MEMBER LIBRARY WEEKLY BULLETIN
No. 07-37

September 21 2007

Annual Meeting Guest Speaker bio:

Cyndy Scheibe is Associate Professor of Psychology at Ithaca College where she teaches courses in developmental psychology, media literacy, and television research.  She received her master’s degree in communications (’83) and her Ph.D. in developmental psychology (’87), both from Cornell University, where she and John Condry founded the Center for Research on the Effects of Television (CRETV).  Dr. Scheibe currently serves as the director of the CRETV lab and television archive housed at Ithaca College in the psychology department.  She is also the Executive Director and founder of Project Look Sharp, an award-winning media literacy education initiative.  She has been conducting research on television content and children's understanding of media messages for more than 20 years.  Dr. Scheibe was a founding board member of the Alliance for a Media Literate America, and co-authored the recently released publication Core Principles of Media Literacy Education.  Her other recent publications include “Piaget and Power Rangers: What can theories of developmental psychology tell us about children and media?,” 20 Questions about Children and the Media (2007), and  “A deeper sense of literacy: Integrating media literacy in the K-12 classroom,” American Behavioral Scientist (2004).

  

READ Poster Raffle at the Annual Meeting 

There have been several questions about the READ poster raffle that will take place at the Annual Meeting, so I thought a little clarification was in order. 

We will be raffling five READ posters that will be created with a picture of you holding one of your favorite books.  The drawing will occur at the meeting and those that are chosen will have their picture taken at the meeting.  

If you are interested in participating, when you fill out your RSVP for the meeting, check where it says “Yes, please put my name in for the ‘Read’ poster drawing.  I will bring one book to the meeting in case my name is picked”.  Bring one of your favorite books with you and maybe you’ll be picked!

  

The Polaris software upgrade is scheduled for this coming Wednesday morning, September 26th.  The Offline circulation will be available and we encourage you to use it.    Please see Jan’s Polaris tip of the Week for more information on how to use it.  Polaris, the PowerPac Catalog, Reporting Services and SIP(used for remote authentication for Databases and PC Reservation) will all be unavailable until at least noon.  This upgrade will take a little longer than other QA upgrades in the past since some of the searching processes have been modified and will require some indexes to be rebuilt.  Once the upgrade is complete we will need to have all of the libraries using the Polaris Offline Client to logout so I can install the new Polaris Client.  Once that is installed you will be notified by email to the FALCONS-L list that Polaris is available.  I will then assist the libraries that used the Polaris Offline Client in uploading your circulation transactions. 

 

Polaris Tip of the Week 

During the Polaris upgrade on September 26th, you may want to use the Polaris Offline Circulation system. 

A previous tip in the FLLS weekly bulletin explained the pros and cons and provided a link to documentation on using the offline system.

Here is the link to that documentation. Simply copy and paste the address into your web browser.       http://www.flls.org/bulletins/2007/0723.htm

The upgrade will not affect the Reports Workshop scheduled in McGraw that same day.

 

Katrina Morse, assistant director of the Family Reading Partnership and author/illustrator of their children’s book promoting early literacy, has offered to read her book at your libraries as her schedule allows.  Please contact me if you would like to have her visit. 

Congratulations to Adelle Leise, Tompkins County Public Library, Pat Moore, Interlaken Public Library and Fran Howe, Candor Free Library.  They won the banned books week poster/bookmark/button packages.  Treasure your freedom to read!

I have received all you summer reading evaluations! Thank you.  You will receive a compilation as soon as it’s available.

Today, September 21, is the last day to RSVP to your Teen Gaming invitation (sent in delivery last week).

  

From Satia Orange, Director of ALA’s Office for Literacy & Outreach Services:

The National Institute on Aging has launched a user-friendly, Spanish-language Web site featuring accurate, updated information on health issues affecting Hispanic seniors. The site covers everything from Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and diabetes to how to choose a doctor and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Links to free publications in Spanish and other Spanish health Web sites also are available.      http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol

 

ILL Due Dates

Please remember to use the Loan Period – Special… setting to assign the correct due date for out-of-system materials.

 

 

ILL Renewals

Just a reminder - please do not renew any out-of-system items without contacting June Gilligan, ext. 42 or me, ext 32. If you are trying to renew a selected item  or renew all, you will see a dialog box when an item is over the renewal limit:

 

 

Please respond No for any book for which you are not the owning library.

Also please note that all out-of-system ILLs can be easily identified because they have a Call Number that begins with ILL# and a Material Type of ILL.

 

If your patron wants to extend the loan period beyond the date we have given you on the goldenrod book wrap, call June at least several days before the due date, and she will contact the lending library to request a renewal. June will get back you as soon as she has heard from the lending library. We appreciate your feedback on all issues pertaining to ILLs. Thanks for your cooperation.

 
ILL – CBA DVDs

TCPL has recently purchased DVDs with CBA funds; these DVDs may be requested by patrons at all member libraries. To search for a current list you can conduct a Bibliographic Record search of all titles that have a Collections code of CBADVD.

            

 

 

 There are currently 121 titles that span topics related to health and fitness, biography, history, nature and science, travel, current events and music and the arts. More titles are being added.

 

DATABASES – Homework Help

Now that school is back in session, keep in mind the following databases to help your school-aged patrons; they can be accessed through www.flls.com → Electronic Resources.

Encyclopedia of Animals (EBSCO)

    Encyclopedia of Animals offers in-depth full-text information on a variety of topics relating to animals including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and dinosaurs. It includes full-text articles describing the nature and habitat of these animals. Some articles include just the abstract or citation. Some of the full-text articles include images.

Funk & Wagnalls New Word Encyclopedia (EBSCO)

    Full-text articles of over 25,000 encyclopedia entries, covering an array of topics. The database contains various images, offers brief biographies as well as information in a variety of subject areas. It is updated annually.

General Science Collection (EBSCO)

    This database offers full-text coverage for more than 60 of the most popular science publications, including Archaeology, Astronomy, Discover, National Wildlife, New Scientist, Popular Science, Science News, Scientific American, and many others. Subject areas covered include the observation, description, identification, and experimental investigation of phenomena and the application of science to industrial or commercial objectives. The database also includes Great Scientific Achievements of the Twentieth Century, a multi-volume encyclopedia from Salem Press.

Grolier Encyclopedias (Scholastic)

    Full-text access to the following encyclopedias: Encyclopedia Americana - In-depth research and worldwide current events for older students and adults, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia - Quick reference and rich media for middle school and high school students.
Lands and Peoples - Current information for country and state reports, The New Book of Popular Science - In-depth science, plus science in the news, The New Book of Knowledge - Reference and current events for elementary readers and older.

Health & Wellness Resource Center with Alt Health (Thomson Gale)

    HWRC provides full-text information from reference books, magazines, journals, and pamphlets for both medical care professionals and consumers. It also features a video library from Healthology, a company which provides medical video content on such topics as asthma and leukemia. The reference books included in this database are published by Gale Publishing, a company that produces many library reference books. Some of the reference titles that appear are The Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer, The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, PDR Family Guide to Natural Medicines and Healing Therapies, and PDR for Herbal Medicines.

Health Reference Center - Academic (Thomson Gale)

    HRC-A is a nursing and allied health database that offers full-text articles from journals, consumer magazines, pamphlets, newspapers, and reference books. This database is designed more for a student or a professional in the health field, but also includes reference materials from the more layperson-friendly Health & Wellness Resource Center.

¡Informe! Una colección de revistas hispánicas con textos completos (Thomson Gale)

    Una colección de revistas hispánicas con textos completos. Abarca negocios, salud, tecnología, cultura, temas de actualidad y otras materias.
A collection of full-text magazines in Spanish. It covers business, health, technology, culture, current events, and other topics.

Junior Edition Magazines (Thomson Gale)

    Search for full-text articles from magazines, newspapers, and reference books on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports and more. It’s designed for students in junior high and middle school.

Kids Search (EBSCO)

    This fun student-friendly menu is divided by topic which allows kids to easily search for magazines, newspapers, photos, transcripts, and encyclopedias.

Literature Resource Center (Thomson Gale)

    The LRC includes biographical information on writers and overviews of their works. It also includes full-text literary criticisms and reviews on nearly 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world.

MasterFILE Premier Magazines & Newspapers (EBSCO)

    MasterFile Premier provides access to 1,700 plus full text periodicals (magazines, newspapers, journals), 500 reference books, more than 84,000 biographies, and 100,000 plus primary source documents. It covers a broad range of disciplines including general reference, business, education, health, general science, multi-cultural issues, and much more. In addition to the full text, it also provides indexing and abstracts for nearly 2,400 titles. It includes 5,000 full text Magill Book Reviews, the World Almanac & Book of Facts; full text from 84,774 biographies, 100,554 full text primary source documents, American Heritage Dictionary, 4th Edition and an Image Collection of 202,164 photos, maps and flags. MasterFILE Premier offers PDF backfiles as far back as 1975 for key publications including Foreign Affairs, History Today, Judaism, Library Journal and National Review.

NoveList Fiction Guide (EBSCO)

    NoveList is a fiction readers' guide to finding new authors and titles. It allows readers to use a favorite author or title as a starting point to locate other authors and titles of interest. They can also enter words that describe the contents of a book they would like to read, and NoveList retrieves titles that contain these words in the book's subject headings field. In addition, users can browse over 1,200 theme-oriented book lists, 160 award lists and 1,800 fiction related web-sites.    NoveList is a fiction readers' guide to finding new authors and titles. It allows readers to use a favorite author or title as a starting point to locate other authors and titles of interest. They can also enter words that describe the contents of a book they would like to read, and NoveList retrieves titles that contain these words in the book's subject headings field. In addition, users can browse over 1,200 theme-oriented book lists, 160 award lists and 1,800 fiction related web-sites.

    Available from home. Funded by Finger Lakes Library System.

Primary Search Magazines (EBSCO)

    Primary Search contains full-text magazine articles from nearly 70 elementary school magazines. Some of the magazines included are Appleseeds, Boys’ Life, Cobblestone, Cricket, Highlights for Children, Hopscotch, Jack & Jill, Ladybug, Ranger Rick, Science World, Spider, SuperScience, Time for Kids, Turtle, and many more. Full text is also available for over 100 student pamphlets. In addition to the full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for nearly 100 magazines. The American Heritage Children’s Dictionary, 3rd Edition is included, and an Image Collection of 202,164 photos, maps and flags. Full-text backfiles go as far back as 1989, while indexing and abstract backfiles go as far back as 1984. It is designed specifically for elementary school libraries and public library children’s rooms. All full text articles are assigned a reading level indicator.

RosettaStone Online Language Learning Center (Fairfield Language Technologies)

    Learn one or more of 30 languages through this interactive language immersion program. Select a language and choose a language skill you want to develop: listening comprehension, reading, speaking or writing. You will need your library card barcode the first time you register. The user name and password you create will be all you need the next time you use RosettaStone. Progress Reports track your usage.

Science Reference Center (EBSCO)

    This research database offers full-text coverage for more than 640 science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals, etc. Subject areas covered include biology, chemistry, earth & space science, environmental science, health & medicine, history of science, life science, physics, science and society, science as inquiry, scientists, technology, and wildlife. Much of the material provided correlate to state and national curriculum standards.

Searchasaurus Kids' Search (EBSCO)

    A colorful kid-friendly menu that allows kids to search Primary Search Magazines, Encyclopedia of Animals, General Encyclopedia, and American Heritage Children's Dictionary.

TOPICsearch Current Events (EBSCO)

    This current events database allows students to explore social, political & economic issues, scientific discoveries and other popular topics discussed in today’s classrooms. TOPICsearch contains full text for over 139,800 articles from more than 4,800 diverse sources.

Twayne's Author Series (Thomson Gale)

    Contains the full text of 200 frequently used Twayne Literary Masters books on individual World, US, or English authors, for a total of 600 individual full-text titles.

Virtual Reference Library (Thomson Gale)

    This source contains full-text encyclopedias and specialized reference books focusing on health, business, and history. These reference materials once were accessible only in the library, but now you can access them online from the library or remotely 24/7. Some of the titles included are Business Plans Handbook, Encyclopedia of Small Business (2v), American Civil War Reference Library (5v), Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa (4v), and History Behind the Headlines: The Origins of Conflicts Worldwide (6v).

 

 and

  in October, Learning Expressa test preparation and career development database. I will be sending you promotional material about this new database as soon as I get enough for all of the member libraries.

 

Website

http://www.awesomestories.com/ “is a gathering place of primary-source information. Its purpose - since the site was first launched in 1999 - is to help educators and individuals find original sources, located at national archives, libraries, universities, and government web sites. This educational learning tool also is designed to support state and national standards… Each story on the site links to online primary source materials which are selected and positioned in context to enhance reading comprehension, understanding and enjoyment.” They are currently waiving the $9.95 annual fee. Sign up for a password so that you can access all of the resources on Awesome Stories at: https://www.awesomestories.com/signup.php?ua=individual_signup

 

LAST WEEK’S QUESTION OF THE WEEK  Where does the month September get its name? Name a president who was born in September; name two presidents  who died in September.

September, the ninth month of the Gregorian calendar. It derives its name in part from the Latin word septem, meaning "seven," since it was the seventh month of the Roman year, which began in March. (Encyclopedia Americana, accessed through www.flls.com → Electronic Resources → General Reference - Encyclopedias, Directories, Fast Facts →  Grolier Encyclopedias (Scholastic))

William Howard Taft was born on September 15, 1857. William McKinley was shot on Sept. 14, 1901 in Buffalo, NY; he died on Sept. 14. James Garfield died on Sept. 19, 1881, two months after being shot. (New Book of Knowledge, accessed through www.flls.com → Electronic Resources → General Reference - Encyclopedias, Directories, Fast Facts →  Grolier Encyclopedias (Scholastic))

 

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION OF THE WEEK How is the use of the modified 727 aircraft G-Force One trying to inspire middle-school aged children to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematic careers?

 

  • DIRECTORS’ ADVISORY COUNCIL (DAC) MEMBERS:

    If you have any questions or concerns regarding FLLS library service, you are welcome to contact a DAC member from the list below.

    Janet Steiner, TCPL, Ithaca
    Judy Barkee, Ulysses Philomathic Library, Trumansburg
    Lois Maki, Newfield Public Library
    Kay Zaharis, Cortland Free Library
    Mary Frank, Peck Memorial Library, Marathon
    Sally Otis, Hazard Library, Poplar Ridge
    Sheila Anderson, Seymour Library, Auburn
    Diane Pamel, Southworth Library, Dryden

Beverly Dann, Waverly Free Library.

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Last updated 09/21/2007