SD Library Challenge Lesson #4 - ProQuest

When I first clicked the link to the ProQuest resource through the SD State Library, the interface looked familiar (even though ProQuest had recently re-designed its user interface). I then went to our school's (USD) database list and entered ProQuest, and, indeed, the resources are identical! (As it turn out, USD has access to ProQuest thanks to the State Library of South Dakota!).

Even though I work at an institution that has access to this database, I am not extremely familiar with it because of my narrow discipline (Health Science). I decided to search for medical-related information, and was surprised at the wealth of full-text articles available. I searched the general term "bioinformatics," and the result list was long and detailed. But then I decided to try a more targeted search, so I typed in "ubiquitin," which is a protein that is the focus of some of our researchers. Surprisingly to me, there is a wealth of research articles available via ProQuest.

I am somewhat surprised at the depth of articles available on medical topics because ProQuest is not considered a "go to" database for these topics (I tend to direct patrons to PubMed or CINAHL first). This exercise helped to remind me that there are many other databases that apply to my subject area! The search interface is very familiar to those familiar with similar databases (convoluted, yes), and seems very straight-forward to navigate, but I imagine that many of these databases are not "intuitive" to library professionals and patrons that don't normally use these types of resources.


Since the beginning of the Challenge, I have tried to "Follow" the other participants' blogs (though the list keeps getting longer!), and it is fascinating to see all the variations on format and design! I see that some others, like me, have fallen behind, so this is truly an asynchronous experience. I wish there were enough time to read everybody's posts every day, but that would cut into my Facebook time ;-)
Seriously, I do hope to eventually connect with fellow "Challengees" on this project, and continue the explorations and collaborations beyond the scope of this activity.  Next year, I hope to attend SDLA conference for the first time - perhaps there can be an informal meeting of the "State Library Challenge Group?"

SD Library Challenge Lesson #3 - SIRS

I have finally gotten back to the SD State Library Challenge! For this entry, I examined SIRS Discoverer and Issues Researcher databases.

As an academic librarian, I am very impressed with the SIRS Discoverer resource for k-9 students. I searched "coyote," and the results were lists of articles in age-appropriate magazines, like "National Geographic Kids," and "Ranger Rick." The results list and links are very much like the databases that USD subscribes to, and citations for each article are included. This is an excellent resource for k-9 teachers or librarians to help kids get the "feel" for academic research at a level that is more comprehensible to them.

The SIRS Issues Researcher was also formatted much like a university database (I see these are ProQuest products, so that is not surprising). I searched "global warming," and the available resources and articles form the results list were very impressive. I also clicked on the link to "Curriculum Pathfinders," with led to more resources, but I couldn't quite determine whether the pathfinders are geared more toward teachers or students. In either case, the materials provided seem to be of high quality.

I would strongly recommend both of these SIRS resources for k-12 assignments because they can help hone students' research skills and prepare them for college-level research.

SDSL Challenge Lesson #2

This lesson focused on the Learning Express Library, with which I previously had little experience.

It is very helpful to know about the practice exams; at USD, students frequently ask about practice exams for various standardized license or entrance exams.
I chose to experiment with the MCAT practice exams. The MCAT is the medical school entrance exam. The interface was easy to work with, and the feedback was helpful. This is a great resource for pre-med students.

For the second part of the lesson (Job Search and Research skills), I tried the Career-course "Succeeding on the Job." Because Librarianship is a career change for me, there is still much to learn about succeeding as a librarian. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the content. The part I read was heavy on introductory pages; there were multiple pages that had little content that were all introductory in nature (such as "in this section, you will...").

After clicking through several introductory pages, the actual content was less than stimulating. There were a lot of bulleted "dos and don't s," without references, and specific examples were few and far between. There is much better advice for job success in the Chronicle of Higher Education's blogs.

Finally, the e-books included many of the practice exams as well as other content. I downloaded and added to "My Center" the "Just in Time Algebra."
Once again, after wading through an entire chapter of introductory material, chapter 2 starts with some algebra practice. Although I have a science background, my algebra skills could use some sharpening. This e-book appears to be a handy way to practice a bit each day.
I also like the organization of "My Center:" this is a very easy way to manage all the content one is interested in.


Overall, I am glad I know about this resource, and I expect that I will be sharing this with patrons quite a bit.

SDSL Challenge Lesson #1

I chose to explore World Book School Edition. For the first discovery exercise, I chose to research Coyotes, the mascot of Univ. of South Dakota.

The World Book Kids page is easy to navigate - I was able to easily find the Coyote entry, and copy this picture:

The habitat information, however, was sparse. All the coyote article mentions under "habitat" is: "Deserts, mountains, grasslands," which doesn't really describe their habitat.
"Coyote." World Book Kids World Book, 2012. Web. 11 Jan. 2012

World Book Student has a more traditional ("Google-like") search page, and the information provided is more detailed (but not much more). Definitely geared toward older students: fewer images and clickable buttons, more text.

World Book Advanced is a more familiar interface to me. I chose to search Sri Lanka because of some personal connections. The menu on the left provides a valuable limiting/filtering tool, similar to many academic databases. The right hand column had links to primary sources, mostly Presidential letters. The information about Sri Lanka seemed fairly accurate and up-to-date, including the effects of the tsunami in 2006 and the bloody end (maybe) of the long civil war in 2009.


Because I am a health science librarian, I don't imagine my students using this resource too much.


Finally, in World Book Discover, there is a translator "widget" on the left that will translate articles into many different languages (though not Tamil, spoken by Sri Lankans in the north).

What's a "goatsucker?"

The term "goatsucker" often elicits snickers and snide comments from those unfamiliar with it, but it simply refers to birds in the Caprimulgidae family, including Common Nighthawks. I studied urban nighthawks' nest-sites while in graduate school at the University of Northern Iowa (and I will publish that study one of these years!).


The birds apparently were given that name based on their buccal anatomy - they have large mouths with very little bill (beak) - great for scooping up insects while in flight.
Aristotle may have coined the term "goatsucker"  in 350 B.C.E.:

"The so­called goat­sucker lives on mountains; it is a little larger than the owsel, and less than the cuckoo; it lays two eggs, or three at the most, and is of a sluggish 
disposition. It flies up to the she­goat and sucks its milk, from which habit it derives its name; it is said that, after it has sucked the teat of the animal, the teat dries up 
and the animal goes blind. It is dim­sighted in the day­time, but sees well enough by night."
(Aristotle, & Thompson, D. (n.d). History of Animals. Generic NL Freebook Publisher.)