Science Online adds new Features

Science Online has added three new feature to their site. First is the Today's Science Feature. When you visit the page you will find the new Today's Science feature box highlighting four articles on hot topics and recent discoveries and events in science. New articles will be added regularly to the feature box. Mouse over the article titles to see brief descriptions of and photos from the articles or click the article title or "More" link to read the complete article. Article contents menus appear at the top of each record. Today's Science articles also appear under the All and News Articles search results tabs. This month's featured content includes:
Water-Splitting to Store Solar Energy: Learn about the challenges of storing solar power efficiently and cheaply.
Insect Altruism-More Than a Family Matter?: Read E.O. Wilson's observations about insects such as worker bees, group selection, and evolution.
Explosion of Luck: Scientists Observe the Birth of a Supernova: Find out how scientists discovered the X-ray pattern that signals the birth of a supernova.
Mars Wet-Chemistry: Phoenix Finds Ice: Explore the question "Could life have existed on Mars?"

Next, more than 125 new videos on topics such as electricity and magnetism, genetics, and botany have been added to Science Online . The videos are clear, short, and easy-to-follow. They provide educators with a great way to engage users who learn more effectively by watching and listening as scientific concepts are demonstrated, instead of focusing purely on reading assignments. The video records include links to related content, such as other videos, experiments, diagrams, essays, terms, and more. Libraries and educators can link to the records on their subject and homework Web pages using the "record URLs" provided at the bottom of each page. Examples of new videos include:
Cellular Death: The Genetics of Mortality
Science of Ice and Snow: How Do You Photograph a Snowflake?
How Trees Get Water and Nutrients.

Lastly, Science Online has added more than 100 essays on a variety of topics, including core topics in chemistry and Earth science as well as hot topics such as renewable resources and climate change, which are new with this update. Essays exploring the environment and the fragility of our planet link science to current events and provide a helpful starting point not only to environmental science educators but also to those studying current events and participating in this year's National High School Debate on alternative energy incentives. Other essays on topics such as the quantum model cover essential content required by the science curriculum and incorporate helpful illustrations within the essays. Examples of new essays include:
Power from renewable resources
Effects of global warming on the polar regions
Mass extinctions and catastrophes.

Take a few moments to check out these new features.

Getting the Most Out of Google

To find a current stock quote or additional market data for a given company or fund, type the ticker symbol into the search box. On the results page, you can click the link to see more data from Google Finance, or other finance Web sites listed.



If you don't know the stock ticker symbol, you can go directly to Google Finance for detailed stock market and investing information.

Getting the Most Out of Google

This will be the first in a series of weekly posts that will help you squeeze just a bit more out of your Google searches. This week we'll start wil some basics - how about getting a quick dictionary definition and/or finding synonyms.

To see a definition for a word or phrase, simply type the word "define" then a space, then the word(s) you want defined. To see a list of different definitions from various online sources, you can type "define:" followed by a word or phrase. Note that the results will define the entire phrase.

If you want to search not only for your search term but also for its synonyms, place the tilde sign (~) immediately in front of your search term. This part sounds more useful than it really is - I find it easiest to grab the synonym from the Dictionary.com search result.

Burgert Brothers Cirkut Photographs Released!

The Burgert Brothers photographs are precious gems and our collection of approximately 15,000 8 by10 inch prints and negatives are a prized possession of the library system. As engaging as they are, imagine if one could take a print and stretch it to 3, 4 or maybe even 5 times its current length. Imagine being able to open up the view of the image to see more of the subject.

Well, the newly released Cirkut photographs provide just that opportunity for our community!

Four hundred and thirty-two Burgert Brothers panoramic photographs have recently been added to our library catalog. These images are available to be searched and viewed using the same general steps as the original 8 by 10 inch prints of the Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection.

Though there are far fewer of the Cirkut images in our collection than that of the 8 by 10 prints, their uniqueness makes them endlessly interesting. Consider the source, the Cirkut camera: a bizarre contraption that was designed to move the large negative from one cylinder to another so that it passed through the camera at the exact same speed as that of the motion of the lens (though in the opposite direction).

Although the 1927 New York Yankees baseball team photograph is probably the most well-known, there’s a plethora of interesting Cirkuts available to discover. Some example images in the collection include the following: carnival performers at the Florida State Fair of 1930, swimmers at Clearwater Beach, an aerial skyline of downtown Tampa, and Davis Island undeveloped just to name a few.

The actual Cirkut prints are housed in the History and Genealogy Department of the John F. Germany Library. Library staff is available to assist the public with viewing these items, as well as with online searching. It’s a great pleasure to finally include these photographic wonders to the library’s public catalog.

NewsBank Adds Video News

In response to the rising demand in libraries, NewsBank is adding video news content to their online news resource at no additional charge to their customers. The complete package from respected media distributor Voxant includes the following sources:

The Associated Press

Reuters

The Wall Street Journal

The New York Times

Local affiliates of ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, as well as coverage from Canadian Broadcasting, Agence France-Presse and more.

We will have access to video clips from all or a select group of these sources beginning on Monday, October 20 and the videos clips will be added to NewsBank resources.

Users will be able to:
Play news videos within the NewsBank interface, in the same space used to display text articles.

You can access these video clips off the main page of NewsBank Access World News and clicking on the Source Types tab in the center of the page. A screen shot is included with that tab highlighted.

Solinet and Palinet Merging

Press Release from the Board Chair of Solinet:

We are pleased to announce that the Boards of PALINET and SOLINET have approved a recommendation to merge the two organizations. Both Boards completed due diligence and as a result developed the vision and strategy for the new organization.
The combined strength each network brings to the new organization will significantly enhance the education, leadership development, advocacy, technology, and savings on information products and services that our members want, while still providing the high level of service and local connection you currently value.
The combined resources, shared expertise, and improved operating efficiencies will result in:
>Rapid implementation of new programs
>Greater consortial savings opportunities
>Extended networking and collaboration among members
>Innovative technology solutions in areas including open source, digitization, and collection management
>An expanded curriculum covering the latest topics with industry experts from both networks.
Your vote is the most important step in this process. By December 1, Voting Members will receive specific information regarding the merger plan and necessary legal documentation. The vote is expected to take place in early 2009.
We know you are also eager to hear about several key areas concerning the new organization including the board and membership structures, governance, new name, and locations. Both Boards are completing work on these specific details and will provide this information soon.
We look forward to working together to build a stronger library community. For more information: http://www.solinet.net/Merger%20Talks.aspx