Library Tools for ESS

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Library Tools for ESS
John Jax

• Collection Resource Development Librarian
• jax.john_at_uwlax.edu

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Todays agenda

• Some generalities
• A few specifics
• This is an awareness-raising session
• You can find the PowerPoint atthe library home
  page

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Why use a library?

• Studies show
• Students are dissatisfied with commercialization
  of web results
• Students are dissatisfied with process of weeding
  through inappropriate results
• Students are starting to come back to the
  library because of perceived quality of resources

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Example

• One of the best places on the web to search and
  find articles on a specific topic is
  Looksmarts FindArticles.com

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Example, continued

• The best single place in the library to search
  and find articles is
• EBSCOhosts Academic Search Premier

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Another Example
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Another Example
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At Murphy Library
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Another example, continued
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A good time to use libraries?

• Libraries right now encompass two worlds
• Electronic
• Print

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Libraries share resources

• UW-System purchases information products
• All UW-System catalogs are connected
• 2 to 4 days to just about any book or video
• Called Universal Borrowing (or UB)
• Libraries are connected worldwide
• Well get you just about anything you need
• For free

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Critical tool 1 Databases

• Information databases
• Articles in periodicals magazines, newspapers,
  journals (scholarly magazines)
• Statistics, fast facts, business directories,
  etc.
• Lots of ways to find them at the library web site

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Questions about databases

• Off campus access?
• Yes, for most
• Hard to search?
• Some are, some arent
• Similar to free things on the web?
• Usually not

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Problems with articles

• We dont have the periodical you need
• Make sure you ask, because we might have it
  somewhere
• 18,000 different periodical titles in our
  databases
• 1,100 periodicals on our shelves
• Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery
• Well get you just about any article you need
• Free!

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Critical tool 2 GetTeXt

• GetTeXt appears within databases
• It links many of our databases
• It searches for the full text of articles
• In our 200 databases
• In the print holdings of every library in La
  Crosse
• In major web collections of reputable periodicals

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Critical tool 3

• The library catalog
• To find books, videos, music, etc
• Not for finding articles
• For searching all UW-System libraries

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Problems with books

• All our books are old
• Sort by date
• We never have the book you want
• Use the Universal Borrowing (UB) system

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Critical tool 4

• Service
• Reference desk
• Walk in, email, phone
• Other service areas within library
• Online forms
• Information guides and tips

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Not so critical, but nice

• Coffee Café
• Quiet study areas
• Small-group study areas and rooms
• Private study rooms
• Wireless laptops for checkout
• About 40 public-access computers

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Thats it!Questions? Comments?