Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Tufte analyses power point slide related to shuttle disaster

If you have never read anything by Tufte, this is a good introduction. Here he provides an analysis of how the presentation of information influenced assessment of the threat presented by insulation hitting the space shuttle.

Why is this important to libraries? Maybe because it helps point out that in trying to simplify information to make it accessible, we run the risk of suppressing important levels of complexity.

New Sage Journals

These have been added to our package.


Criminal Justice Review
International Criminal Justice Review
European Journal of Criminology
Crime, Media, Culture

Improving Schools
International Journal of Music Education
Psychology of Music

Global Media and Communication

Give ebrary a whirl

The good folks in ITS and BibServices have been working away on ebrary and it is pretty close to a full scale launch.

There are now 20,000 ebrary records in the test system (http://neter.lib.ucalgary.ca/) when these records hit the regular catalogue we can assume they will generate a ton of questions. So I think it might be good to start preparing yourself.

Paul Pival will be providing training for library staff. But for now, try going to the test system and playing around with the ebooks.

Many searches will pull up ebrary records, for a short cut you can just type in ebrary. Gilbert assures me that most people should be able to download the ebrary reader to their desktops. Once you link to a book, if you haven't already downloaded the reader you will be prompted to do so.

Try creating a personal account, this will allow you to explore some of the more interesting tools, for example annotations and bookmarking.

Have fun! Let me know any comments.

Friday, August 26, 2005

New Product Announcement-->International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance

International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance


International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance,represents the most comprehensive multicultural and inter-disciplinary research tool available to theater students, educators and professionals.

Initiated by the American Society for Theatre Research, IBTD becomes a valuable component to EBSCO's list of subject-specific secondary databases covering the humanities.

Since 1984, the Theatre Research Data Center (TRDC) at Brooklyn College has published 14 volumes of the IBTD. These volumes comprise a fully indexed, cross-referenced and annotated databank of over 60,000 journal articles, books, book articles and dissertation abstracts on all aspects of theatre and performance in 126 countries.

As experts in the subject area, TRDC will continue indexing various titles for the database as well as coordinating international contributors.

New Product Announcement--->Library of Latin Texts

Library of Latin Texts

One irritating thing is that we need to link to the brepolis home page (because of our license), instead of directly to the Library of Latin Texts. Once you click through from the home page, the link to the LLT is at the bottom of the display, and is not immediately apparent. Give it a try and you'll see what I mean.

CCLT's intention is to work towards a complete database of Latin texts, both Christian and other. The user will find here, beyond the normal addition of patristic and medieval texts (including, it’s worth emphasizing, a number previously unedited), the invaluable inclusion (thanks to our collaboration with Fr. Roberto Busa) of the main works of Thomas Aquinas (the Summa theologiae, Summa contra Gentiles and his commentaries on the Sentences), and neo-Latin classics such as the Institutio christianae religionis of John Calvin and certain Latin works of Descartes (for which we are dependent on the collaboration with the Lessico Intellettuale Europeo in Rome, directed by our friend and colleague, Tullio Gregory).

Thursday, August 25, 2005

IMSA 21st Century Information Fluency Project

IMSA 21st Century Information Fluency Project

You information literacy types might enjoy.

(I won't tell you how I fared on the fluency test for searching web pages.)

-from ResourceShelf

Friday, August 19, 2005

New Product Announcement-->Patrologiae Graecae

Patrologiae Graecae

What the heck is this you may well ask?

" PG contains more than 160 volumes of Greek material (with Latin translations) relevant to the study of the history of the Christian Church from its beginnings through the Council of Florence in 1439.

J.-P. Migne, a priest from 1824-1833, moved to Paris and began the work of assembling an enormous body of early texts from 1833 till his death in 1873.

PG is a collection of the writings of the church leaders who wrote in Greek, including both the Eastern "Fathers" and those Western Christians who wrote before the Latin takeover of the West in the third century.

PG's coverage extends to 1439, the date of the Council of Florence."

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

How Google Scholar is used at the University of California

UC Libraries Use of Google Scholar

A nice little report. I think the comments will be useful in thinking of ways we could use Google Scholar in our own work.

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Paul Pival publishes article on blogging

Blogging for the Distance Librarian
Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning
Volume: 2 Issue: 2

Based on user lookups, Merriam-Webster Online proclaimed “Blog” the word of the year for 2004.1 Distance librarianship, until mid-way through 2004, was a subject that was underrepresented in the blogosphere. The inception of a blog called The Distant Librarian: Comments on the world of Distance Librarianship is chronicled in this article, along with suggestions for how and where to get started, as well as how to incorporate blogs that support library services for distance students.

Emerald Interface Changes

www.emeraldinsight.com

We are very pleased to confirm that the new Emerald website will be launched this week. This is to ensure that the new website is in place well before the new student intake takes place for the majority of our customers in September.

All existing URL links into Emerald journals and databases will be maintained and will be fully operational.

JSTOR new titles

Dear JSTOR Participant,

We are pleased to announce that eighteen new titles have been added to the JSTOR archive.

Advances in Applied Probability
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 33 (1969-2001)

The American Journal of Psychology
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 114 (1887-2001)

APT Bulletin
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 32 (1969-2001)

Biogeochemistry
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 47 (1984-1999)

Cognition and Instruction
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 17 (1984-1999)

Copeia
New Content: Nos. 1 – 173; Vol. 1930 – Vol. 2001 (1913-2001)

Herpetological Monographs
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 15 (1982-2001)

Invertebrate Biology
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 118 (1878-1999)

Journal of Applied Probability
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 38 (1964-2001)

Journal of Architectural Education
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 48 (1947-1994)

Journal of Consumer Psychology
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 8 (1992-1999)

Journal of Educational Measurement
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 36 (1964-1999)

Journal of the American Academy of Religion
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 67 (1933-1999)

Journal of Vegetation Science
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 10 (1990-1999)

Polity
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 32, No. 2 (1968-1999)

Psychological Inquiry
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 10 (1990-1999)

The Review of Politics
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 63 (1939-2001)

The Virginia Law Register
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 20; New Series: Vol. 1 – Vol. 13 (1895-1928)

By publisher request, JSTOR is reducing the moving walls for two titles:

The Condor
New Content: Vol. 102 – Vol. 103 (2000-2001)
Moving Wall: 3 years (previously 5 years)

International Organization
New Content: Vol. 54 – Vol. 55 (2000-2001)
Moving Wall: 3 years (previously 5 years)

One title has been updated with previously missing issues no longer missing:

Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association
New Content: Vol. 1 – 10, 12, (1927-1936, 1938)

One previous title to a journal currently archived in JSTOR is now available. The Arts & Sciences III and Language & Literature Collections will now include this previous content related to the current title, Italica.

Bulletin of the American Association of Teachers of Italian
New Content: Vol. 1 – Vol. 2 (1924-1925)

Guidelines for Producing Recorded Demonstrations

Show Me! Guidelines for Producing Recorded Demonstrations

Abstract. Although recorded demonstrations (screen capture animations with narration) have become a popular form of instruction for user interfaces, little work has been done to describe guidelines for their design. Based on our experience in several projects, we offer a starting set of guidelines for the design of recorded demonstrations. Technical guidelines encourage users to keep file sizes small, strive for universal usability, and ensure user control etc. and provide tips to achieve those goals. Content guidelines include: create short demonstrations that focus on tasks, highlight each step with auditory and visual cues, synchronize narration and animation carefully, and create demonstrations with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Doesn't mention not eating your lunch while doing the voice overs.

-from Resource shelf

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Update to L'annee philogique

The data of volume 74 for the year 2003 are online.

New features:

- the database is OpenURL compliant : libraries which subscribe to a Open URL provider can send us the relevant information (Name of provider and address).

- the search criteria and the associated results can now be saved from one session to another. The procedure to register online is simple and fast after you clicked on Save the search in the main window. To retrieve saved searches click on Search strategies on the navigation bar on the left.

- the abstract is now exported in the DAT format (text).
- the navigation system in the list of results is now of the type first / following / previous / last.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Collection Development Framework for Library and Archives Canada

Collection Development Framework for Library and Archives Canada

Important reading for Canadian Libraries. Five key directions are outlined

-Creation of a single LAC collection
-Collection of digital materials
-Focus on Aboriginal materials
-Focus on multicultural materials
-Development of a coordinate national approach

While the LAC remains dedicated to the collection of Canadiana, a quick read did not show any mention of academic materials. Many involved in the Synergies project understand the threat poised by the ephemeral nature of digital publication to Canadian scholarship.

-original link from ResourceShelf