special Report Sites are located on your product menu page or under the Other NewsBank Products link on full text newspaper products.
The 2008 Summer Olympics and Other New Special Reports
Early activities include the final work on the game sites, the torch relay and the athletes' preparation.
Coverage of these activities and more are now available in NewsBank's newest Special Report.
Over the next several months follow the events leading up to the opening ceremony in this Report.
Olympic events and competition
Athletes
Award ceremonies
Other news from and about the Olympics
Related images, maps, links to related web sites, and suggested search terms to use in your NewsBank products to find out even more about the 2008 Summer Olympics are also included.
Special Reports include a wide array of globally-oriented topics like health, environment, economics and education. New articles are added daily to provide current coverage of these topics. The background information helps one understand today's issues. Therefore, these Reports are helpful for researchers looking for current events articles or articles on a specific topic. Since many Reports focus on all regions of the world, a variety of global perspectives are available offering researchers the information needed to understand world issues and to draw their own conclusions.
Other New Reports include:
World Travel (now available)
World Issues in Mental Health (coming soon)
Currently featured reports include:
U.S. Presidential Campaign - 2008
Poetry Around the World
Science and Health in the News
World Environment
Places in the News
Many other Reports are also available. All NewsBank Special Report Sites are located on your product menu page or under the Other NewsBank Products link on full text newspaper products.
Monday, April 28, 2008
April News from NoveList
Quick Print and Other Enhancements Coming Soon!
We have been busy gathering feedback about the new NoveList interface from our users and are working hard to bring you some enhancements so that NoveList can better serve your needs.
#1. Easier Printing:
A number of you have requested that we add the ability to print directly from the Result or Series List. We have made this a high priority for our development team and plan for this enhancement to be available in early May. With this enhancement you will be able to select a Quick Print link from the Result or Series List display to access a printer-friendly version of your list. Using the Quick Print function will significantly reduce the number of steps it takes to print your list, and it will also reduce the number of pages needed. If you would like more printing options, you will still have the ability to go through your folder and the Print Manager to print your list.
Here is how the Quick Print function will work:
1. Perform your search to pull up the Result or Series List that you want to print.
2. Click the Quick Print link to the right of the Sort By drop-down menu.
3. If your browser's Print window does not automatically display, click the Print icon on your browser toolbar and select Print from your browser's File menu.
#2. Additional Enhancements:
In addition to the Quick Print functionality, we are also bringing you several other enhancements based on your feedback:
• Newest Features Added. Want to know what Author Read-alikes or other features have been added recently to NoveList? You can now find all the new feature content at the "What's New" link in the Spotlight section of the homepage. This "What's New" area will be updated regularly to bring the newest NoveList features to your fingertips.
• Browsing by alpha link for an author's last name. In the previous version, you could browse features such as Author Read-alikes and Book Discussion Guides by clicking an A – Z link to jump to an author's last name. We are currently in the process of grouping these features by author last name, so that users can quickly and easily browse straight to the author they are looking for. We expect this enhancement to be available by early May.
• Easier navigation to most recent What We're Reading postings. We will significantly reduce the number of clicks it takes to navigate the What We're Reading postings. This enhancement will be available by early May.
• Ability to enlarge book jacket images. We understand that many users do like to look at the book cover when selecting their next read, so we will be adding the ability to enlarge book jacket images. This enhancement will allow you to select the image from the title detail record to view the enlarged book cover. We expect this enhancement to be available in early May.
We are also working on fine-tuning our search capabilities to help you find what you need much faster and more easily. We expect that the performance of the Basic Search bar will be enhanced in early May.
To keep up with all these enhancements as well as future updates, visit the New Release Notes FAQ. This help page is linked from the Spotlight section of the homepage or you can click here.
As you continue to learn your way around the new interface, keep in mind that we offer training and support materials to assist you. Click the Tour NoveList link at the homepage to access the Training page in Help, where you can find a brief animated tour of the new interface and a Quick Start guide. Also available are Help Sheets on searching, printing, and some of the other features of the new interface.
Please feel free to use the Send Feedback link to let us know of any other training or support needs that you may have. As always, we are listening to your feedback and, with your help, will continue to improve NoveList.
We have been busy gathering feedback about the new NoveList interface from our users and are working hard to bring you some enhancements so that NoveList can better serve your needs.
#1. Easier Printing:
A number of you have requested that we add the ability to print directly from the Result or Series List. We have made this a high priority for our development team and plan for this enhancement to be available in early May. With this enhancement you will be able to select a Quick Print link from the Result or Series List display to access a printer-friendly version of your list. Using the Quick Print function will significantly reduce the number of steps it takes to print your list, and it will also reduce the number of pages needed. If you would like more printing options, you will still have the ability to go through your folder and the Print Manager to print your list.
Here is how the Quick Print function will work:
1. Perform your search to pull up the Result or Series List that you want to print.
2. Click the Quick Print link to the right of the Sort By drop-down menu.
3. If your browser's Print window does not automatically display, click the Print icon on your browser toolbar and select Print from your browser's File menu.
#2. Additional Enhancements:
In addition to the Quick Print functionality, we are also bringing you several other enhancements based on your feedback:
• Newest Features Added. Want to know what Author Read-alikes or other features have been added recently to NoveList? You can now find all the new feature content at the "What's New" link in the Spotlight section of the homepage. This "What's New" area will be updated regularly to bring the newest NoveList features to your fingertips.
• Browsing by alpha link for an author's last name. In the previous version, you could browse features such as Author Read-alikes and Book Discussion Guides by clicking an A – Z link to jump to an author's last name. We are currently in the process of grouping these features by author last name, so that users can quickly and easily browse straight to the author they are looking for. We expect this enhancement to be available by early May.
• Easier navigation to most recent What We're Reading postings. We will significantly reduce the number of clicks it takes to navigate the What We're Reading postings. This enhancement will be available by early May.
• Ability to enlarge book jacket images. We understand that many users do like to look at the book cover when selecting their next read, so we will be adding the ability to enlarge book jacket images. This enhancement will allow you to select the image from the title detail record to view the enlarged book cover. We expect this enhancement to be available in early May.
We are also working on fine-tuning our search capabilities to help you find what you need much faster and more easily. We expect that the performance of the Basic Search bar will be enhanced in early May.
To keep up with all these enhancements as well as future updates, visit the New Release Notes FAQ. This help page is linked from the Spotlight section of the homepage or you can click here.
As you continue to learn your way around the new interface, keep in mind that we offer training and support materials to assist you. Click the Tour NoveList link at the homepage to access the Training page in Help, where you can find a brief animated tour of the new interface and a Quick Start guide. Also available are Help Sheets on searching, printing, and some of the other features of the new interface.
Please feel free to use the Send Feedback link to let us know of any other training or support needs that you may have. As always, we are listening to your feedback and, with your help, will continue to improve NoveList.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
OverDrive Announcement
Great News!!!
OverDrive will distribute titles in MP3 format without DRM. OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks will be compatible with nearly every MP3 player and mobile phone on the market including iPod, Zune, iPhone, and Creative Labs products. All of the titles in OverDrive’s catalog will not be in this format, but at least some will be, which is an improvement.
http://www.overdrive.com/aboutus/getArticle.aspx?newsArticleID=20080319
OverDrive will distribute titles in MP3 format without DRM. OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks will be compatible with nearly every MP3 player and mobile phone on the market including iPod, Zune, iPhone, and Creative Labs products. All of the titles in OverDrive’s catalog will not be in this format, but at least some will be, which is an improvement.
http://www.overdrive.com/aboutus/getArticle.aspx?newsArticleID=20080319
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