PolyThinkers Pad » Library News http://www.poly.edu/library/blog fueling polythinking with library news, tips and more Tue, 13 May 2008 21:02:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 en New Collection of Springer e-books available on trial through May 31st http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/13/check-it-out-new-collection-of-online-journals-and-e-books/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/13/check-it-out-new-collection-of-online-journals-and-e-books/#comments Tue, 13 May 2008 21:00:59 +0000 Ingrid databasesresearch http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/13/check-it-out-new-collection-of-online-journals-and-e-books/ A wide selection of e-books at SpringerLink is now available for the Poly community to use on a trial basis through May 31st. SpringerLink offers journals and books in a variety of disciplines such as biomedicine, chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics, computer science, humanities, and economics. Free access to tables of contents, detailed abstracts and editorial background are available for every publication, and full text is offered for many.

Take a moment to run a couple searches in SpringerLink and see how easy it is to narrow your results to fit your criteria. You can also sign up for alerts on the latest titles in your field. Give it a shot and let us know if you find it useful by leaving a comment below. Your feedback will help us decide whether or not to purchase this resource for the library.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/13/check-it-out-new-collection-of-online-journals-and-e-books/feed/ Library finals hours period extended http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/09/library-finals-hours-period-extended-2/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/09/library-finals-hours-period-extended-2/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 17:24:19 +0000 Gavin http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/09/library-finals-hours-period-extended-2/ The library’s finals hours period has been extended. On Friday, May 9, the library will be closing at 11 pm. On Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11, it will be open from 10 am-8 pm. On Monday, May 12 and Tuesday May 13, it will be open from 9 am - 11 pm.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/09/library-finals-hours-period-extended-2/feed/ It’s crunch time! Extended hours for exam period http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/28/its-crunch-time-extended-hours-for-exam-period/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/28/its-crunch-time-extended-hours-for-exam-period/#comments Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:21:10 +0000 Ingrid services http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/28/its-crunch-time-extended-hours-for-exam-period/ library open 24/7 Starting Wednesday, April 30, the Dibner Library will stay open 24 hours on weekdays until Friday, May 9. On Friday and Saturday nights the library will close at midnight and open at 9 am the following morning. A complete schedule of library hours is available on the library home page.

We know the end of the semester can be a stressful time. Please respect your fellow students by keeping your voices down. Here are some more tips to survive finals.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/28/its-crunch-time-extended-hours-for-exam-period/feed/ Don’t judge a book by its title… http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/11/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-title/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/11/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-title/#comments Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:32:11 +0000 Ingrid research http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/11/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-title/ Have you ever tracked down a book with a great title, certain that it would be relevant to your research, only to be sorely disappointed when you discover a mere five sentences on your topic of interest? Now there’s help! Microsoft Live Search Books offers a neat visual ruler that shows you how often and where your search terms appear in the book:

livesearchbooks

The green indicates where the search term “robotics” appears in the example above. This is a handy feature that can help you determine if a book is relevant to your needs before you make the effort to hunt it down.

For more help on searching for books online, visit the library’s Online Books Guide.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/11/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-title/feed/ Join us for an inaugural lecture - CCR5 Gene: A Cautionary Tale about Patenting http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/03/join-us-for-an-inaugural-lecture-ccr5-gene-a-cautionary-tale-about-patenting/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/03/join-us-for-an-inaugural-lecture-ccr5-gene-a-cautionary-tale-about-patenting/#comments Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:21:31 +0000 Ingrid http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/03/join-us-for-an-inaugural-lecture-ccr5-gene-a-cautionary-tale-about-patenting/ dnaThe patenting of human genes raises all sorts of important questions whose answers will have a growing impact on our lives. Just consider this, one-fifth of the genes in your body are privately owned.

To learn more about this intriguing issue, come to the inaugural Dibner Family Professor of the History of Technology and Science lecture: The CCR5 Gene: A Cautionary Tale about Patenting. The lecture will take place on Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 4 p.m. in the Pfizer Auditorium. Join us in the Dibner Library afterwards for a reception with lecturer, Professor Myles Jackson.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/03/join-us-for-an-inaugural-lecture-ccr5-gene-a-cautionary-tale-about-patenting/feed/ New online resource: GreenFILE http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/31/new-online-resource-greenfile/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/31/new-online-resource-greenfile/#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:16:54 +0000 Ingrid databasesgreenresearch http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/31/new-online-resource-greenfile/ Climate change, renewable energy, food shortages… unless you live in a cave, chances are you’ve heard or read about these important environmental issues in the media lately. Now you have a new resource at your disposal to help you research all things environmental: GreenFILE.

This bibliographic database from EBSCO draws on the connection between the environment and disciplines such as technology, health, education, and law. It contains nearly 300,000 citations of both scholarly and general interest titles, as well as government documents and reports. Full text is available for selected titles.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/31/new-online-resource-greenfile/feed/ New books at Dibner Library http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/27/new-books-at-dibner-library/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/27/new-books-at-dibner-library/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:48:49 +0000 Ingrid http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/27/new-books-at-dibner-library/ Here’s a selection of some of the books that have been added to our collection in the past month. To browse through our new arrivals, visit the new books display shelf in the library’s reference section.

Coming attractions?: Hollywood, high tech, and the future of entertainment
Philip E. Meza
Call Number: P96.T422 U636 2007

A billion bootstraps: microcredit, barefoot banking, and the business solution for ending poverty
Phil Smith and Eric Thurman
Call Number: HG178.3 .S65 2007

The art & science of technology transfer
Phyllis L. Speser
Call Number: T174.3 .S64 2006

Risk management and insurance: perspectives in a global economy
Harold D. Skipper and W. Jean Kwon
Call Number: HD61 .S49 2007

The colours of infinity: the beauty and power of fractals
Ian Stewart, Arthur C. Clarke, and Nigel Lesmoir-Gordon
Call Number: QA614.86 .C65 2004

Real options and investment incentives
Gunther Friedl
Call Number: HG4028.C4 F766 2007

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/27/new-books-at-dibner-library/feed/ Britannica world data resources http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/24/britannica-world-data-resources/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/24/britannica-world-data-resources/#comments Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:46:08 +0000 Gavin online resourcesreferenceresearch http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/24/britannica-world-data-resources/ Do you ever need to find quick and comprehensive statistical data on a country?  Ever interested in comparing lesser known quantitative data from two or more countries?  Have a look at the Britannica Online World Data Analyst.  “Country Snapshots” provide the basic  data on a country.  “Ranked Statistics”  lets you view the countries with the highest or lowest rank in a particular category.   “Chronological Comparisons” allows you to select one or more countries, choose a data category, and display how they compare historically in either table format or chart format.  “Current Comparisons” enable you to display the most current available data in table or chart format.    Data fields include such recognizable and high demand ones as “GNP,” “Life expectancy,” and lesser known fields like “Percent of economically active engaged in services,” and even “Roots and tubers production.”  So whether you need to do some serious research, or are just looking to indulge your curiousity, this resource is well worth your time.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/24/britannica-world-data-resources/feed/ Take a break with fiction anthologies http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/20/take-a-break-with-fiction-anthologies/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/20/take-a-break-with-fiction-anthologies/#comments Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:38:07 +0000 Gavin http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/20/take-a-break-with-fiction-anthologies/ Although the library focuses on science and technology resources, it has much more to offer eager readers: a selection of international literature, notable biographies, core classics of literature, works of genre fiction, and even contemporary international fiction. If you are in the mood to dabble in some short works of genre fiction, you may be interested in some recent additions to the library’s anthology collection.

Sleuths of the Century is a collection of short stories featuring some of the greatest fictional sleuths of the 20th century. Older names like Perry Mason and Hercule Poirot are found alongside more recent figures like Easy Rawlins and V.I. Warshawski. Call number: PN6071.D45 S64 2000

Oxford University Press is known for producing some of the finest anthologies in many different genres. The Oxford book of Detective stories “brings together some of the best short fiction from around the world,” ranging in date from the 19th century to contemporary times. Call number: PN6120.95.D45 O95 2002

The American Fantasy Tradition pulls together authors ranging in date from Washington Irving in the early 19th century, to contemporary masters. It is divided into three parts, covering a wide range of materials: “Part I: Folk, Tall and Weird Tales,” “Part II: Fantastic Americana,” “Part III: Lands of Enchantment and Everyday Life.” Call number: PS648.F3 A64 2002

None of the stories in “Subway Chronicles: Scenes of life in New York,” were written as far back as some of the stories in the other anthologies, but there are some older reminiscences, as well as contemporary stories. The volume features notable writers, and is “[e]qual parts hilarious, poignant, and heartbreaking … a journey into New York’s underground with some of today’s most loved writers.” Call number: PS648.S5 S79 2006

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/20/take-a-break-with-fiction-anthologies/feed/ Using subject headings in a catalog search http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/18/using-subject-headings-in-catalog-search/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/18/using-subject-headings-in-catalog-search/#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:00:51 +0000 Gavin referenceresearch http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/18/using-subject-headings-in-catalog-search/ When you are looking for books on a topics in a library catalog, your first attempt will probably be a keyword search. After all, that is the way you do it using a web search tool like Google, and it is natural to think that keywords would bring up the best results. A keyword search does work in the online library catalog, but with varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the topic. This is because it matches what you type in with anything in the item record, even the author’s name or the place of publication. If you are not having much luck using a keyword search, try a subject search. Books that appear under a subject category have been evaluated by someone and manually assigned to that category. Often, you have a better chance of retrieving more relevant results by using a subject search.

Interested in what a particular search option means? Just ask us.

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