Completed tutorials from class of Spring 2012

As of this writing, seven of our students have completed their tutorials. They all seem helpful so we're posting them all in one place:

• Journal Alerts in Digital Pipeline (Alaska Dragonfly)
• http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/clfF1Zpaa
• SLED (Barbie's Digital Thoughts)
• http://barbie520.clarify-it.com/d/y3mrc6
• Mango Languages (FAI Bookworm)
• http://akilbourn.clarify-it.com/d/zmjhq7
• HeritageQuest (Geotech Librarian)
• http://geotechlibrarian.clarify-it.com/d/m2x9t4
• Novelist K-8 (Goldielocks Goes Digital)
• http://golden-hummingbird.blogspot.com/2012/05/using-novelist-lesson-9.html
• Oxford Premium Reference (Haubershire Valley)
• http://prezi.com/f9zjkucselsu/neros-hobby/
• Medical Articles for Professionals (Sadie Hawkins)
• http://sallybremner.clarify-it.com/d/ptfc2h

This list may be updated in the future.

Lesson 9: Creating Tutorials

As you have most likely discovered from this course, teaching people how to use digital resources can be complicated!  While some us are capable of learning by doing something, using a resource once, most of us will require additional learning aids to cement the knowledge we glean the first time we use a new resource.   Walking through the steps required to successfully use a resource with a patron is definitely a useful introduction to the functions and features of a database but what happens when the patron goes home or tries to pick up their research later and you aren't there when they have a question?

Screenshot for setting up "The Settlers of Catan" using Clarify,  http://www.clarify-it.com/   

I've found creating tutorials using screenshots, search tips and step by step instructions and posting them online can provide a good option for people to learn at their own pace on their own time (a lot like this course).

I'm often surprised how time consuming this can be, taking screenshots, preparing the technical step by step instructions (technical writing has never been my strength) and in some cases recording audio or video live as you demonstrate the resource.

Value of Professional Networking:


So the great thing about working in the library world is that whatever resource you are preparing to create a tutorial on, chances are another library or in some cases the vendor for that resource may have already created a guide.  Take a look around other library sites, search for something like Ebsco Small Business Reference Center tips or tutorials, see what you find.  I've gone as far as contacting a library and asking if they will share their resource so I can modify it for our library and as many librarians have been willing to do this, I always return the favor.  Making a few changes to a guide is a lot less time consuming than building one from scratch.  That is as long as you find one that you feel is well done and easy for a user to understand.

For example, I was preparing for an ebook open house and had just seen some great handouts that Jean Powell at the Wasilla Meta-Rose Public Library had made available.  I sent her an email to ask if I could modify her docs for use at our library and she sent me her PowerPoint slides (don't get me started on PowerPoint, death by PPT, try Prezi instead).   I used this as a starting point making a few changes to customize for our library.  You'll notice in addition to step by step instructions using numbers and bullets there is a screen shot included that allows the tutorial to explain a few things about choosing ebook formats.

1. Visit the website or screen which you would like to demonstrate.
2. Press ctrl+prtScn (print screen button located along top row of keyboard at end of F# keys) at the same time.  This will take a screen shot, basically copying the viewing area of your screen, placing it unseen on the "clipboard" to be pasted later (it will be pasted as an image file). Mac users press Command-Control-Shift-3. The screen shot will be placed on your clipboard for you to paste into another program.  
3. Open Microsoft Paint (on most computers, Start Button>Programs>Accessories>Paint). Or for Mac use Grab ( bundled on Mac OS X Applications>Utilities folder). More Mac Screenshot Tips here.
4. Pressing ctrl+v will paste the screen shot into your editor (MS Paint, MS Word works too).
5. You may need to crop the image using the "select" tool (square box with dashed lines)
6. Then choose File>save as> and you can choose to save as jpeg or a few other image files.  
7. These 7 steps could be modified and expanded to explain to a new blogger how to navigate the administrative dashboard of Blogger.  

Screenshots are essentially the bread and butter of helping demonstrate the (too many) steps required to use many of our library resources.  I've also found it a useful tool for troubleshooting problems that library patrons are experiencing when they call me on the phone with database access problems.  Rather than explain and spell out the complex error code I can explain the print screen function and have them email me a screenshot.  

Alternately, screencasting software (Camtasia has a free 30 day trial and there are a ton of FREE tools) which record your screen and in some cases audio live as you do the demonstration of the resource so you don't have to take screen shots and write up text, creating a video based tutorial.  

Discovery Exercise

Congratulations you've made it through 10 weeks of AK Digital Resources assignments.  

Her's your final assignment.   

1. Create a tutorial on one of the Digital Pipeline Resources and add it as a post to your course blog.
2. Tutorials must include at least: images, text, relevant web links.  Optional:  embed video or audio. 
3. Please include a brief paragraph summarizing your experience creating the tutorial, tools used, etc. 
4. Post a link to your tutorial as a comment to this post.

Useful Tools and additional Resources

How to Podcast: 4 basic steps, http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/00-podcast-tutorial-four-ps.htm

Online Tutorials: Tips for Developing and other Resources, http://bit.ly/GUKxK6

Lesson 8: Alaskana

4/29/2012 - UPDATE: Alaska's Digital Archives got a facelift since this post was originally written. Although the screens look a little different than described below, the functionality is the same. Contact Daniel if you run into problems.

Alaskana is any material specifically related to Alaska. It can include any item in any field or media. This lesson will help you locate materials about Alaska, its history, communities, peoples and cultures.

While you can get Alaska-specific information out of the Digital Pipeline in most of its databases simply by adding "Alaska" to your search terms, it will be SLED that points you towards the most Alaska specific resources.

SLED

SLED can be found at http://sled.alaska.edu. Technically it stands for "Statewide Library Electronic Doorway," but everyone who knows about it refers to it as SLED. SLED's technical infrastructure and webmaster are funded by the Alaska State Library and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. It has been in operation since 1994.

SLED can best be described as a directory of Alaska-focused resources for Alaskans, chosen by Alaskans. The Alaskans choosing sites for SLED are a committee consisting of a member of the general public plus librarians from around the state who work for different kinds of libraries. A listing of current and past committee members can be found at http://sled.alaska.edu/staff.

The bulk of SLED consists of category pages. Each category page starts with Alaska-specific links and ends with general links in that category. There is a search for SLED on the front page. Be aware that it only searches materials housed at sled.alaska.edu.

The FAQ section of SLED at http://sled.alaska.edu/faq is a great ready reference resource. Whether you're looking for who was Territorial Governor in 1925 (Scott C. Bone) or how old a "diamond willow" can get (150 years plus), the FAQ will likely have something for you.

Alaskana Beyond SLED

The sites below are linked from SLED, but are separate websites in their own right.

Alaska Community Profiles (http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_COMDB.htm) - This is a key resource for finding and comparing information about communities. There are several ways to search the Alaska Community Profiles. Today we will focus on two options: Community Information Summaries and Custom Data Queries.

Community Information Summaries - These are one page fact sheets for each community. They can be very useful to send to people who are thinking about relocating to your community or patrons in your community interested in other Alaskan towns. Each Community Information Summary (CIS) has a map showing the community's location within the state along with the following sections:

• Map Section including current population and type of community government.
• Location and Climate
• History, Culture and Demographics
• Facilities, Utilities, Schools and Health Care
• Economy
• Transportation
• Organizations with Local Offices
• Regional Organizations

Getting a CIS is as simple as clicking on "Community Information Summaries", then on the name of a community then on the "get summary" button.

Not documented anywhere on the site is the ability to create a persistent URL that can be used to link to a specific community profile from your web page or e-mailed to a patron. The general format for a link is http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?Comm_Boro_Name=[Community+Name]. The community name is case-sensitive and if there is more than one word in the community name, the words must be connected with a plus sign. Here are two examples of direct links to profiles:

• http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?Comm_Boro_Name=Juneau
• http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?Comm_Boro_Name=Delta+Junction

Custom Data Queries - This feature allows you to select specific types of information for as many Alaska communities as you desire. The resulting information can be viewed online or downloaded into a spreadsheet program such as Excel or OpenOffice Calc.

Custom data queries offers over 90 different data points, including local taxation, land areas, population (1880-2010), etc.

Questions that can be meaningfully answered with Custom Data Queries and some spreadsheet manipulation include:

• Which community(ies) in Alaska have the highest sales tax?
• How many communities in Alaska don’t have a sales tax?
• Which town had the highest population in 1920? 1980?
• Which community is largest in terms of land area?

This function seems ideal for school projects or for researchers comparing communities.

To get a custom data query, click on "Custom Data Queries", then on the desired community(ies) and then on the desired data items. Before you start selecting multiple communities or data items, read the database's instructions for selecting multiple items. Click on "View Data" if you want to see the results in your browser or on "Download Data" if you want the data in a spreadsheet. Unlike the Community Information Summaries, there is no way to create a persistent URL to your custom data query results.

Alaska's Digital Archives (http://vilda.alaska.edu) - From the website: "Alaska's Digital Archives presents a wealth of historical photographs, albums, oral histories, moving images, maps, documents, physical objects, and other materials from libraries, museums and archives throughout our state."

The content in Alaska's Digital Archives represents holdings from these Alaska institutions:

• Alaska State Library Historical Collections
• University of Alaska Fairbanks
• University of Alaska Anchorage
• Anchorage Museum of History and Art
• Seward Community Library Association
• University of Alaska Museum of the North
• Sitka Tribal Library

Alaska's Digital Archives may be browsed by format, partner institution, Alaska Native History & Cultures or Movement to Statehood. It may also be searched by keyword or searched by 43 different fields in "advanced search."

Search results will include image, title, subject, description and identifier. Click on either the image or the title to be taken to the record. In addition to an image (when available), a record may include the following fields:

• Collection Name
• Identifier
• Title
• Description
• Creator
• Subject.TGM
• Location
• Region
• Type
• Related Materials
• Ordering & Use
• Holding Institution

The exact fields will vary by type of item being displayed.

Anything in blue text is hyperlinked to other records in Alaska's Digital Archives. Using the photograph The old "Glory Hole", Treadwell, Alaska as an example, we see it has the fields show below:



Clicking on "Waterfronts" within the record will bring up photos of other waterfront scenes, clicking on "Southeast Alaska" will bring up other places from Southeast Alaska and so on.

Records within Alaska's Digital Archives have persistent URLs. Click on "Reference URL" at the top or bottom of a record to get a URL that you can e-mail to a patron or link from your website.  

Paul Adasiak of UAF has posted some instructional videos related to Alaska's Digital Archives that offer detailed information on specific features. Not all material may be applicable as the underlying ContentDM software that powers Alaska's Digital Archives has undergone several upgrades since these videos were posted.

Alaska & Polar Periodical Index (http://goldmine.uaf.edu/aprindex) - From the website:

"The Alaska & Polar Periodical Index cites articles in English about Alaska, northern Canada, northern Scandinavia, the Russian Far East, and Antarctica. It does not contain the text of those articles, but all are received by the UAF Rasmuson Library. More than 200,000 articles are covered, with 5,000 added each year; most articles are not in any other index. Coverage is strong from the 1980s to the present. There are articles from key periodicals such as "National Geographic" (1890 to present), "Alaska Life: the Territorial Magazine" (1938-1946), the UA student newspaper "Farthest North Collegian" (1923-1958), etc. "

The actual database is searched like many library catalogs - keyword, author, [article] title, subject, series and source journal. Results can be limited by date and a number of sorting options are available.

Once you get into an individual record, click on "catalog record" to see where your search term appears and to get a full citation to your item. There is no full text in this index. If you live within driving distance of Fairbanks, you should be able to find any item in this index at the UAF Rasmuson Library. Otherwise, if the item isn't in your library you will need to request it through interlibrary loan.

Alaska State Museums Collection Search (http://www.eed.state.ak.us/collections/) - This can be a useful database if you or your patrons need to see what some type of object looks like. The collections can be searched by keyword or browsed. I'd recommend the keyword search. Whether you search or browse, you will see a results list with images (when available) on the left and some brief text on the right like this:

The resulting record will have something like these fields:

• Object ID
• Object Name
• Description
• Descriptive Narrative
• Collection Name

Other information may be available, depending on the record. The exact fields vary based on type of collection (art, history, natural history, Alaska Native, etc).

Project Jukebox (http://jukebox.uaf.edu/site/) - From the website, "Project Jukebox is the digital branch of the Oral History Program and provides access to audio and video recordings, transcripts, maps, historic photographs and films from across Alaska."  Projects can be browsed  by name by clicking on "projects" in the left hand column or searched by keyword by clicking on the "search all projects" button in the upper right hand corner.

Once you locate a project, there will be a number of different informational sections along with a group of interviews that have the name and photograph of each interviewee. Some of the interviews are video files and some are audio files. The interviews are presented in Quicktime and MP3 format and may take some time to download to your browser.

Discovery Exercises

1. Name two categories in SLED and provide one website from each. Does anything in SLED surprise you?

2. Using the Alaska FAQ in SLED, answer ONE of the following:

• When did the Pope meet President Reagan in Alaska?
• What was the official breakup date and time in the Nenana Ice Classic in 1942?
• When were Alaska Native people given US citizenship?
• What are the words for the Alaska Flag Song?
• What percentage of the United States' volcanoes can be found in Alaska?

3. Using the Alaska Community Profiles, please provide one fact about the community of Eek, Alaska and how that compares to your own community.

4. Search Alaska's Digital Archives using your community's name. How many items did you find? Give the "reference URL" and title for one item. Did you have a favorite?

5. In the Alaska & Polar Periodical Index, do a search for Will Rogers. What's one of the items? Bonus - Do a search for an Alaska related interest of your own. What did you search for and did the results look useful?

6. Using the Alaska State Museums Collection Search, can you locate a halibut hook? What's the object id? Did you find anything else of interest?

7. Name two projects from Project Jukebox. Who is a person interviewed in each? Try a search for an Alaska related project. Did you get any results? If any interested you, describe what interested you.

Lesson 6 : Mango Languages

To access Mango Languages, from the home page of the Digital Pipeline, click on the Education tab, and then on Mango Languages.



It's also listed under High School under Resources for Students, and under M in Resources A-Z.

The first time you click through to Mango Languages, you'll need to set up a profile. There is no charge for this, but depending upon whether or not your institution has set up any special settings, it may be required. Setting up an account is quick and easy. It does require you to have an email account. Just be sure to use Create a Profile on the right side of the screen, rather than Log In side on the left. Mango will send you an email, and you'll need to click on the link in it.

One problem that has come up for some people is that their spam catcher seems to think that this email is spam, and they don't see it. If you don't get an email within 5-10 minutes, check your email program's spam

catcher. If that doesn't work, you can try setting up a profile using another email address, or place a help request. You have a couple of options for help. Mango Languages provides help at http://www.mangolanguages.com/support/. (The link can be found at the bottom of the starting page.) If you have difficulty with this or don't get a timely response, you can request help through the main Digital Pipeline page.

Unlike most of the resources covered in this class, Mango Languages is not a searchable database. Instead, the main part of the resource is the language classes. There are 38 languages available for English speakers - 37 if you don't include Pirate - and English for speakers of 15 other languages. The classes are web-based, using Flash, and there's nothing to download and save on your computer. The exception is if you decide to study using an iPhone. The Mango Languages app is available through iTunes, and then you can download languages to your phone for study.

All of the languages are available at the "Basic" level, which really is basic, and just gives you a feel for basic sentence structure and enough vocabulary for a some short conversations. Many languages are also available at the more advanced "Complete 2.0" level. At this level, Mango says that they teach "in-depth and comprehensive language and grammar skills." It is certainly more advanced than the Basic level, but most users seem to place it closer to an advanced beginning, or perhaps early intermediate level.

The most interesting thing about the classes for me is that they are not structured like most book-form languages classes I've seen, nor is there much formal instruction. Instead, users learn the languages by listening and repeating words and conversations in the new language and in translations. This allows us to see rules in action before learning them as such. For this reason, some have also found Mango Languages to be a valuable tool to use in conjunction with more formal classwork.

If you find this resource is valuable and you'd like to help get the word out, contact Daniel Cornwall or Freya Anderson for information about the promotional materials available.

Discovery Exercises:
Create a blog posting discussing the following questions and other observations you have about Mango Languages.

1. Create a profile on Mango Languages.

2a. There are some other neat features in Mango Languages. What's your favorite feature in Mango Languages not mentioned in this post, and why?

Or

2b. Pick a language to study, and share the first phrase you learned from the Basic level.

Lesson 5 : Oxford Reference Collection

The Oxford Reference Premium offers a huge range of fully-indexed, extensively linked, up to date, and cross-searchable dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press.

The Oxford Reference Collection can be searched as a whole, within each of the following categories, or within individual references.

• English Dictionaries and Reference contains 10 Oxford dictionary and thesaurus titles, and 18 different titles of English language references including slang, proverbs, rhymes and more.
• Bi-Lingual Dictionaries contains dictionaries for nine languages.
• Quotations category contains five titles of dictionaries of quotations.
• Maps & Illustrations category contains three references including Visual English Dictionary, World Flags, and World Maps
• Timelines includes timelines on 12 themes and four countries. All timeline events are linked to entries in the full Oxford Reference Collection.
• Encyclopedia category includes A Guide to Countries of the World and the World Encyclopedia.

Other features of Oxford Reference include an extensive help menu, new features, and a Fact of the Day service.

Discovery Exercises

1. Go to the English Dictionaries and Thesauruses link and click on the Browse this subject link. This interesting search option lets you browse page by page through all of the dictionaries simultaneously. Go to the H's and find the entries for the term habeas corpus. How many dictionaries have entries for this word?
2. Return to the English Dictionaries and Thesauruses link and click on Links for this subject. Examine the list of links. What is the purpose for these links? Go to the link for the Guide to Grammar and Writing. What popular song is used to illustrate nouns?
3. One last look at English Dictionaries and Thesauruses. Click on the link to the Visual English Dictionary. Look up the word "boat." Click on the first link for examples of boats and ships. How many examples are given?
4. From the Oxford Reference home page click the link for English Language Reference. How many titles are offered in this category?
5. From the Oxford Reference home page click the link to the Bilingual Dictionaries. Choose one of the dictionary titles. Enter a word in the search box. List the options available to process the information on the results screen.
6. From the Oxford Reference home page click the link to Quotations. Enter the word "abolish" in the search box. What is the quote from John Locke? Now click on the link to Browse this subject. Browse to the word "abolish." Follow the links for abolish and describe how these results differ from the general word search results.
7. From the Oxford Reference home page click the link to Maps and Illustrations. Do a search for "Syria." What type of maps are available?
8. From the Oxford Reference home page click the link to Encyclopedias. Do a search on Syria. Explore the links to the World Encyclopedia and A Guide to Countries of the World. Consider the difference between the two resources. According to the introduction for A Guide to Countries of the World, what is the purpose of this source?
9. From the Oxford Reference home page click in the Quick Search Box. Search for the term "recycling." How many entries are in the results screen? Explore a few of the topics from the the Refine by Subject list.  When would this type of refinement be useful?
10. Optional: Setup an Oxford Reference Online button or banner (such as one at top of lesson) on your school/library website. Oxford also has scripts for search boxes (see below) and subject or book homepages. See the Help and FAQ pages for scripts and directions. The main thing to know about setting up javascript widgets is that you need to be in the html view of the web editor you use.
    First, you find the javascript code for the widget you want to insert, and copy that code to the clipboard. Then, in your editor go to your edit html view, find the place where you want your widget, paste, save and view. Finding the right spot to paste the code can be tricky. You can always delete and try again till you get in the right spot. Try it on your blog!

Lesson 4a: Live Homework Help

Live Homework Help
Students and adult learners can chat with qualified tutors online about a wide range of subject areas. Alaska residents connect to the service via the digital pipeline. The tutors are able to chat back and forth with the users, draw diagrams to help explain concepts and share uploaded pictures or files. Tutor.com offers live tutoring daily from 1:00 pm to 12:00 am and links to thousands of lessons, videos and other study aids 24/7.

The Tutor.com home page directs the user to one of five different areas:

1. Student Center (Kindergarten through High School)
2. College Center (Undergraduate and non-degree)
3. Adult Education Center (GED and Citizenship)
4. Career Center (Job search and resume writing)
5. ProofPoint Writing Center (for reports, essays and papers)

Watch this brief 2 minute video to get an overview of content and features available. Tutor.com also provides a technical support FAQ and a more general FAQ.

Student CenterTutor.com’s friendly interface encourages student and tutor interaction. Including an easy to use whiteboard and chat areas. All tutoring sessions are saved so students can replay them. Popular subjects include Algebra I, Algebra II, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, Essay Writing and History.

College CenterThe college center offers tutoring in four general areas of study: Math, Science, English and Social Studies. Tutors can help with a variety tasks like solving equations, writing a thesis statement or reviewing for an exam.

Adult Education CenterTutor.com’s Adult Education Center is designed to help with questions from adults working toward getting high school diploma, wanting to become an American Citizen, or thinking about going back to school.

Career CenterThe Career Center from Tutor.com includes live, one-to-one career help including help writing a resume, searching for a job or preparing for an interview.

ProofPoint Writing CenterThis is where the students, adult learners and job seekers can upload their documents to be proof read for and reviews it with the tutor in real-time.

Discovery Exercises:
Create a blog posting discussing the following questions and other observations you have about Live Homework Help.


1. Using Student Center, get real time help from a tutor with one question from one of these articles:
 “"Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? NYT challenge questions: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/education/edlife/18quiz-t.html

"Quiz: Could you pass the Metropolitan Police test?"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/interactive-graphics/9146150/Quiz-Could-you-pass-the-Metropolitan-Police-test.html

"Can You Pass This Final 8th-Grade Exam from 1895?"
http://www.psychologytoday.com/em/79936


2. Using the Job Center upload your resume or a recent cover letter for review and feedback. Remember to remove personal info from your document. (You should not share any personal information with your tutors, including your email address, full name, phone number, or anything else that could be used to identify you.)

Or

Using the Proof Point Writing Center upload a recent report or essay for proofreading and feedback. Remember to remove personal info from your document. (You should not share any personal information with your tutors, including your email address, full name, phone number, or anything else that could be used to identify you.)

Lesson 4b:Additional Education Databases

The Digital Pipeline Education Category contains links to these 3 databases:

1. Teacher Reference Center
2. Professional Development
3. ERIC

Teacher Reference CenterThe Teacher Reference Center (TRC) provides indexing and abstracts for 280 (mostly peer-reviewed) periodicals. Topics include: Assessment, Best Practices, Continuing Education, Current Pedagogical Research, Curriculum Development, Elementary Education, Higher Education, Instructional Media, Language Arts, Literacy Standards, School Administration, Science & Mathematics, and Teacher Education.

Professional DevelopmentA comprehensive collection of full-text education journals, including: Booklist, Education Digest, High School Journal and School Library Journal. This database also contains over 200 educational reports.

ERICComplete database on educational materials from the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC). ERIC contains more than 1.4 million records and links to more than 337,000 full-text documents from ERIC back to 1966. ERIC indexes two different kinds of publications:

•Journal Articles (EJ accession numbers)
Use the Find it! button to locate possible full text or click one of these options at the bottom of the listing

•ERIC Documents (ED accession numbers)
These reports, government studies, and conference papers can often be found in full text online from 1993 - to the present.



If you want to see an advance search in the ERIC database along with a review of the EBSCO interface full text, citation and email features I recommend this watching this 3 minute video put together by Eastern University in St. Davids, PA.

Discovery Exercises:

1. Conduct an advanced search in the Teacher Reference Center to find articles about “Technology Education” and “Alaska”. How many results were returned? From the results limit your search to full text and published after 2008. Look the list (it should be less than 10 articles).Select and article from the results, using the EBSCO citation feature, copy and paste the APA citation from the article you chose into your blog post for this lesson. Need help with the advance search? Check out this 3 minute video from EBSCO.

2. Next search ERIC for “Technology Education” and “Alaska”, how many results were returned? Refine your results to full text and published after 2008. How many results are returned? Look for a title in the results list that does not have a PDF or HTML full text link.


Note that to view the full text you can click on the title to open the record details, in the availability selection there should be a link to the full text. There is also a link to the full text in the search results list under the title.

3. Now search Professional Development to find articles about “Technology Education” and “Alaska”. How many results were returned? From the results limit your search to full text and published after 2008. Looking at the results list are some of the titles familiar? Was there overlap from your earlier searches?

4. From the EBSCO interface, click New Search (in the upper left corner) and click on choose databases, check ERIC, Professional Development and Teacher Reference Center.



Conduct one last search for “Technology Education” and “Alaska”, how many results were returned? Refine your results to full text and published after 2008. How many results are returned? On you blog post for this lesson, share your thoughts about the value of searching an individual educational resource compared to searching all three databases simultaneously.

Lesson 3 Reader's Advisory - NoveList and NoveList K-8

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"What should I read next? "

"Do you have any more books like this one?"

"I want a book about science."

These are the kinds of questions that we as librarians love to hear. But the reality is that we can’t read every book, there just isn’t enough time. So, reader’s advisory comes to the rescue.

For this discovery exercise, use the reader’s advisory databases NoveList and NoveList K-8 to explore titles you may not have thought of in answer to the questions above.

Discovery Exercise:

1: Use the Read-Alike features in NoveList or NoveList K-8 to find several new authors or titles that you might like to read based on your favorite books. How accurate do you think these recommendations are? How about the Series recommendations?

2: Save several of those selections to your folder.

3: Often librarians are asked about books in series order. Use NoveList or NoveList K-8 to find a series in series order. (hint: search on the author and use the Series tab at the top of the results list)

4: Check out the Resources section – Readers Advisory Toolbox – on NoveList or the How To Use NoveList support center. What parts of the NoveList website do you thing will be most useful to your patrons?

Blog about your experience using NoveList and NoveList K-8 – You may want to include other readers advisory sites that may be of interest to Librarians.

Article
Read this article and include your response in your blog - which of these sites would you recommend?
Zmora, Tamar. (2012). 7 Book Recommendation Websites . The Next Great Generation
Discovery Resources:

NoveList and NoveList K-8 have an extensive HELP site with articles about each feature of the service. 

Lesson 2 : Genealogy

Getting Started with Genealogy Resources

You can access several History & Genealogy Resources such as Heritage Quest Online, via the Digital Pipeline Databases, here http://sled.alaska.edu/databases/ .  This lesson will focus primarily on Heritage Quest Online.

• Choose the History & Genealogy tab, and select Heritage Quest Online.

 Heritage Quest Online is a comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids. 18th Century or 20th Century. European or Native American. Farm or Factory. East Coast or West Coast. Where does your American past begin?

The collection consists of six core data sets:

1. U.S. Federal Censuses. 
2. Genealogy and local history books. 
3. Periodical Source Index (PERSI). 
4. Revolutionary War records. 
5. Freedman’s Bank Records. 
6. LexisNexis U.S. Serial Set.

Those conducting family history research often seek assistance at their local libraries as they don’t now where to begin and seek the guidance of library staff or the special collections our organizations may have available.  Whether these are physical local genealogy collections or subscription databases, the assistance of a trained library professional can be useful in getting oriented to the search methods needed to track down family history records.   

In addition to Heritage Quest Online I suggest you visit your local library or library website to see what genealogy resources are available.  While most search tools draw from the same core set of census and vital records, some are more robust at making generational cross-referencing easier.   I’ll highlight a few additional web resources in this week’s reading list. 

In this week’s lesson you will conduct some searches to locate one or more of your family members (trust me once you find one, you will want to continue searching for the next generation and will have a hard time stopping until you hit a dead end).  


Once you've finished your search exercise, read the two articles from American Libraries (links should take you directly to the articles in EBSCO)and review the additional resources.  When you've finished either choose one of the exercises below or a related topic that peaked your interest during this lesson and respond on your blog.  

Discovery Exercises:

• Using Heritage Quest Online, search for a grandparent (having an approximate birth year and place of birth will be helpful).  Begin by identifying the data set most relevant to your search. For example if you know for a fact that your Great Grandfather had an account at Freedman’s Bank you might begin your search there.  However if you know little more than birth or death dates I would suggest beginning with a Census search in order to gather some additional information such as birthplace of parents, spouse's name, state of residence, family members, occupation, etc.  On your blog post an image from one of your search results and briefly state something that you discovered about a relative that you did not know.  

• Choose the Census tab and rather than Search, choose the Browse option.  Select 1890 for the census year and then any state from the next drop down menu.  Notice there are only 1-2 counties listed for any of the states included in the 1890 census.  If you are looking for a family member, starting with the 1890 census is not likely to produce many results.  Why?  On the left hand side of the Browse the Census page you will see a link to an article "What You should know about the 1890 Census"  which will provide insight to the shortfalls of this particular data set.  Think in terms of any local genealogy collections in your community and what methods could be or are being taken to safeguard these against disaster and respond on your blog.  

• While you are using the Browse the Census option you might find it helpful to note the first year that Alaska was included in the federal census.  

• Patrons conducting family history research using Heritage Quest Online will likely want to either print or save copies of the records they locate.  For library staff, printing these archival images in a scale large enough to meet the desire of a patron  can be very time consuming and in many cases not done without Adobe Acrobat Professional.  For this reason familiarize yourself with options for SAVING images as an alternative and also read through the tips for printing enlarged census pages by clicking on the Print option in a record and then reading the tips for Acrobat Versions 6-8. I've also included the links here, Acrobat 6 , Acrobat 7 , Acrobat 8.  Remember that in aiding patrons with their research, your assistance can only go so far, they will need to to acquire a certain level of search skills to discover their unique family history, this is their research, not yours (unless you are working/volunteering at an organization dedicated to family history research).   

• Deciphering the actual census images can take a great deal of work as these often aren’t the greatest reproductions and the originals were handwritten by census takers.  From the image record you can Print (will include ancestor info as well as original image), Download (PDF, TIFF or View full-size in Adobe Acrobat), view Positive (default) or Negative filters of the image or Zoom (100%, 200%, 400%).  You may also take notes on the records and add them to a notebook.  Your notebook contains the citations that you have chosen from the Results and/or Citation pages for printing, emailing, or downloading.  Please note that there does not appear to be a way to save your notebook items or your search history once your session has ended.  While researchers will be at the mercy of the handwriting of the census takers to discern added entries, even the type written forms can be difficult to read and for that reason, this is a handy guide for figuring out exactly what was recorded in each census year, http://persi.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/help/censusbook/Section%205.pdf

Additional Genealogy Resources on the Web:
This isn't required reading, just some good sites to bookmark for referencing later as you begin to assist patrons with their family history research.

“Alaska Genealogy Guide” published by the Alaska State Library and familiarize yourself with regional/local resources as well as a great bibliography of Alaska genealogy resources.  http://library.state.ak.us/pub/online/akgene.html 

Parham, R. Bruce. (1997) “How to Find Your Gold Rush Relative: Sources on the Klondike and  Alaska gold rushes, 1896-1914”. National Archives and Records Administration-Pacific Alaska Region.  Anchorage, Alaska

Heritage Quest. Printing Enlarged Census Images with Adobe Reader

http://persi.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/help/Printing_Enlarged_Census_Images-Acrobat_Reader_8.pdf

Cook Inlet Region Inc (CIRI) Genealogy Resources,

http://www.ciri.com/content/history/genealogy.aspx

Sealaska Heritage Institute Genealogy Resources,  

http://shispecialcollections.blogspot.com/2008/11/tlingit-haida-and-tsimshian-genealogy.html

Lesson 1: Business Resources by Daniel

SLED and the Digital Pipeline offer a number of resources in the areas of business, both in general and specifically for business in Alaska. After you finish this lesson you will have hopefully found one helpful resource and will be able to direct people to a resource based on their business interest.

General

These general resources and more can be found at http://sled.alaska.edu/databases/#BusinessMenu.

Business Search Interface (EBSCO) - The Business Search Interface (BSI) is a browsing friendly way access tens of thousands of items including company profiles, country reports, market research reports, journal articles and more from BUSINESS Source Premier.

Vendor materials

• BSI PowerPoint Tutorial
• BSI Flash Video Tutorial (4 minutes)

Small Business Reference Center (EBSCO) - Resource focused on the small business owner. This database can be searched or browsed in the following ways:

Browse by Category

• Business Areas (Including accounting, business and the internet, financing a business)
• Industry Information by Small Business Type (Including art/graphic design/photography, crafts, research services)
• Business Basics (Including doing business on ebay, hiring the first employees, starting a business from home)
• Start-Up Kit & Business Plans (Including Writing a business plan, cash flow request, loan request)

Browse Popular Sources [Business Books], including:

• Legal Forms for Starting a Small Business
• Working for Yourself
• Complete Guide to Buying a Business

There are also links to state specific startup information and small business videos.

Vendor Materials
Small Business Reference Center User's Guide
Small Business Reference Center PowerPoint Tutorial
Small Business Reference Center Flash Video (3 minutes)

Alaska Specific Business Information (Through SLED)

These Alaska-specific resources and more can be found on the SLED Business & Commercial page at http://sled.alaska.edu/business.

Alaska Department of Law Consumer Protection Unit - From the website, "The web site offers resources and information to help Alaskan consumers in making wise purchasing decisions and avoid becoming victims of consumer fraud. The site also includes information and forms for businesses and organizations (telemarketers, charitable organizations, paid solicitors, and sellers of business opportunities) that are required to register with the Department before conducting business in the state."

This site also has a topics index on the right hand side of the page. Topics include advertising, alaska consumer laws, debt collection, mail order & direct mail and telemarketing.

Alaska Local and Regional Information - Information available for all Alaska regions, areas and places from 2007-2010 on the following topics: worker characteristics, occupations, industries, employers, unemployment rate, population estimates, new housing units, and taxes.

Results include detailed tables and charts plus links to relevant Alaska Economic Trends articles when they exist.

Alaska Small Business Development Center - This site is aimed at small business owners within Alaska. The site is divided into the following sections: getting started, small business life cycle, workshops, tools, counseling and FAQ.

The tools section is divided up into business phases: think, launch, grow, reinvent and exit. Some of the tools are:

• Break Even Worksheet
• SBDCNet Research Packet
• Fiscal Physical Checklist
• Profit Plan and Cash Flow Projection
• What is your business worth?

The workshops offered by the SBDC take place in six locations: Anchorage, Bethel, Juneau, Ketchikan, South West (Kenai Peninsula) and Wasilla.

Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) - Think of ISER as a university "think tank" for Alaska. ISER staff do research and publish reports in the following areas: applied social policy, arctic social systems, economy, education, energy and environment, fiscal policy, and fisheries. A few of the reports they issued in 2011 include:

• ID: 1478 The Chaninik Wind Group Tobias Schwoerer, Ginny Fay, and Dennis Meiners November 2011
• ID: 1447 Rural Broadband: Opportunities for Alaska Heather E. Hudson November 2011
• ID: 1367 Alaska Energy Statistics 1960-2009 Data Ginny Fay, Alejandra Villalobos Melendez, and Amber Converse September 2011
• ID: 1344 Alaska's Petroleum Industry: Transformative, But is it Sustainable? Scott Goldsmith April 2011
• ID: 1474 Social indicators for arctic tourism: observing trends and assessing data Ginny Fay and Anna Karlsdottir March 2011

Reports are best found in the "publications" area of the ISER site. The publications may be browsed in reversed chronological order or searched by title, author or keywords. Clicking on "Advanced Options" gives you the opportunity to limit by research area, type (reports, presentations, article/book) and to limit by date.

Discovery Exercises

Bolded material added based on student feedback.
1) Go to the Business Search Interface. Click on Company Profiles. Find the Microsoft Corporation company report. Open the Datamonitor Report. Who is the Chief Financial Officer? What did he do before coming to Microsoft?

2) Visit the Small Business Reference Center. Do a search for handicrafts or crafts. Where could a person sell their work online? In person? Are there any books or book chapters on starting a crafts business? Search using words from a small business owner you've worked with recently. Anything of value in the results?



3) Staying with the Small Business Reference Center, find at least one item using the browse by category. What did you find? Use the browse by popular resource to look at one or two books. What did you find and did they look helpful to you and your patrons?

4) Visit the Alaska Department of Law Consumer Protection Unit. What are TWO resposibilities that a landlord has toward a tenant? What are two examples of frauds and scams? Where can you file a consumer report?

5) Visit Alaska Regional Information. Pick your community from the places menu. How many female workers are there in your community? Who is your top employer?  - 3/16/2012 Before you try this question, see Arlene Schmuland's blog post on the right way to find the correct number of female workers for your community.

6) Visit the Alaska Small Business Development Center. What are the stages of the small business cycle? Where can you find a checklist for starting a small business?

7) Visit the Institute of Social and Economic Research. What are two publications done about broadband in Alaska in 2011? Has Small Scale Modular Nuclear Power been considered as an option for Alaska? Do any of the Institute's research areas seem relevant to you?

8) Do you see a need for business information in your community? If so, what kinds? Do you think the resources here can make some or all of your communities business information needs?

Getting Started

The Introduction to Alaska Digital Resources program is a self-directed learning program; you work at your own pace and at your own convenience.

If you are taking the course for credit through UAA/PACE you must also register with UAA to receive credit. Instructions will be provided when registration is available. The UAA class will run from March 5, 2012 to May 31, 2012 – the final project is due no later than May 31, 2012. If this sounds a bit confusing or you have never done an independent learning program like this before, don’t worry. Once you get started, you’ll get the hang of it.

One very cool thing about this program is that everyone gets a chance to learn from one another. As the program proceeds, you are encouraged to check out the blog sites listed on the and watch what happens during the coming weeks as everyone posts to their blogs.

Before you get started, please take a minute to let us know how much you know about the Electronic Resources. This will help us see how well the challenge works. Take the PRETEST.

 Now you are ready to get started:

Step 1 – Create your blog (or use an existing blog) and send us your blog URL. Each participant in the class is required to set up a blog. If you already have a blog and want to use it for the class, you may. Your blog will be the way your successful completion of assignments is recorded and verified to receive your completion certificate. Several free blog sites exist, but we recommend using either BloggerorWordPress(Most of the examples we show use Blogger).  How you identify yourself on your blog is your choice. You can blog under your real name or create a screen name. However, in order to receive recognition for completing the class you will need to register your blog name/URL and your real name with the class instructors. You will sign up for the challenge with this information in Step 2.

 IMPORTANT HINTS: When you set up your blog account, write down your login and password and keep the information in a safe place. Also write down your blog address. Your blog address is the URL you will use to access your blog. For example, if you created your blog in Blogger, then your blog address is http://what-i-called-myself.blogspot.com/. Recommended way to track: Include WEEK # in the heading of each post. It will help you and the Team track your progress. It is also real helpful when you want to refer back or add something new on a specific topic or tool.

Step 2 – Sign Up for the Challenge.

Step 3 – Think PLAY! Have you ever wondered why teenagers are so good at all this technology stuff? It’s because they spend so much time playing with it. Think about all the things you learned as a child through play; for the young, playing is learning. Unfortunately, as working adults we don’t have quite as much time to explore or experiment - or play - with things. That’s why this program encourages you to set aside a little time each day, or each week, to play with the electronic resources. So what are you waiting for? It's time to get started on Lesson 1.

Lesson 7a: Auto Repair Reference Center

Auto Repair Reference Center offers four different sections

1. Find Your Vehicle
2. AutoIQ
3. Care & Repair Tips
4. Troubleshooting Tips

Watch this video overview

Find Your Vehicle Vehicle specific information covering repair procedures, bulletins, diagrams, maintenance intervals and labor repair times. In this area users can print, email or download text and diagrams. EBSCO offers a self-paced tutorial explaining the features and content. Orange County Library System has put together this 2 page User's Guide.


AutoIQ Users can watch videos that explain the various mechanical systems that keep a car or truck running smoothing. A wide range of topics are covered from spark plugs to brake lights and just about everything else under the hood. The information provided is ideal for new drivers or first time vehicle owners. Most of the videos are under 2 minutes long. An overview of content and features is available.


Care & Repair Tips This section covers general auto repair and maintenance (changing a tire, trailer towing and ways to save fuel). There over 30 topics, each containing 4 or 5 subtopics. There is even a section on buying and owning a vehicle. This section uses text and photographs to present the information.

Troubleshooting tips This area is designed to help the user diagnose and resolve common car problems. The user describes the problem and the Auto Repair Center supplies a numbered list of possible causes.




Discovery Exercise: Create a blog posting discussing the following questions and other observations you have about Auto Repair Reference Center.

1. Using the Find Your Vehicle section of the Auto Repair Reference Center, search for information on a famous TV or movie car of your choice. Use this list (The 50 Most Famous Cars Of All Time ) to select a car or pick one on your own. Please describe any information returned for that make and model.




2. Search for the vehicle you drive now or a friends, did you find any Technical Service Bulletins and Recall information on your vehicle? Now go to the Maintenance Intervals section, enter you current mileage (do not use a comma when entering mileage) and see if any service is needed. Share what you found out about your car or truck in your blog post.


Additional Tutorials and User Guides:52 minute recorded webinar present by EBSCO

Lesson 7b: Small Engine Repair Reference Center

Ever wondered how to winterize your lawn mower or clean the air filter on your ATV? Did you purchase used motorcycle and need an owner’s manual? EBSCO’s Small Engine Repair Reference Center (SERRC) is the place to visit for answers to these questions and many more. SERRC contains the full set of small engine repair manuals from Clymer (http://www.clymer.com/). These manuals contain thousands of accurate and concise step-by-step maintenance and repair instructions for hundreds of small engine machines and their supporting components.

The SERRC homepage provides direct links to eight categories:
· ATV
· Generators & Other Small Engines
· Marine/Boat Motors
· Motorcycles
· Outdoor Power Equipment- (Chain Saws, Lawn Mowers, Rotary Tillers, Snowthrowers, String Trimmers and Blowers)
· Personal Water Craft
· Snowmobiles
· Tractors

Watch these two videos for a quick overview of SERRC including browse, advanced search, view results, save and print features.

EBSCO: http://youtu.be/X2MB3omFDmc (3 minutes)
Summerlovinlibrary: http://youtu.be/857pjJA2420 (4 Minutes)

Discovery Exercise –

As a group we’ll create a list of DIY projects that could be completed based information found in SERRC. Using the browse and search techniques described in the video links, take a few minutes to explore the SERRC website. Next, based on your findings, add a comment to this blog post with your suggested project. Also if you’ve had a previous experience with SERRC and have some tips to share, include those in your comment.

DIY Projects:Winter Motorcycle Maintenance (get your bike to ready for the winter)
Two-Cycle Small Engine Start Up Tips
Snow Blower Oil Change Tips
Cleaning the Carburetor on Small Engines