PolyThinkers Pad » Tips & Tools 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 Exam study tips and strategies http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/06/exam-study-tips-and-strategies/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/06/exam-study-tips-and-strategies/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 16:27:49 +0000 Ingrid http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/06/exam-study-tips-and-strategies/ Overwhelmed with studying for finals? Good studying techniques and test preparation can go a long way in helping you succeed on your final exams. Study Guides and Strategies is an educational public service web site that offers loads of helpful tips and guidelines to help people study. Here’s a sample of what you can find on the site: studying

Good luck on your exams!

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/06/exam-study-tips-and-strategies/feed/ It’s Earth Day - do you know what your carbon footprint is? http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/21/its-earth-day-do-you-know-what-your-carbon-footprint-is/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/21/its-earth-day-do-you-know-what-your-carbon-footprint-is/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:51:59 +0000 Ingrid green http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/21/its-earth-day-do-you-know-what-your-carbon-footprint-is/ Climate change is a huge issue that affects us all. If you’re unsure of your role in the problem (and solution) take a minute to calculate your impact with the carbon footprint calculator. Answer a few questions about your energy use, diet, transportation, and recycling habits and get an estimate of how many tons of carbon dioxide your choices create each year. The web site also provides climate saving tips to help offset your footprint.

comicstrip
source: kingdigitalcomics.com

More environmental resources:

  • GreenFILE: environmental database containing nearly 300,000 citations of both scholarly and general interest titles. Full text is available for selected titles.
  • Green Living Toolbox: a directory of online resources to help you “go green”
  • Earth Day NYC: information on events and resources such as eco-friendly shopping tips, environmental job and graduate program links, and high performance buildings.

(more…)

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/21/its-earth-day-do-you-know-what-your-carbon-footprint-is/feed/ School’s almost out - do you have a job yet? http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/18/schools-almost-out-do-you-have-a-job-yet/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/18/schools-almost-out-do-you-have-a-job-yet/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:32:48 +0000 Ingrid reference http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/18/schools-almost-out-do-you-have-a-job-yet/ book coverWhether you’re looking for your first position as a new graduate or a way to earn some cash this summer, take advantage of the library’s resources to help you land the perfect job.

The Dibner Library has books to help you with everything from choosing a career path that suits your personality to writing a stand-out resume. Here’s a sample of some of our titles:

  • How to win your job search
  • How to write successful cover letters
  • Help! my job interview is tomorrow!: how to use the library to research an employer
  • Studying engineering: a road map to a rewarding career
  • Discovering your finance career

To find your perfect job, check out the employment web sites we have gathered for you on the Career & Job Opportunities Guide. And when it’s time for your interview, don’t go unprepared! Research the employer ahead of time using databases like Hoover’s or Business Source Elite. Finally, don’t forget Poly’s Career Services Department. They can offer you one-one-one career counseling and resume critiques. Happy job hunting!

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/18/schools-almost-out-do-you-have-a-job-yet/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/ 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/ 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.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/18/using-subject-headings-in-catalog-search/feed/ Don’t know how to start your research paper? http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/25/dont-know-how-to-start-your-research-paper/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/25/dont-know-how-to-start-your-research-paper/#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:27:23 +0000 Ingrid online resourcesresearchservices http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/25/dont-know-how-to-start-your-research-paper/ Try using a subject guide next time you are not sure where to begin the research process. The librarians at Dibner library have pulled together recommended resources for each area of study offered at Polytechnic. You’ll find lists of quality web sites, professional organizations, relevant databases and more.

For general tips and helpful tools, view our Research & Writing Guide. When it comes time to write that final paper, visit Poly’s Writing Center for one-on-one assistance.

Need more help? Ask Us!

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/25/dont-know-how-to-start-your-research-paper/feed/ Dive into the deep web http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/11/dive-into-the-deep-web/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/11/dive-into-the-deep-web/#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:15:09 +0000 Ingrid online resourcesresearch http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/11/dive-into-the-deep-web/ Sure, Google searches billions of web pages, but it doesn’t come close to indexing the entire internet. A vast repository of information exists on the web that search engines such as Google don’t have access to. This is commonly referred to as the “deep web” or “invisible web.” Most of the deep web is made up of the contents of specialized, searchable databases that contain high quality information such as journal articles, technical reports, and scientific data.

The best way to start your search of the deep web is with one of the many valuable subscription databases Dibner Library provides access to. You can browse databases by subject area or ask a librarian for help in selecting a database for your research.

You can also search the deep web using free search portals that dig beneath the surface web to locate subject-based information that may not be indexed by Google. For example, the Science Accelerator utilizes federated search technology which retrieves results from multiple research databases located in different departments within the U.S. Department of Energy. It includes full-text documents, bibliographic citations, ePrints, patents as well as project summaries.

Other useful search tools for digging into the deep web include:

For easy access, you can find these sites and others listed in the research tools section in the right sidebar of this blog.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/11/dive-into-the-deep-web/feed/ Need to know a standard? http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/28/need-to-know-a-standard/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/28/need-to-know-a-standard/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:12:41 +0000 Jana chemical engchemistryonline resourcesphysics http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/28/need-to-know-a-standard/ The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology. The agency publishes standards many of which are free, including Ceramics WebBook, Chemistry WebBook and Physical Reference Data. To satisfy your curiosity, check out the complete list at the NIST Data Gateway, and get to know your standards.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/28/need-to-know-a-standard/feed/ Access free full text with NOVELNY http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/24/access-free-full-text-with-novelny/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/24/access-free-full-text-with-novelny/#comments Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:35:40 +0000 Gavin databasesonline resourcesreference http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/24/access-free-full-text-with-novelny/ Did you know that with just a New York state Drivers license, or a non-driver photo id, you have access to a wealth of free resources from NOVELNY? If you don’t have one of these, you can also gain access via a public library card from anywhere in New York State, or with the New York State Library Card available to all NY State residents upon request.

Searching the site is a snap. If you know the name of the magazine or journal you want, simply type it into the “Search magazines and newspapers by title” box. If you don’t know the name of a magazine, or don’t care from which available publication the information comes, use “Quick Database Search” to match your keywords with all the available resources.

The NOVEL library includes fewer resources than our own database collection or the resources of the major NYC public library systems, so it is best used as an additional avenue of information rather than as your main source.

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