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Lesson 8

April 10, 2015

Worldcat

Here at the Potter County Library, we have two small books very popluar with our older readers that enjoy German/Russian history.  They are The Last Bridge and A Distant Promise and they detail the life of a girl in southern Russia in the 1800s.  These books were printed by Midstates Printing in Aberdeen in 1984. There a few references found in the State Library search, but none found on Worldcat. I needed to replace these books for our library, and I felt very fortunate to find them on Amazon. I thought it was very interesting that I could find no reference to these books on Worldcat.

I searched in Worldcat Dissertations for the dissertation of a college classmate of mine, Glenn Daman.  His dissertation is titled Developing the Small Church Ministry.  This dissertation has led to Glenn writing four different books related to developing, leading, and shepherding a small church.  Pretty cool finding a good friend’s books on Worldcat!

On OAIster I checked out the Western Prairie Fringed Orchid. It brought me to a 1- page link from the University of Nebraska. This link gave me info on what book to find more information on this plant, and gave a brief summary of the plant.  This was an interesting tool to search an obscure plant and tweaked my interest to use it more often.

Lesson 10

Wrap Up

I appreciated learning about the Electronic Resources available for our local library patrons. I believe I found the genealogy portion the most interesting.   I struggled, though. I do not believe the site is especially user-friendly, certainly not if you are short on time.  I signed up on new patron for the e-card for the State Library. She is a home school mom and was excited about the resources for her family, but she also felt this site was cumbersome and not as user-friendly as she hoped it would be.  We also have a patron coming in this afternoon to sign up, since we do not have the information available in our library to fulfill her report requirements. 

We are using some of the sites with patrons now, and will continue to let them know of what is available to them on this site.  As a Library Director, I appreciate having this information available for our patrons.  I called in to the State Library Reference Department for help in finding information for a patron, and they were very helpful. They went so far as to finish the search for me and then sent me the links to the entire text article. Thanks for all your help!

Lesson 9

History and Genealogy

I typed in my name and found two public records, one of my residence from 12 years ago and one of my phone number at that same time.

I typed in my mother’s married name. ( I can’t remember my grandparents’ names; I never knew them.)  I found her grave site information.  I then typed in her maiden name, and found the census list from 1930. I wonder if so little is available, such as church records and marriage license, because she passed away in 1972. Quite an interesting search!  I did find a cousin, though, which was an unexpected bonus!  I then typed in my deceased older brother and found quite a bit of information. He passed away about 5.5 years ago, so much more information is available on him.

I could not find anything in Pictures. Don’t know if I was doing something wrong or what.

Heritage Quest:  Could not find any information.???

Sanborn Maps: Could not find anything of interest to me.  None of the towns I wanted to look up had a map, and the one I did look up then was Greek to me!

Lesson 7

I did a search on “Allergies in babies.”  The latest thinking (as I am told by my daughter-in-law!) is no honey or nuts til the baby is two years old.  I got one page of books; they ranged from arthritis help to reflexology to herbs for a healthy pregnancy. There were a couple books that perhaps could answer the questions I had. I was amused by the scope of books that came up in response to my query.

I found several books on the Constitution and  books that dealt with interpreting the Constitution. I also found a pdf of the Constitution, and also an AP book on U S history that might be relevant.

I did a search on Nebraska, since I am from there. I found information on Nebraska football ( of which I am a huge fan!) Native Americans, pioneers, and some information that I did not think relevant to what I was looking for.

This site gives a person access to a different section of information than what you may find when you do just an internet-based search.

Lesson 6

When I checked out the titles available in Gale Virtual Reference Library, I was surprised. I knew they are “selected” titles, but frankly I had expected more availability for more obscure research items.

I did research on Bahai faith, since I know a family that follows that belief.  I knew nothing about it prior to reading the article.  It is an offshoot of a sect within the Muslim religion, and it preaches good works and peace oneness to its followers.  I thought that was a very interesting idea, since the Muslim faith and its beliefs regarding peace or conflict are in the forefront of the news right now.  The article also mentioned that the spiritual center for Bahai is in Israel.  This is an interesting fact:  all the world’s major religions have a claim on Israel!  The article was very complete, and covered the history and basic beliefs of the faith very well.  The article also had very complete citation information, making it easier for someone who has to write an English paper with citations and bibliographies.

The “Listen” feature did not work on my computer, but I think it would be a great feature for those who don’t read well or learn better by listening.

Kelcy25 was the only blogger who had this section done already.  I enjoyed reading her comments; she does a great job writing and explaining things! I enjoyed her references to clothing inventions/discoveries in the 1910s!

Lesson 1 C

In using the Spanish dictionary, I realized how much of my high-school Spanish I have forgotten!  It is easy to see, though, how ESL students could used this to translate terms for classes in school, such as science and geography, giving them a better grasp of the subject in their own language.

As a former homeschool mom, it was difficult for my children to hear Spanish spoken by a native.  This would be a very helpful for those trying to learn Spanish on their own.  These articles could easily help those who are struggling with second language difficulties.

Lesson 5

I love to garden, especially growing flowers. I love roses, and am always searching for new roses that are hardy to our cold winter climate.  I especially like the David Austin roses, but they are marginally hardy to only zone 5, whereas we are zone 4 here, and sometimes even a zone 4a.  I was disappointed in that all I could find on Proquest was one article referring to flower arranging, two books referencing David Austin roses, and the remainder of the articles referred to the patents held on the production of David Austin roses. I thought there would be more general information available, such as you find where you do a regular Internet search.

I read the librarian queen’s post.  I thought it was very interesting, since diabetes runs in both my and my husband’s families.  She had some insightful comments, and writes in a very relaxed manner. Enjoyed her blog!

One of my sons is studying to be a pastor, so I did a search on his chosen profession.  Beginning with “pastors,” there were 89,163 articles.  I then narrowed down to “rural white male pastors,” and there still 2935 articles.  I further narrowed down to “rural white male evangelical pastors,” and there were still 1703 articles.  Upon further checking, some of the articles included did not fit my parameters, since there were a number of “African American” titles included, and some articles that I believed had no place under the “evangelical” term.   I was surprised by how many total articles there were, and how comprehensive the subjects were.  Even when I reduced my search field, I still thought there still was a lot of information to choose from!

Lesson 4

SIRS DISCOVERER is a fascinating website!  I quite often view websites through the eyes of a homeschool parent, and there is so much available here for use for homeschool students.It is very difficult for students to find newspaper or non-fiction articles to support the papers they write.  This site is an answer to that tough dilemna.

I could not find information on my favorite animal, the Rag Doll Kitten, (maybe I wasn’t searching properly!), so instead I searched for voles. Our farm cats drop quite a few “offerings” by our back door, so I was interested in being able to tell exactly what it is they are offering us.

I checked out the map of Nepal; if you have ever read the book “Into Thin Air’ by John Krakauer, you realize how important it is to have a map to reference to as you read.  In many cases when I am reading, I find myself with an atlas at hand.  I love the study of Geography, so when I read authors like Tony Hillerman or Craig Johnson, I always refer to maps so I have a better understanding of the setting of the book.

In the other data-base feature I studied gluten-free food articles.  These articles give a quite a different perspective than if someone is doing an internet- based search. 

For the leading issue section, I chose the topic of global warming.  There is a huge amount of information available, but in doing a quick survey of it, it seems most of the articles believe climate change is underway.  There is not near as much information in support of the belief that the earth is merely in a long-term cyclical pattern.

In Curriculum Pathfinders, I chose Geography and further concentrated on Mount Everest and its tragic climbing history.  I found out a two very interesting facts:  Mount Everest is actually 7 feet taller than was first reported; and it is slowly creeping to the northeast at 2.4 inches a year.  Now how did scientists discover that, and what causes this?  There were no answers to that question in the article.  How disappointing!  I love learning weird facts like that!

Lesson 3

I found the Learning Express Library very interesting.  There are so many college, career, and adult learning helps on this site!  I was excited to see all that is available; I will be promoting this product to our high school counselor and patrons that are looking for assistance in education or in jobs skills and improvements.

I chose a basic Math test to take.  I had to do some thinking…how quickly we forget! I can see how it would be a very good refresher course for someone wanting to brush up on their skills. 

I had to write a resume and cover letter when I applied for this job last fall.  I wish I would have known about the career resources section back then! This would be a great aid to someone who is job seeking.  I write a little column in our local paper each week, and will be including in it that an individual can find assistance in these areas at the local library.  What an amazing resource for a small town!

I read  the ebook “1001 Vocabulary and Spelling Questions.”  Was just like when I helped my sons with their vocab in high school!  I love learning new words and challenging spelling questions; this would be a fun way to improve and refresh my brain.

I was very impressed with this section of the State Library.  As a former homeschool mom, I definitely will be recommending the e-Resources to other homeschool  parents as a great way to add to their children’s education.

Lesson 2

I chose a 1991 Ford F 150 pickup as the vehicle I researched.  At 30,000 miles three things needed to be done are:  change fuel filter, inspect cooling systems, and inspect the brake system including lines, hoses, and connections.  I had to chuckle, because this pickup has about 200,000 miles on it, has a tempermental transmission, and various dents and other body damage.  I drive it because there are so many deer and pheasants on the road I drive.  I do not want to wreck my good car again with all the deer I can encounter.

The latest recall/ maintenance information is a statement on the position for Ford Motor Company on the use of propylene glycol-based engine coolant.

I had never heard of a Power Brake Booster; evidently my old beater wheels have this feature!

Back when I was homeschooling my sons and trying to teach them Spanish, it was very difficult to get the correct pronunciation of the word sometimes.  This also gives us a better understanding of the language.  This is a great feature for some individuals who need the extra help at their own pace. The way words are broken down makes it easy to learn and it is not so intimidating.

Mango not only pronounces the words for you, it gives you the meaning and a better, well-rounded understanding of the word.

I believe the TumblebookLibrary has wonderful books, making it easy for busy child providers to engage youngsters in the art of appreciating books and reading.  The games are another fun resource for youngsters.  I would enjoy sharing this website with my baby granddaughter, and with young mothers in my church.  They are always looking for more educational resources to further their child’s development.

Lesson 1

World Book Kids

For my animal I chose the Rag Doll Kitten, because I have always wanted one.  There is no information or pictures posted in the World Book Kids regarding a Rag Doll Kitten.

The Rag Doll Kitten can become a large cat that gets its name from its limpness.  When you pick it up, it flops over like a ragdoll. I chose this picture because its fur and markings are similar to a Birman cat.

For my country I chose Nepal.  I have good friends from church who are missionaries in Nepal.  I like to follow their ministry and with the civil war that was happening in Nepal, I would have enjoyed using the Maps Section and the Special Reports section.  The Encyclopedia Articles will also give me a better insight into their daily lives, so I can pass along information to other individuals in church as to how they cope with a different, changing culture.

I am a former homeschool mom, and know several homeschool moms.  Many homeschoolers wish to learn a second language, and this would be a perfect way for students to hear the proper pronunciation of the word.