Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
LibGuides
Here is a link to a draft, proof-of-concept, subject guide page built with the LibGuides software - check it out and let everyone know what you think, if you think this might be a viable platform to construct and house subject guides:
http://demo.libguides.com/content.php?pid=5211
You can what other colleges are doing with this here:
http://springshare.libguides.com/
Pros:
Thanks,
Dana
http://demo.libguides.com/content.php?pid=5211
You can what other colleges are doing with this here:
http://springshare.libguides.com/
Pros:
- allows easy integration of web 2.0 resources (RSS, widgets, IM, tag clouds, polls, etc.)
- can easily format content and divvy resources into tabs and create template for standardized look
- pages hosted by LibGuides
- easily share content/widgets between guides
- searchable
- allows user comments
- includes built in usage stats tool
- (I think) can brand top nav to mimic MyESC
- some cost (minimal tho)
- limited customization of some look and feel aspects (colors, fonts)
Thanks,
Dana
Monday, February 18, 2008
idea: rename feedback link to "suggestion box"
A simple idea to hopefully generate more feedback than we've gotten (one so far): rename our link for feedback on the home page to "Online Suggestion Box" - I think it's more informal and people know what the concept is and it might draw some people in who might not want to provide "feedback".
Whatya think?
Dana
Whatya think?
Dana
Friday, February 15, 2008
Something to keep in mind when using Google
Google customizes your search results to your search history, click history, web history, location, etc.
The only way to keep this from happening is to log out of Google and all its different utilities.
The effects are usually subtle, but they may come up if you are talking a user through a search. They may also affect your searches. If, for example, you have a longstanding pattern of ignoring a particular search result, it will start migrating further and further down your results list. Later on, when you finally need that result, it may not be where you remembered seeing it.
For an individual search, you can un-customize your results by typing &pws=0 at the end of the URL in the address bar that comes up when you get your search results.
The only way to keep this from happening is to log out of Google and all its different utilities.
The effects are usually subtle, but they may come up if you are talking a user through a search. They may also affect your searches. If, for example, you have a longstanding pattern of ignoring a particular search result, it will start migrating further and further down your results list. Later on, when you finally need that result, it may not be where you remembered seeing it.
For an individual search, you can un-customize your results by typing &pws=0 at the end of the URL in the address bar that comes up when you get your search results.
Should we get History Resource Center?
I just investigated Gale's History Resource Center (US and World.) In short, "great interface; redundant content." If the price is right, it could be worth it for the intuitive, convenient person search and subject search.
INTERFACE:
This interface has a lot going for it. It fills a niche that
Person Search - :) :) :)
nationality
occupation
gender
full name or start of last name
birth and death dates (exact or before or after)
Subject Search - :) :)
search by keyword and browse the Topic Tree (subject headings in a hierarchical thesaurus, all hot-linked)
Advanced Search - :)
your standard Advanced Search set-up with 3 boxes and pull-down menus for boolean operators
time period
document type
publication date
Chronology
Not very useful except maybe as a browsing-to-get-ideas tool. Just a bare-bones chronology, with each entry hot-linked to a document
Previous Searches button :)
Revise search button easy to find :)
Search Tips and Help :) :) :)
Can switch easily between searching U.S., World (other than U.S.), and U.S. and World :)
SOURCES:
Full-text content, which is a big improvement over Historical Abstracts and America: History and Life. :) :)
Journal articles, primary sources, and reference materials can be searched together or separately.
On the other hand, there is, for all intents and purposes, NO unique content. There are only 3 titles that we don't already have. 2 of them are intended for kids and the third is about Michigan.
INTERFACE:
This interface has a lot going for it. It fills a niche that
Person Search - :) :) :)
nationality
occupation
gender
full name or start of last name
birth and death dates (exact or before or after)
Subject Search - :) :)
search by keyword and browse the Topic Tree (subject headings in a hierarchical thesaurus, all hot-linked)
Advanced Search - :)
your standard Advanced Search set-up with 3 boxes and pull-down menus for boolean operators
time period
document type
publication date
Chronology
Not very useful except maybe as a browsing-to-get-ideas tool. Just a bare-bones chronology, with each entry hot-linked to a document
Previous Searches button :)
Revise search button easy to find :)
Search Tips and Help :) :) :)
Can switch easily between searching U.S., World (other than U.S.), and U.S. and World :)
SOURCES:
Full-text content, which is a big improvement over Historical Abstracts and America: History and Life. :) :)
Journal articles, primary sources, and reference materials can be searched together or separately.
On the other hand, there is, for all intents and purposes, NO unique content. There are only 3 titles that we don't already have. 2 of them are intended for kids and the third is about Michigan.
Should we get Early English Books Online?
Quick investigation of EEBO, and in short:
I want, I want, I want... but
it's intended for research libraries catering to graduate-level research
11,500 titles are now searchable, but the rest won't be online for another 5-10 years
On the other hand:
Searchable full-text
Author/title/subject/date search. In advanced, also illustration/country of origin/language, etc.
Browse authors
includes periodicals
Scans of the original pages (from microfilm)
1473-1700 (some later)
pretty much the whole English-speaking world in that period (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, North America...)
"virtually every book" within that scope
Recommended titles categorized by subject (quite useful)
box to check for variant spellings while searching (to get around pesky archaic orthography)
Tract supplement is available (ballads, religious stuff, political stuff)
Great for history, English lit, philosophy, fine arts, and to some extent, linguistics, political science, history of science...
If we were one of the University Centers, I think it'd be practically obligatory, especially in 3-5 years when they have all but the last tidbits scanned in. But... we're not by any stretch a University Center.
These materials are in the public domain. While many of them are only available through that one outlet (because there are few copies left) the more popular items in the English canon are more widely available. For locating free versions of them online, I recommend using the Digital Book Index (http://www.digitalbookindex.com). The interface isn't great and the content ranges far and wide and includes pay-to-download e-books, but it should do the trick.
I want, I want, I want... but
it's intended for research libraries catering to graduate-level research
11,500 titles are now searchable, but the rest won't be online for another 5-10 years
On the other hand:
Searchable full-text
Author/title/subject/date search. In advanced, also illustration/country of origin/language, etc.
Browse authors
includes periodicals
Scans of the original pages (from microfilm)
1473-1700 (some later)
pretty much the whole English-speaking world in that period (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, North America...)
"virtually every book" within that scope
Recommended titles categorized by subject (quite useful)
box to check for variant spellings while searching (to get around pesky archaic orthography)
Tract supplement is available (ballads, religious stuff, political stuff)
Great for history, English lit, philosophy, fine arts, and to some extent, linguistics, political science, history of science...
If we were one of the University Centers, I think it'd be practically obligatory, especially in 3-5 years when they have all but the last tidbits scanned in. But... we're not by any stretch a University Center.
These materials are in the public domain. While many of them are only available through that one outlet (because there are few copies left) the more popular items in the English canon are more widely available. For locating free versions of them online, I recommend using the Digital Book Index (http://www.digitalbookindex.com). The interface isn't great and the content ranges far and wide and includes pay-to-download e-books, but it should do the trick.
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