Sage E-Reference and Wiley Blackwell E-books

The library now has access to Sage's E-Reference Collection and also to E-books we purchased from EBSCO.

Computers in Afro-Center

We are having trouble with the computers in the Afro-Center accessing some databases. The computer technician is working on this. It appears he will have to reformat the computers to make them work correctly. Please bear with us as we correct these problems.

JSTOR

Some students are experiencing problems with JSTOR. First, be sure your pop-up blocker allows the JSTOR web site to be accessed. In some cases you will need to press CTRL + click.

If you want to email .pdf files to yourself, you will now need to create an account in My JSTOR. The link is at the top of the search page. Once you are in My JSTOR you can go to Export and follow the instructions there. If you need more assistance, use the Help link at the top of the page or ask us for help.

Also, remember that when you are in Adobe Acrobat Reader, you cannot use the File menu in your browser to print. You must use the Printer Icon in the Acrobat toolbar.

One more thing--if you click on the Email Icon in the Acrobat Reader toolbar, it will attempt to email the file using the email program on the computer, such as Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. The library computers are not setup to allow this, so this icon will not work on the public computers.

Proxy Server Working Again

The proxy server can be used again for off-campus logins. You need to know your Banner email and password. Use the part of the mail before the @ sign as your login and the password will be the same one you use for your Banner email.

If you don't know your email password, you should be able to locate it when you login to Banner Web. If you don't see it or have other problems, contact the Information Resources Center in the Jacob T. Stewart building.

Proxy Server

The computer department thinks it has found the problem with the proxy server. Apparently the campus firewall was causing problems. As soon as it is turned back on, the Banner login/password should work. I will let you know when this happens.

LSU Libraries Free Database List

A link to this resource has been added to TigerNet.

http://www.lib.lsu.edu/databases/index.php?q=0800&field=Categories&searching=yes&Submit=Search

Oxford Scholarship Online

The library has acquired new online resources for Physics and Philosophy from Oxford University Press.

http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public.index.htm

Facts on File Database

The library will have access to the Facts on File African American History database on October, 1st. This resource provides expansive and in-depth information on the people, events, and topics important to the study of African-American history.

http://www.fofweb.com/Direct2.asp?ItemID=WE01&ID=19905

Greenwood Press E-books

Greenwood Press also has a variety of e-books about the African-American experience. The library has subscribed to several of them. Follow this link for more information.

http://ebooks.greenwood.com/

Gale Virtual Reference Library

The library is in the process of acquiring new e-books for African-American studies from Cengage Learning.

The materials will be accessed through Gale's Virtual Reference Library:

http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/lln_agsu?db=GVRL

Black Short Fiction

The library has acquired another database from Alexander Street Press.

Black Short Fiction is a comprehensive collection yet created of stories from Africa and the African Diaspora. It offers more than 8,000 short stories and folktales, ranging thematically from oral traditions that date back many hundreds of years to contemporary tales of modern life.

http://blfi.alexanderstreet.com/

Credo Reference Enhanced Platform

Credo Reference announces today's launch of its enhanced platform. New features include:

FILTER and NARROW--Improved searching. See your results using our new faceted browsing. Limit results by subject, type of entry, person, publication date or only those entries that have images, audio or video.
MULTILINGUAL interface
New, vastly improved CONCEPT MAP -- invaluable for visual learners and mind mappers.
SAVED RESULTS & CITATION MANAGEMENT -- export to your tool of choice -- RefWorks, EndNote and others. BOOKMARK in your favorite site - Del.icio.us, Facebook and many more.
EXPLORE each title by quickly locating people and places cited, images, and contributors. Hover mouse over index for article preview.
BROWSE for books not only by subject, title or type but now by Dewey or Library of Congress classifications.

Network Issues

Some of the network issues have been resolved, but there are still a few computers that aren't able to access the Internet. The computer technicians think it is a configuration problem. They believe they can solve this problem very soon.

Network Problems

There has been a problem with the student computers on the library's internal network. Our technician is working hard to remedy the situation. In computer troubleshooting it is a process of elimination. First you have to troubleshoot the hardware, and then look at the software. Mr. Reitzhammer of GIS has spent several days looking at computer setups all over the library to find the problem. He has worked with ITC without any luck. Each day he gathers more and more data but so far nothing we have done has worked to changed the situation.

Please be patient with us as we attempt to solve the problem.

Learning Express

Learning Express has been made available to us by the Louisiana Library Network consortium. The link will be added soon to our web page on GSU and on TigerNet. In the meantime if you are on campus, you can use this URL:
http://www.learningexpresslibrary.com

It's Here!

The EBSCOhost 2.0 interface has replaced the previous version. I'd love to hear your opinions about it. Please feel free to leave your comments after you try some searches.

Lexi-PALS Drug Guide added to EBSCO

The Lexi-PALS Drug Guide is a database of Patient Advisory Leaflets from Lexi-Comp that provides vital education on medications for patients. The approach for each pamphlet is to present each medication in an easy to follow and understand question-and-answer format. The database consists of over 1,450 medication and natural product leaflets, with an additional 600 Spanish language leaflets representing the most subscribed and commonly used medications. The database is updated monthly.

EBSCO 2.0 Coming in July

EBSCOhost is getting ready to launch its new interface. For more information, go to:
http://www.ebscohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=1&topicID=969

If you would like to take the new version for a test drive, click on New Features at the top of the page when you are doing a search in the old version.

State Library Databases

If you haven't checked out the State Library databases lately, you might want to re-visit this site because they have added several resources. Among the many databases to choose from are: Books in Print Patron Edition, Bowker's Books in Print, Chilton's Auto Repair Reference Center, Book Index with Reviews, Consumer Health Complete, Kids Search, MasterFile, NoveList, NoveList K-8, Searchasaurus, Student Research Center, Facts.com, Gale Virtual Reference Library, and Learning Express.

All it takes to use these databases is to be a registered member of your parish library and have your card number from there when you login.

World Book Advanced

The Louisiana Library Network (LOUIS) recently purchased the World Book Complete Reference Suite. Included in this suite are L'Encyclopédie Découverte,
World Book Spanish Student Discovery Encyclopedia, World Book Kids, World Book Advanced, and World Book Discover.

Literary Reference Center

Literary Reference Center is part of the research database package that our library purchases from EBSCOhost. There is now a direct link for searching it. Go to http://www.gram.edu/library/elecres.asp and choose EBSCO Research Databases. This will take you to the databases page where you have three choices: a)to search all databases; b) to use the text-only feature (for slower internet connections); or c) to go directly to LRC.

Black Studies Center

National Library Week is the perfect time to announce that the library now has access to ProQuest's Black Studies Center. The Black Studies Center is a gateway to scholarly essays, recent periodicals, historical newspaper articles, and much more. It combines several resources for research and teaching, including the Schomberg Studies on the Black Experience, International Index to Black Periodicals, and Black Literature Index. Also included are a thousand specially selected Black Studies dissertations.

Teacher Resource Center

EBSCO has added Teacher Resource Center to the database list. This index of over 260 titles from the most popular teacher and administrator trade journals, periodicals, and books is now also offered free via the EBSCOhost platform. This database provides coverage on key education topics such as Assessment, Continuing Education, Current Pedagogical Research, Curriculum Development, Instructional Media, Language Arts, Literacy Standards, Science & Mathematics, and more for K-12 Teachers & Librarians.

Green File Added to EBSCO's Database List

GreenFILE offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. The database provides indexing and abstracts for approximately 295,000 records, as well as Open Access full text for more than 4,600 records.

EBSCO's Upcoming Interface Changes

EBSCO plans to launch a new search interface this summer. If you want a preview of it, use these links:

1) EBSCO's marketing web site: http://www.ebscohost.com/2.0
2) PowerPoint: http://www.ebscohost.com/special/temp02-08/interface.ppt?marketID=1
3) Flash Presentation: http://www.ebscohost.com/2.0_flash

Training will be available online once the implementation is finished.

New JSTOR Platform

The new JSTOR platform will be launched on Friday, April 4. A document describing features of the new platform is included in the JSTOR Sandbox:
http://sandbox.jstor.org

JSTOR Sandbox also has links to tutorials and training materials focused on the new JSTOR interface.

Adobe Photoshop Express

The maker of the popular photo-editing software Photoshop launched a basic version available for free online. While Photoshop is designed for trained professionals, Adobe says Photoshop Express, which it launched in a "beta" test version, is easier to learn. User comments will be taken into account for future upgrades.

Photoshop Express will be completely Web-based so consumers can use it with any type of computer, operating system and browser. And, once they register, users can get to their accounts from different computers.

https://www.photoshop.com/express/landing.html

America's Newspapers

Newsbank has been upgraded to America's Newspapers. The electronic editions of record for valuable local, regional, and national U.S. newspapers are now all located in one easy-to-search database.

Off Campus Access for Databases

While the bugs are being worked out of the proxy server, use the library's remote access flyer to login to the databases. It is available by emailing rolenr@gram.edu or you can get a copy from any librarian.

Zamzar

A free file conversion tool, Zamzar provides its users a variety of format options from which to choose. For example, users can convert a PDF document to MS Word, make edits in Word, and convert the document back to PDF format.

www.zamzar.com

Proxy Server Update

EZproxy has been recently acquired by another company. Bruce Morgan, webmaster, is working with Craig Jones of the IRC on the login issues. The problem might have something to do with the firewall blocking outbound connections.

Proxy Server

A.C. Lewis Memorial Library now uses a proxy server to login to the electronic databases. To access the databases, go to www.gram.edu/library and click on Electronic Databases.

Formerly we had to keep a password list that students and faculty had to use to login to the various databases. With the proxy server students and faculty only have to remember one login and password for all databases, which is their gsumail login and password. It will work for all databases.

This semester IRC has been working out the bugs in the system and the library appreciates everyone's patience during this process.

Blogs, RSS Feeds, and Wikis

If you don't know much about Web 2.0, watch these videos on YouTube.


Blogs in Plain English

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI


RSS Feeds in Plain English

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU


Wikis in Plain English

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY

Did this information help you? Post a comment to let me know.

My first post

I am new at this, so I'll be learning as I go. So far I like blogging and I hope this page can be useful to students and faculty who need help with electronic databases.